O Bella

An addendum

2012-01-02T17:49:00.000-08:00

After some time out of blogging, I've regrouped and refocused... I'll be blogging over at A Wanderers Soul if you'd like to join me. It's more insightful, less fluff, allowing myself to explore feelings and thoughts.<3

Live

2011-08-25T11:24:00.000-07:00

Things creep slowly into life that when you take a step back, are not necessarily a good thing any longer. This is the way I feel about blogging. It used to be a way I shared ideas and views, pictures and thoughts.... but what for? I can no longer answer that question. It is nice to connect with other people I may be too far away from, and I've made many connections through my blog which I really cherish. But when it's become something I feel obligated to do, and when it takes up more time than I care for it to, more time that I want to make for it, then I need to change something.

There's something I realize every now and again, when a life event happens; birth, death, or time away from this thing we call "reality" on the internet which is not real life... I realize that life is short. Life is so short it's described as but a vapor.

My mission to live simply is to live simply in every aspect, and that is getting back to a little bit of what life is meant to be. I'm not supposed to worry if a post will be interesting to someone else, or spend hours editing photos of myself and my family just to post up, or wonder if this feature or that feature means anything to anyone. It's exhausting to the point of I didn't have time for this, or for that. But my life right now is a full-time mama to two little girls who need my full attention. Having a life that doesn't involve processed foods means making most things from scratch, which equals a lot of time in the kitchen, and a lot of time snuggling, spending outdoors, running in the grass, feeling the wind.

I'm also deleting my facebook. I feel like we connected as individuals once before facebook, and that it is still possible. I'm also not going to run my business any longer.

I do want to write a thank you to those special people who have taken the time for encouragement, a little hello or a piece of advice. There are so many good things about connecting through the internet, but I feel like my life doesn't have time to spend on the internet right now. As I type I have my littlest girl in my arms, bouncing her on my lap to try to keep her happy, and my oldest dancing around. It's time to put all things aside and just live.

If some of you would really love to keep in contact, I'm making a picasa account for photos, have an email, and have skype if you'd like to really connect! I'll probably leave this account up for another week so I have time to make sure I have all the recipes written down that I'd love to keep.

Much love to all of you.

Guest post on Milk-Friendly

2011-08-22T10:26:00.000-07:00

Hey nursing mamas! I did a guest interview on one of my favorite breastfeeding blogs - Milk-friendly - check out my thoughts on breastfeeding here -- Guest Post on Milk-Friendly

Weekly Menu: Link Up

2011-08-22T07:53:00.000-07:00

[cubanelle peppers from our garden]

You'll notice the blog has a new look and I'm really digging it. So while I'm rearranging some things around here I thought I would start something new.

I'm always looking for inspiring ideas for whole food, nutritious recipes, so I'm creating a linky list so you can share yours too! Come and share your creations natural mamas! Create your own weekly menu on your blog, and link it up here to share what you're planning for the week!

Here's how our week is shaping up.

Weekly recipe list:

Dinners:

Baked Ziti with whole wheat pasta and baby spinach
Broccoli, potatoes and lentil burgers
Tomato Soup and Salad with homemade dressing
Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie
Black bean wraps with whole wheat tortillas using peppers from our garden

Other Stuff:

Chickpea Sandwich Filling
Homemade Pudding
Homemade Bread

Snacks:

Nuts, Green Smoothies, Granola Bars

Whew! That sounds like a lot, but planned out, it's not that bad. I'm still working on staying organized with meals

Come join in!

Side note: The comment section is down, I'll be fixing that soon.

Organic Eating: Taco Soup

2011-08-19T07:42:00.000-07:00

This soup is full of awesome things. Garlic and onion are great to eat on a daily basis. Pinto beans or black beans are full of protein. Tomato, avocado, cilantro are all on the list of the world's healthiest foods. Check em out to see how awesome each of them are! The best part about this soup, is that is easy -- and fully customizable to how you want it. Don't like cheese? No problem! Want your soup super spicy? Add hot salsa and some red pepper flakes. So easy to put together, good filling, and great for summer even if it's hot out.

1 organic onion
1 organic red pepper
6-8 cloves organic garlic
1 carton organic vegetable broth
1-2 cups organic salsa
1 cup organic black or pinto beans
1 cup organic corn
1 medium organic tomato
a handful organic cilantro
Squeeze of lime juice
salt and pepper to taste

optional toppings:
organic cheddar cheese
organic cilantro
organic corn chips
whole wheat tortillas
avocado

Saute onion, pepper and garlic. Add broth, beans, corn, salsa, salt, pepper. Bring to boil and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Stir in chopped tomato, cilantro. Serve with toppings.

For Bella's, since she can't have chips, I fried a whole wheat tortilla and broke it up and added it to the top. For mine and my husband's we had the yummy blue chips.

Super easy and super yummy!

Quiet

2011-08-18T10:15:00.000-07:00

Me and the girls were on our regular errand running. My car needs fixed and I'm put-putting my way up to the car shop, going 35mph and hoping nothing happens.

It's hot. And I mean hot outside.

The heat isn't just it, the sun is so incredibly intense, I tan just walking to the car. And the humidity? I won't even mention how high it is. Like 95%. I get to the shop and they say it will take hours just for my car to be seen. Hours? I can't sit here with two kids for hours, and make it home at a reasonable time to make dinner, get the girls showered, tea made for Bella, story read, and in bed. So I smile and say thanks, I'll come back later, heading back out into the heat, Bella asking why our car isn't getting fixed.

Well now what?

I get back into my rumbling car and head towards the beach. It's what we need. We don't have our suits, or a towel, or a change of clothes, or sunscreen or anything. But I have my two girls and we need to enjoy some time together. So we roll up to the beach, grab our diaper bag, scoop my littlest up and my biggest girl's hand. It's hot, but it doesn't matter. We sit at the waters edge and just watch.

Wow.

Watching the waves roll up is humbling and quieting. Looking out as far as the horizon is beautiful. I wonder how long I could sit there for. We thankfully brought a smoothie I had frozen and now was a perfect treat. We walk along barefoot in the water and watch our footprints disappear.

How amazing it is.

This was just what we needed. To be quiet and listen.

Hemp Wrap Giveaway on Camfire Chic

2011-08-18T06:31:00.000-07:00

Over on one of my favorite blogs, Campfire Chic, I'm giving away one of my Cropped Hemp Wraps in Mauve. Click here to check out the giveaway.

My Hemp Wraps are organic cotton and hemp head wraps, hand-dyed by me and stenciled with a rustic leaf pattern. This is the last wrap of it's kind - this color was part of a limited dye bath. Head on over to find out how to enter the awesome giveaway that's going on!

Giveaway is open until Sunday, August 21!

august sponsor intro

2011-08-16T07:20:00.000-07:00

Roots and Feathers is a place where I have welcomed my soul to do the creating. Here you will find my new collection of grassroot bohemian designs. This line is inspired by earthy native elements, a traveling gypsy soul & the feeling you get while walking around barefoot at a music festival.

Shop | Blog | Twitter

I love everything about Laura's bohemian shop. Her creations are unique and cohesive in their design, free-flowing, earth native, and soul speaking. I'm so honored to have her as one of O Bella's sponsors this month. I have loved her designs for forever and love watching this line grow and take it's shape, it's amazing.

Find a sense of peace in her creations.

Freestyle Fashion 5.0: Girls Edition

2011-08-15T06:55:00.000-07:00

We spent yesterday spending time with each other, making a Whole Foods run, making dinner and a cake (special request of my husband) and enjoying a quiet night together, the first in a while! Here's what we wore during our day, the girls and I got pretty for our special guy.

Mama:

Headband: Violet Bella
Top: Scarf layering tank by Violet Bella - I'm in love with this top.
Tank: H&M
Shorts: AE

Bella:
Headband: Violet Bella
Top: Old Navy
Skirt: Old Navy

Ellie
Headband: Violet Bella
Top: Koala Kids
Skirt: Koala Kids

His day

2011-08-14T07:52:00.000-07:00

It's my guy's birthday today. We are so blessed to have him in our lives. It's amazing how much we've grown as people together and I'm so very thankful for each and every kiss,
every favor,
every kind gesture,
every thoughtful act,
every smile at our girls,
every ounce of support.

I couldn't have asked for a better partner in this lifetime!

Happy birthday my love!
Love, your girls.

Attachment Parenting

2011-08-11T13:05:00.000-07:00

Attachment Parenting - What it is

A paraphrase of one of my favorite resources - Dr. Sears

Birth Bonding

Left to her own wants - normally after a birth, mama will scoop baby up, chest to chest, usually breastfeeding babe soon after. Baby still hears mama's heartbeat, baby regulates their breathing by mama's breathing, baby's body is able to regulate temperature by mama's body. The bond begins. In the following days, mama is supposed to have baby, skin to skin for as many hours as possible. When mama is busy (showering, eating) papa is then supposed to take over. There are many, many articles about how baby's thrive next to mama, skin to skin, especially premies. This is the way it is supposed to be. Baby learns mama's smell, hears her voice, knows her touch. It's so beautiful.

Breastfeeding

The best nourishment for baby. Especially designed for everything a baby needs. Breastfeeding is so good for mama too. It promotes the right release of hormones to bond mama to baby chemically too. My favorite breastfeeding promoting blog - milk-friendly.

Babywearing

The best way to carry a baby. They fuss less, learn more, nurse more. Helps tone little muscles more quickly, and introduce baby into the adult world by observing, watching, learning.

Bedding Close to Baby

Reconnecting with your baby after a busy day. Helping baby regulate their breathing even during the night. Reassuring baby that nighttime is not scary, that it's safe, restful. Monitoring baby close by. This is how people have been sleeping with their babies for generations.

Belief in the value of your baby's cry

Crying is the only way baby can communicate a need to mama or papa. Listening to this cry means valuing your baby's needs. A baby then learns that you will answer and you can effectively communicate with one another.

Beware of baby trainers (!!)

Babies are humans. Humans are not on a schedule. My tummy tells me when I am hungry, not the clock. My body tells me when I am tired and when I am not, not the clock or a book. I feel the same rules are applied to my little ones. I try not to set them on a schedule and listen for the cues they give me.

Balance

I love trying to find the balance between mama, wife and myself. It is a day to day goal, not just fitting some time in for myself one week.

What it is not

It is not raising spoiled, untrained children. It is about listening to your little ones as the people they are.

It's not rules, it's a mindframe.

This is not me saying the way you parent is wrong or different if you don't do any of these things. This is me sharing how I parent and why. I may do one or all of these things, and that works for us at this season of our life. Do what feels right for you!

Ideas and direction

2011-08-09T09:32:00.000-07:00

Link

Have you ever thought about building a cob or other natural design house??

There is a free cob workshop going on in Asheville, North Carolina - what an awesome opportunity! If you are anywhere nearby, click here for more information!

My dream is to build a cob house with my husband for our family and have a small homestead on a piece of land. How are we moving towards that goal? Well... I analyzed this goal since I had been asked this question in the etsy featured seller interview, a little over one year ago:

Where are we since then?

In a much better position! We've cut a lot of debt, cut a lot of unnecessary expenses - we still don't have TV, we don't watch movies, we don't eat out, we don't spend money that we don't need to. My husband's doing well at his job, and graduated from both EMT school and Fire school. We have another little baby girl! We still play music together and are further into our project than we were before. I'm still selling things I love. We have thoughts to possibly move in a year.... maybe.

The unknowns:
We still don't know where he will find a firefighting job, but we have faith that if that's what is meant for us, it will happen! We are still looking for that piece of land, but saving towards it!

We spent a little time on new thoughts and designs, on our future house and a little about our homestead.
A few things we've come up with is how to build a cob oven into our house, the possibility of only doing one story except for a loft on one side of the house, and including a kitchen garden right outside of the kitchen for cooking and medicinal herbs.

If you've never heard of cob or other natural building materials, here are 8 reasons to build with natural materials and more natural building resources.

I came across a few cob houses I had never seen before and love looking at all the natural designs. They're so beautiful.

What could be better than making a house with your hands?

link

I found so much information in this article on a self-sufficient homestead, that I bought this book - The Self Sufficient Life and How To Live It -- and am loving it.

A cow, a goat, some hens, fruit, legumes, root vegetables, grains. Yes. This is it.

This is seriously the life I want to live. With a small studio to sell my ware out of! I am content where I am but always craving the open land, fresh food and dirt to dig in.

Have a tour of a lovely cob home and see for yourself.

What are your thoughts on natural building?

Living in the now

2011-08-05T07:56:00.000-07:00

I find it so incredibly important to live in the present.

To connect to each other in a real way, and not just through technology. To pick up the phone instead of texting. To meet in person instead of leaving a message through facebook. To be involved in everyday activities instead of just looking at pictures. To meet people's needs in a real and tangible way.

I find it increasingly difficult, but all the more important. God has really been pressing on my heart to be present. To be present in the now. To enjoy the sunset, the breeze blowing, a little girl's giggle. There will be one day when my girl's will no longer want me to wrap them up in my embrace, so I'm getting in every one that I can now.

One way I've found that it's so easy to reconnect with the present is reconnecting with the earth. Growing living things, tending to vegetables, digging my hands in the dirt. There's nothing that brings you back to the slow pace of reality than growing food from a seed. The time it takes to grow food puts patience back in it's place. We are a society of instant gratification and I fight the tide every day to not fall into this mindframe. Not everything is instant. Hard work making an honest dollar is not instant. Growing a pepper is not instant. Raising a life-loving, respectful, inquisitive child is not instant. Let reality bring you back down and remember that not everything is instantaneous.

Don't let this day and age fool you into thinking that everything is easy and pretty. It is not how this life was designed. There is beauty in the sorrow, beauty in the growth, beauty in the simple moments.

How do you let life bring you back into the present?

A day in the life: photo an hour

2011-08-03T06:21:00.000-07:00

6:30 am

7:00 am

8:00 am
9:00 am

10:00 am
11:00 am
12:00 pm

1:00 pm

2:00 pm

3:00 pm
4:00 pm

5:00 pm

6:00 pm

7:00 pm
8:00 pm
9:00 pm
10:00 pm

Just a normal day! xo!

Music, sun and balloons

2011-08-01T07:40:00.000-07:00

This family was made to be outside. My girls are made to be outdoors in every way possible.
For a while it was me just saying Bella was made to be outside, that it centers her, settles her, lets her be free. But Ellie is one in the same way outside. She will fuss at certain times of the day until we go outside. She immediately stops. She's been like this since she was born. This pushes me to continue to hope for a time when we'll have a little piece of land to roam on. Where we can run out first thing in the morning, watch the deer, tend to the garden, watch butterflies flutter by, and soak up some sun.

We had a wonderful weekend together. Much needed rest, good conversation and family time. We wrote two new songs, one by my husband, one by me. It's amazing how much our souls connect.

Ellie is a music lover too. Making her way over to the stereo when it's on.

We spent Saturday lounging and playing in the water. Some cooling off from the stifling heat is so necessary!

This is Bella in her element. Outside, shovel in hand, dress blowing in the breeze.

My fabric tag order came in and I'm in love! Fabric tags by Green Beans n Strings - the best!

Our garden is doing amazing. How gratifying to grow our own food and herbs!

I fall in love with my girls more and more everyday. It feels like my heart could burst.

Ending the week

2011-07-29T10:10:00.000-07:00

Hi guys! How has your week been so far? We've spent a lot of time outside to keep Miss Ellie happy, but it is so. hot! Here's what I've been interested in this week as far as internet browsing goes.

This link on how to build a 1-acre homestead - all I want is an acre! Okay, more would be nice, but I would love to homestead on a little piece of land!

We've been dreaming more on our future cob house, here's an awesome video of an earthen greenhouse greenhouse, just beautiful!

These headbands by Violet Bella.

A guest post I did for Campfire Chic on hiking and camping with kids

My newest shop - a new direction and journey that's been in the works for a year.

These designs by Wild And Free Jewelry

This song by Jon Foreman.

Our cob house gets closer and closer everyday!

I'm still taking sponsors for August, click here for more information!

Recent Questions

2011-07-28T09:50:00.000-07:00

I've had some similar questions lately, so here's the answers to your questions!

1. Why is O Bella Organics under a new Etsy shop - what happened to O Bella Naturals?

O Bella Organics is a new direction under O Bella. I started making Hemp Wraps last year and am really happy with this direction. I love working with natural fibers and am really happy learning to sew new designs with the prospect of turning it into a whole clothing line. O Bella Naturals was more body care based. At this stage in my life, it's unrealistic for me to try to make soap and keep up with orders. Sewing fits more into my life as a mama of 2 little girls, as I can step away, even sewing at night when the girls are asleep and one wakes up. You can still read my featured seller interview with Etsy that I did last year!

2. Where can I find your hemp wraps?

They're for sale in my new Etsy shop - O Bella Organics! I'll be selling them here for now only since I have a limited quantity of each. You'll also be able to find them on another website shortly - but that's still a secret!

3. Do you offer your Hemp Wraps wholesale?

Yes! Email me for information on pricing and quantities!

4. I love your soaps! Are you still going to make them??

I miss making soap! I plan on making them in the future but not selling them through Etsy. I love making natural products, but always felt like I was trying to learn as I went to keep up with demand. I would like to keep learning about herbs and growing our own, and move towards organic essential oils for my soaps. This is all prospect right now because it's just too much of a mess and I don't have the time required to make soap, but may train my husband to do the lye part of it!

5. Are you interested in doing a giveaway?

Contact me at my email if you want to giveaway something on this blog or host a giveaway from yours! obellanaturals[at]gmail[dot]com

Hope that sums up the recent ones - feel to add any more!

Guest Post on Campfire Chic

2011-07-26T11:15:00.000-07:00

Do you know how much I love camping and hiking? I have been doing it for as long as I can remember and now that I have kids, nothing has changed! My love for it is the same, and I compiled a list for successful hiking and camping with kids over on Campfire Chic, an awesome blog I really enjoyed sponsoring this month! Head over and check out my post!

>>> 8 Tips for Camping with Kids

O Bella Organics

2011-07-25T08:45:00.000-07:00

O Bella opened up a brand. new. Etsy shop - O Bella Organics! A clothing and accessory line inspired by soft textures, organic colors, and natural elements. I'm so excited to see this line begin to come to fruition - this is my shop where I'll be selling handmade, organic cotton and hemp clothes and accessories. I'll also be designing a brand new jewelry line with river stones, long chains and wire work - also very excited about this. These Summer Hemp Wraps are made in limited quantity - so be sure to check them out if you love them!

>>Come shop!<<

Little Milestones

2011-07-23T07:04:00.000-07:00

My girl started crawling the day she got her darling headband from my very good friend, Laura. [Go say hello and leave positive thoughts for her. The headband she made is adorable. It fits my girl so perfectly. She also made one for Bella and one for me. They are perfect for hippy spirits. They're adorable. Crawling just a few days shy of turning 5 months old. I thought she would sit still for a little while, but she's determined to keep up with her big sister. She said mama for the first time. It was just baby talk at first but has now turned into real talking. She giggled like a big girl a few days ago. My hands sure are full... full of good things!! I read the most amazing post on mothering... Motherhood is a Calling. You must read it.

What are your plans for this weekend? I'm going to snuggle my girls, hang with my guy, play some music, and have some much needed downtime. Can't wait!!

Freestyle Fashion 4.0

2011-07-21T08:50:00.000-07:00

This has to be one of my favorite outfits yet. So versatile, breezy and flowy. Oh my. Just love it all around. I would love more tops like this!!

Outfit Details:
Top: Free People via Bekah's Closet [thank you Bekah!!]
Tank: H&M
Shorts: F21
Shoes: Mossimo from Target
Headwrap: Hemp Wrap by O Bella

They look super cute on young hippy mamas too. Isn't my niece super cute?

These Hemp Wraps will be posted tomorrow! I'm opening up a brand. new. etsy and bigcartel. Starting from scratch, taking a new direction with this branch of my business. I'm so excited to be going on this path! Do you love these Hemp Wraps as much as I do? Fan my facebook, follow my twitter or follow via bloglovin' to find when I put up these Hemp Wraps!

Can't wait for the weekend!

Contentment

2011-07-18T08:47:00.000-07:00

I guest posted over at Pixie Mama this morning on life, dreams, and being content. Read more about it over here ---- Living Life Your Way Interview

Sunday Jams//Lady Grinning Soul

2011-07-17T07:12:00.001-07:00

Lucia micarelli - lady grinning soul

Do you know I'm in love with music? It just pours from my soul. I've been playing music for 16 years now. One of my first loves was classical. My second love was rock. This is a great blend of both of them, by my favorite violinist, Lucia Micarelli.

Enjoy the rest of your weekend!

Hi Friday!

2011-07-15T14:21:00.000-07:00

I've been anxiously awaiting Friday. Simply because time slows down just a little bit once 5:00pm rolls around. The little ones and I enjoyed a fun morning at the local wildlife center. We saw lots of animals and endured the heat well. Ellie was a happy girl the whole time, squealing while watching the older kids run around.

Here are some of the things I enjoyed this week;

News Review's article on hemp vs. pot
Handmade News write-up on Natural Living
Lune's beautiful Lace, feather and stone doily
my little loves thoughts on parenting challenges
Campfire Chic's compilation of tips on how to stay organized with your blog/shop [including some of my tips how I stay organized!]
Laura of Violet Bella's feature on Moorea Seal's - My Style, My Space
Awesome, inspiring farm life photos from longest acres
Hip Mountain Mama's homemade sidewalk paint

Have an awesome weekend!

More Hemp Wrap colors

2011-07-14T13:06:00.000-07:00

I worked over the weekend and had my cute niece help me. She modeled for me and took some photos herself, she did a great job! I'm over the moon with how these colors came out. This line of Hemp Wraps is coming along quite nicely! These colors are Hibiscus and Ocean. Can you tell I'm completely inspired by Florida summer? We love going to the beach and both grew up here in a little beachy town. Hibiscus are everywhere. Even though it's so incredibly hot, I totally love summer.

Update: Available here - O Bella Organics

Organic Eating: Oatmeal Cookies

2011-07-14T11:16:00.000-07:00

Original Recipe

I used to think low sugar meant no taste. Only my Gramma eats low sugar things. Well these cookies are really titled "low sugar," but they don't call for as much sugar as a regular batch of cookies does! My little Bella can no longer have sugar [in the form of refined sugar], nor can she have any more white [refined] flour - this means I have to get creative with small treats and things like birthday parties or other things like that. She can't have sugar without also having a good source of fiber or protein and I really regulate how much she consumes. I learned all about this in this awesome book - Little Sugar Addicts. I pretty much treat it like an allergy, because her body just can't handle the simple sugar and simple carbs. I really see a difference in her and am amazed at how much sugar can affect you. I've noticed since changing her diet, I have to make a lot of things from scratch. Sugar is in everything... and everywhere! Now, that being said, a girl has to have a cookie or cupcake once in a while, so here's an awesome alternative.

Made with only 1 cup brown sugar and whole wheat flour, super awesome cookie.

1 cup organic whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon organic cinnamon
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 cup organic brown sugar
1/4 cup organic, unsweetened applesauce
1 organic egg
2 tablespoons organic butter
1 1/2 teaspoons organic vanilla
1 1/3 cups organic oats
1/2 cup organic raisins

1 Heat oven to 375.
2 Combine the flour, cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda, and salt in one bowl.
3 Mix the brown sugar, applesauce, eggs, butter, and vanilla in another bowl.
4 Mix the two bowls into one bowl.
5 Then add in the oats and raisins.
6 Drop rounded teaspoons of the dough onto a baking sheet.
7 Cook for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown.

Soooo yummy!

Freestyle Fashion 3.0

2011-07-12T07:52:00.000-07:00

I love flowing skirts. They are my favorite thing to wear. If I could have this skirt in every color I would. My littlest mama, Miss Ellie, decided to make a guest appearance in this series since she was dressed all fancy for church. We don't do fancy dress clothes for church, this is our favorite way to go. Ellie's dress is a dress my 10-year-old niece wore at this age. We love passing clothes down. By the way, my kids go barefoot basically everywhere. And I think my Ellie's eyebrows are a bit red, I might have a little ginger! So cute! This is how I do fashion. I like to mix and match different pieces for different outfits.

Outfit Details:
Top: H&M
Tank top: H&M
Skirt: Gap Body
Shoes: Mossimo from Target

Ellie:
Dress: babyGap

Summertime

2011-07-08T13:08:00.000-07:00

Summer is in full swing. And how I love it. Pool time, beach time, photo sessions, summer wraps, braids, setting suns, orange!, lace, lovliness.

Are you as crazy about summer as I am? How are you wiling away your summer?

Girl time

2011-07-06T17:38:00.000-07:00

I'm so lucky to enjoy some girly time a few days ago. My beautiful O Bella models, also known as great friends since high school, visited and loved on my girls, modeled for my Hemp Wrap line, and made oatmeal cookies with us. These girls have known me since I was 18, was so glad to have a some time to spend with them!

They kept Ellie and Bella busy while I photographed each of them. I found an awesome recipe for oatmeal cookies - whole wheat and not lots of sugar, I can't wait to share it!

Garden update: mid-summer

2011-07-05T09:40:00.000-07:00

I am in love with our garden! It's so beautiful and calming! Here's how our garden is shaping up here at the middle of summer for Florida.

Sweet Mint

Lolo Peppers

Bell peppers

Big garden bed - pepper plants and onions

Basil

Herb bed
Basil, rosemary, oregano and sweet mint

Lavender

Sweet potatoes

Our bell peppers are turning colors and ripening! We have yellow, orange and red peppers. They taste amazing. We have been able to use them in a few recent recipes, like homemade tomato sauce and quinoa and black beans [recipes coming!] These onions have been used too, it's amazing using things from your own garden! The basil, oregano and rosemary has also made it into our tomato sauce... seriously yum.

The tomato plants have stopped producing and died, it's too hot here now for them. But our pepper plants are doing so well, we have at least 10 Lolo peppers per week, maybe more, we give some away, as well as the herbs.

Speaking of herbs, we found the. BEST. book about herbal medicine - The Encyclopedia of Herbal Medicine - seriously a-mazing. We went through it over the weekend and got so amped about creating a natural medicine cabinet. We're going to try to plant and grow what we can, then order herbs in bulk for what we can't grow, due to room or weather. We have seeds planted growing for our tea - chamomile, skull cap, lavender - and herbs planted for natural medicine - lemon balm, burdock, borage, catnip, and echinacea. We ordered some bulk herbs from Mountain Rose Herbs - echinacea, chamomile, elderberries, ginseng root, and green tea. We're hoping to really learn about herbal medicine. This book has specific sections for children, elderly, and is sorted in alphabetical order in the beginning and towards the middle sorts herbs by sections, like common ailments, allergies, respiratory problems, skin problems, digestive problems, etc. I mean this book is extensive. It gives the herbs habitat, cultivation, constituents, self-help uses, research, and key preparations. Then it goes even further to describe how to grow, cultivate, harvest, process, and make your own remedies using infusions, tonics, syrups, tinctures, and ointments. It gives a basic first aid kit, which we'd love to make! I'll keep updating on our herbs as the season continues!

We're going to plan for fall soon - we want to concentrate on tomatoes, sweet potatoes, white potatoes, broccoli, onion, peppers, and kale. Fall should be great here!

Do you have a garden? How's it coming along? If you don't, what would you love to learn to grow?

Growing a garden is a great way to help lower your grocery bill!

Fresh Air

2011-07-04T19:25:00.000-07:00

Happy 4th of July!
Enjoying some family, rest and fresh air today!
So thankful for a free nation!

Coming back for a new week tomorrow and lots of things to do!

Organic Eating: Potato and Broccoli Soup

2011-07-01T09:02:00.000-07:00

It was rainy. I had a sick, little girl. And I wanted soup.
So I routed around my fridge to see what kinds of things we had. I had red potatoes, broccoli, and some good cheese. Perfect!

Original recipe

This recipe is so easy, used one big pot, and used onion, garlic, and broccoli, some of my favorite things to cook with. I also kept the skins on and mashed up the cooked potatoes, keeping all the nutrients in the soup.

All ingredients in this soup are organic and vegetarian.

1 head broccoli, cut up
2 TBS canola oil
2 TBS butter
1 onion, diced
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
A few grinds black pepper
6 garlic cloves, minced
6-8 red potatoes, cut into 1 inch chunks
6-8 cups vegetable broth, enough to cover the potatoes
1/2 cup heavy cream
Shredded cheddar cheese for serving

In a large pot, melt butter and oil.
Add onion, garlic, salt and pepper and saute and lightly browned.
Add broth, potatoes and broccoli.
Turn heat to high and bring to boil for 10-15 minutes, until potatoes are tender.
Remove from burner and mash potatoes and broccoli using a potato masher, until soup is thick and potatoes are in small chunks.
Add heavy cream, cheese and salt and pepper to taste.

Serves about 6.

Creamy, filling, and comforting. I love potato soups!

Have you noticed most of my recipes are low in refined sugars and refined flours?? I'll explain soon!

Give a shout if you give this recipe a try!

Freestyle Fashion 2.0

2011-07-01T07:00:00.000-07:00

This was a work and sick day. I wanted something comfy and cute, because we were staying indoors on this rainy day. Enter one of my favorite designers, and one of my favorite tops.

Top: Poor Pitiful Pearl
Tank: H&M
Shorts: F21
Sandals: Mossimo brand from Target

Hemp Wrap preview

2011-06-30T18:21:00.000-07:00

I just love these! Can't wait to release them!

PS. Are my models gorgeous or what?

Update: Available here! O Bella Organics

Work day

2011-06-30T06:26:00.000-07:00

Being a work from home mom isn't easy, it takes a delicate balance of knowing when to work and when to play. It means changing diapers, getting little ones dressed, and running errands in between phone calls, emails, and work time.

Here's a glimpse of a typical "work" day for me.

Meet my assistant.

Perfect tunes for the day.

Incoming package.

Cut, dyed, stenciled, almost ready.

Cutting, cutting, cutting.

This is all sandwiched in between taking care of two sick little ones, cleaning, laundry, folding, playing, cooking, and playing some music.

Running your own creative business means you're in charge of where you go. It's liberating and a little daunting. I feel like I have a decent balance of working when I have the time and knowing when to put it aside for the day and be present with my family. It's all about time management. Setting goals, getting them done in the time where it's available, and setting limits -- putting away your project/work emails when the kids wake up or when the husband gets home.
With all that being said, working from home is the best decision for our family. I'm home with our girls, able to have an outlet for my creative side, and be able to steer the direction of my business.

More posts tomorrow from this rainy day! A new Freestyle Fashion and Organic Cooking recipe.

If you work at home, what are some of your tips for staying sane??

xo!

Ellie Lynn: 4 months

2011-06-29T09:20:00.000-07:00

My baby girl is 4 months and growing so fast! She's a little roly poly and rolls around on the ground whenever I set her down. I can barely get in a diaper change before she is rolling over. She loves loves loves watching her big sister run around. She laughs and giggles and I'm starting to see glimpses of how close they will be as sisters. Bella is such a good big sister to Ellie, playing with her when she's fussing and I'm trying to quickly do my makeup, sharing her toys with her, and sharing mama's lap with her. I love having sisters, and am so glad these girls will be sisters forever. Ellie is starting to push all the way up on her arms and tries to get up on her knees. She'll be crawling before I know it! She gives the biggest smiles all the time, I wake up to her smiling at me and am so glad one of us is a morning person! Her favorite place to be is still mama's hip. I don't carry her as much in the wrap, at least while we're at the house, because it's so comfy for her, she falls right asleep and sleeps too much in the day! So she's always on my hip going about whatever I'm doing. I'm starting to use my ergo carrier more when we're out, wraps are to hot for this time in Florida, so I'm glad to have two things to go between. I feel like it's going faster this time around with my second. I feel like I have the mama of 2 thing down pretty good. I'm a pro at shopping with both of them, even getting the groceries all the way to our house in the blazing sun. I managed my first bout with Bella being really sick and still needing to snuggle both of them. We even scooted out the door twice in a week to get some much needed groceries., despite Bell being sick. It looks like now Ellie has what Bella has and I'm trying to prepare for more sleepless nights. Hoping that she recovers quicker than Bella.

Got some exciting things planned for July! Time to work and take care of these little ones!

xo!

Playroom Peeks//Playtime

2011-06-28T11:24:00.000-07:00

Playtime with my girls. So priceless.
My girl is still sick this week if you can believe it. It's been a full week of staying inside, so there have been lots of games, snuggles, drawing and pretending.

Looking forward to the weekend already!

Freestyle Fashion 1.0

2011-06-23T18:22:00.000-07:00

A brand new feature for my blog. Weekly fashion posts, particular to my style. This is to inspire me to be creative with my outfits. What I wear inspires me creatively and helps my overall emotional well-being. My style has gone through a lot of changes, depending on the stage of life I'm in, and the season that it is here in Florida! I like long skirts, cute tank tops, effortless accessories, pretty patterns, cute jeans, breezy, bohemian, and wandering-wear. I have two little girls and am always on the go, whether at home or out. I need wears that I can jump, run and bend over in, and that is breastfeeding friendly. I like to get up in the morning and get dressed and feel ready for wherever the day will take us!

Outfit details:

Top: A hippy tank from the closet of Bekah of my litttle loves. Love this top! (Brand unknown)
Tank top: H&M
Jean Shorts: Forever 21
Sandals: Teevas (in love with these)

My hair this summer is going to be up in my favorite summertime bun a whole lot. I may get more creative as the summer goes on!

Totally loved this outfit!

Organic Eating: Green Smoothie

2011-06-21T10:54:00.000-07:00

Despite the beautiful purple color, this is a sneaky green smoothie, thanks to the blueberries. Spinach is so so good for you, rich in vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and flavanoids, reason enough to add baby spinach to your smoothies. Blueberries or blackberries cover up the green color, just in case you have someone who would turn their nose up at something green.

Here's what I put in mine.

A cup of organic baby spinach.

I put the spinach in the blender with about a quarter cup of water and blended until it was liquid. This gets all the spinach blended up so you don't even notice it in your smoothie. No green chunks for this girl!

Split between Bella and I equals a serving of vegetables (1/2 cup) each, not bad for a mid-morning snack! I'm reading the Kind Diet, which I absolutely love, and trying to add vegetables to every meal and snack, even some spinach and peppers in our omelet in the morning.

A cup of organic frozen blueberries
6 organic frozen strawberries
a frozen organic banana
1/4 cup frozen organic pineapple.

Most of the fruits in my freezer I froze myself. The strawberries we picked fresh from a strawberry farm in the spring. So not only are these local, they were freshly picked and grown hydroponically without pesticides. The bananas I froze when we can't eat bananas fast enough, rather than waste them, I peel them, cut them in half, and store in freezer bags... ready for a smoothie. The blueberries we bought when they were on sale and stocked up.

A 1/4 cup of plain yogurt.
I started eating this brand when I was pregnant because I needed more protein. It's my favorite, besides homemade, which I don't always have time to make. Lots of nutrients and healthy probiotics. I know some people would rather keep it vegan, so this can be easily left out. I prefer to keep it in.

This smoothie is sweet enough on its own, but local honey is a good way to keep allergies in check. I like honey, so I add a TBS of this to my smoothies.

Blend it all up and enjoy! I always like to put my smoothies in glass jars, there's just something about them.

Seriously yummy and a nutritious in-between meal!

Update:
I have these almost every day, and now experiment with different dark greens. You can add Red Kale, adult Spinach (buy fresh and freeze before it goes bad, or buy frozen) Dandelion greens, Beet greens. I add a variety of different berries, blackberry, raspberry and blueberry. I also add 3 TBSP of Flax Powder, rich in Omega 3's! I'd love to add some Hemp Powder and will get some soon! Be creative with this little power meal!

Sponsor O Bella

2011-06-20T06:31:00.000-07:00

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

If you are looking for a place to advertise your indie business, band or blog and you feel like you'd be a good fit, we'd love to have you!
O Bella is offering sponsor spots on the top sidebar.
O Bella is a small-medium size blog and growing every month. I advertise on larger blogs to draw in more visitors!

O Bella averages 5-8 posts per week including inspiring recipes, tips on gardening, how-to's, small steps to natural living, support for other indie businesses, with some good tunes and pretty photos mixed in. O Bella's heart is inspired by the earth.

We have fun things planned for this upcoming month of July - the release of O Bella summer Hemp Wraps, planning for gardening in the fall, how to dry your own herbs, organic shopping haul, and more!

For the initial start of sponsor spots, I'm offering the second month of sponsorship free! Buy one month of sponsorship good for July and August!

Email me if you'd like to reserve your spot or for more information!

Sunday Jams// How Great Thou Art

2011-06-19T19:44:00.000-07:00

How Great Thou Art!

Hello Friday.

2011-06-17T14:29:00.000-07:00

I needed you so much.

1. sweet baby 2. momma kisses 3. blue eyes 4. cupcakes 5. sisters 6. pigtails 7. sweet 8. oregano

Organic Eating: Yum bowls

2011-06-17T04:03:00.000-07:00

Easy, nutritious, yummy. Leftovers are perfect for a filling lunch with lots of protein. These have become a weekly staple!
All ingredients used in my recipe are organic!

Ingredients:

2 C. Brown Rice
Onion
Red Pepper
5 cloves garlic
2 cans black beans/pinto beans
Salsa
Veggie tenders (optional)

Optional Toppings:

Sharp cheddar cheese
Sliced avocado
Sour cream
Diced tomato
Cilantro

Directions

Simmer rice - 5 cups water to 2 cups rice, turned down to medium once boiling and cover for 40 minutes - don't stir - gives the perfect rice!
Chop garlic, onion and pepper. Saute
Add black/pinto beans
Add salsa and simmer for 10 minutes
Serve over rice and your choice of toppings.
Yum!

PS These ingredients (excluding the veggie tenders) make the list of 130 of the world's healthiest foods, and some of the toppings, too! Go here to see the round-up, and what makes them so nutritious.

Roots and Feathers Lookbook

2011-06-14T06:49:00.001-07:00

My super talented friend, Laura, created a new line called Roots and Feathers. Her lookbook of it is amazing. See for yourself. So beautiful, free and bohemian.

She's launching her shop soon, so keep up with her blog to find these amazing pieces!
Blog - Violet Bella

What's in my [diaper] bag - Natural mama edition

2011-06-13T11:34:00.000-07:00

Ever wonder what's inside a natural mama's diaper bag? My awesome diaper bag is from Ballokai Bags, a great small business in central Oregon that makes beautiful bags from reused coffee sacks.

And here's what's inside:

[click to enlarge]

1. Nursing cover by Peanut Shell. I don't go anywhere without this.
2. Reusable stainless steel water bottles - a must!
One is from Bellatazza and Bella's is from Klean Kanteen, we also have one in pink for Ellie when she gets older.

3. Mineral sunscreen from Alba Botanica - vegetarian friendly, not tested on animals, paraben-free, no nano-particles. Important for our spontaneous pool trips and beach visits.
4. Hand sanitizer from Whole Foods - 365 brand
5. Clothes for the girls. The most beautiful little hippy dress by Blue Sky [purchased in Asheville](fair trade!) and an organic cotton kimono onesie by Kate Quinn Organics

6. and 7. Beautiful embroidered pouches by Blue Sky, one for my wallet and the mini one for Bella.

8. and 9. Toys for the girls. The cutest little wooden clown by Haba Toys for Ellie and a mini Cabbage Patch Kid for Bella. I used to love Cabbage Patch when I was little.

10. Swimmies! For little swimmers.
11. Wrap carrier by Ultimate Baby Wrap. They no longer make them, but if you get your hands on one, this is the best wrap I've ever tried. Really, light-weight fabric.
12. Natural wipe system. Cleanse and Moisturize Mist by Picnic Basket Crafts and reusable cloths. Some disposable wipes for back-up.

13. Hair clips. One for me, mini one for Bella
14. Keys
15. Diapers and socks. Have yet to make the switch to cloth diapers, but we're getting there!
16. Reusable, on-the-go sacks. Snack Taxi from Hip Mountain Mama, for little things like nuts, raisins, cranberries, dry cereal, cut-up veggies. Organic cotton canvas sack by Eco Bags, also from Hip Mountain Mama, for the snack taxis and fruit, stainless steel ware, and veggies.

That was so much fun! Share your awesome, natural things you don't go out without!

Playroom Peek's//Out the Door

2011-06-13T08:07:00.000-07:00

Has anyone else ever felt this way? It's time to leave, bags in hand, and complete chaos breaks out. I'm hungry, someone has to go potty, someone is crying, can't find the shoes, someone needs a diaper change, we're going to be late!
It doesn't happen every time, but when it does, I just want to get out the door. Remain calm, have a little patience, and laugh off the small stuff. That's how I do it. It's the little things that keeps life interesting!

Sunday Jams// Cannons

2011-06-12T06:01:00.000-07:00

3.5 months

2011-06-09T11:34:00.000-07:00

Life is going by so quickly for little Ellie. The newborn, tiny baby stage passed by way too fast. We're onto bigger and better things now! No more sleep baby, she's always awake and takes 4 regular naps. I've been able to see when she's ready for a nap and it's a pretty consistent time every day. She's almost like clockwork. Rise and shine at 6 or 7am, and ready for bath and bed at 7pm.
She loves talking baby talk to people now, rolls over every time I set her down, and is starting to pick out favorite toys she likes to play with. She prefers to be held more than anything else and I don't mind at all!
This stage is always a little tough, between where they want to move and when they can move. Life will get easier when she can sit up by herself and be busy with a few toys, but I'm in no rush to see this stage pass, so for now I'm always doing something with a baby on my hip.
I love watching Bella be her big sister. She loves to help me get her diapers, put blankets on her, wash her with me in her tub, and talk to her.

Life as a mama of 2 is amazing. I'm busy but so in love with these girls, I'd do anything for them.

Hemp Wraps - coming soon!

2011-06-08T14:27:00.000-07:00

These are probably my favorite wraps yet. So summery and beautiful.

[Hemp wrap in cucumber]

Working at home with little ones is tough. tough. tough. But so worth it.
Who would trade anything for this face?

Fresh storage ideas

2011-06-07T11:02:00.000-07:00

My favorite thing to do when I get home from the store is to jar up all of my bulk items. I've found that moving them from their bag, box, and into a nice, glass jar and in plain view makes snack and meal time a lot more fun and appetizing.

Bella loves to come up to the counter and pick out which she would like to eat. By having it out on the counter, I find that choices that she might not have thought of (or accepted with my offer, since she is in the stubborn 2-year-old phase), she makes good choices on her own.

I love to do the same with fruit in a basket. It makes it more appetizing for all people in the house, including myself!

Try this next time you go to the grocery store!

Playroom Peeks//Mornin' Sunshine

2011-06-07T05:54:00.000-07:00

A fun, new idea I thought of to share a picture every so often of us in our every day routine. A lot of the time we're found in the playroom, so I'll take different pictures at different times of the day to give you a peak into our everyday lives.
My Bella is always the busy one. This is first thing in the morning, Ellie is waiting patiently in her walker and I'm pulling out their clothes for the day.
We are potty training this week! So excited for miss Bell, she's growing up so fast. And did I mention Ellie rolled over while we were on vacation? She's so busy now when I set her down.
We're off to get the day going and get some groceries! This week should be interesting!

Sunday Jams// Worship You

2011-06-05T05:27:00.000-07:00

Today's jam comes from yours truly -- my husband and I. We recorded this just a few days ago, everything is first take, and was actually the first time I've played or sang this with him at all. You know I'm brave for posting this raw version up, but that's what we prefer, real music. We'll polish it up over time, but we really enjoy the indie, free flowing version of this song. Credits: My husband -- lead vocals, acoustic guitar, electric guitar, bass, drum track. Me -- backing vocals, piano, keyboard (cello part). [Meant to be listened to on headphones for best listening quality, that's how it was mixed, no time for monitor mixing when the girls are sleeping.]

Enjoy!

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://toyouandyours.bandcamp.com/track/worship-you"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Worship You by To You and Yours&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Bloglovin

2011-06-04T17:51:00.000-07:00

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

Joined up in Bloglovin, would love if you followed me there!

Update on my girls

2011-06-02T05:48:00.000-07:00

I've mentioned in passing that we are looking at surgeries for our little girls. I'm not huge at concentrating on family things besides cute pictures and day-to-day stuff, as I like to focus on my love of homemade, natural, and organic on this blog. But this is our life, and this is where I'm documenting our journey through it. I figured maybe someone else has been here, and probably in tougher spots, so I thought I'd share with you what we're going through.

Isabella has a tumor, and thanks be to the Lord, the doctor's consensus is that it's just a fatty tumor, called a lipoma. It's right next to her eye, so we are going to have it removed as it's just going to keep growing, and there is a very small chance that it isn't what they think it is. We meet with a pediatric plastic surgeon in two weeks for an initial consultation. I have definitely looked into tumor shrinking diets, as many people have forwarded me links to movies and books on diets for this, but these diets only apply to rapidly growing tumors, not slow growing. Lipomas aren't malignant so they don't respond to these types of diets.
Honestly, I'm not looking forward to any type of procedure on Bella. My heart has been breaking since the moment we figured out it was not just a bump by her eye. Bella dislocated her elbow 2 weeks ago, and when we were at the hospital, she kept saying how scared she was, and I kept thinking of how it will be when we're prepping her for the procedure. The doctor's did encourage me, that she won't need complete anesthesia, just a mild sedation, and it will be a 15 minute operation. These little things encourage me to look forward to after it's done.

We are still unsure about little Ellie. We noticed her soft spot was very small at around 6 weeks, and she has a slight ridge down the center of her little head. This could mean she has craniosynostosis, where the sutures of her head have fused together and her head won't be able to expand the correct way as her brain grows. Her first doctor wasn't very concerned about it, and ordered an ultrasound for her head. But, after a follow-up with another doctor, he ordered x-rays to determine what her sutures look like, and they will be able to tell pretty quickly and let us know what we're looking at. If her sutures have not fused, then everything is okay, and her head will continue to grow the right way. If they are fused, she will have to have surgery.
I feel a little bit removed as I describe all these things, like I'm talking about another person who I haven't met, but this is my baby girl, I haven't even been able to go there yet. I've had encouragement from people who have had this surgery on their kids, which is comforting that it's been done for almost a hundred years, but I just can't imagine it yet. I'm thinking I will be getting the x-rays done this upcoming Monday. A surgery for this would be much larger than the one for Bella. It would take a lot of prep as far as pumping breastmilk and possibly donating blood, and removing a piece of her skull. Ugh, I just can't think about that yet.

If you pray, I would appreciate prayers for courage for my little Bella, and for peace and trust for my husband and I. We are praying urgently that everything will be okay for my Ellie.

I will keep updating on these things as the summer goes on.

When imagining myself as a mother as I was younger, I never knew how much I would actually love my children and how I wish I could take away any pain from them. I never knew how much my heart would break when bumps come along. I never knew how much comfort I would get from God and how much grace He would give me. This is the reason we took our vacation. To spend some time removed from everything and really bond, to recover from the loss in our family, and prepare for what's to come. To know that whatever happens, everything will be okay, and God's grace is enough.

My beautiful girls

Homemade organic roasted tomato sauce

2011-06-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

This is my mom's tomato sauce recipe. And it rocks. Perfect for all those tomatoes you're growing this season!

Ingredients

Organic tomatoes...mix it up and use red, yellow, and black.
The number of tomatoes depends on how much sauce you want to make. Cut them in half or quarters, depending on how large they are. For about 3 cups of sauce, we used around 20 cherry tomatoes and 5-8 large tomatoes
One large organic onion cut up into large chunks
8-10 cloves of organic garlic (peeled and whole)
8-10 fresh organic basil leaves (whole)
Kosher salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
1 tbs organic sugar
1/3 cup organic canola oil

Directions

Place and mix all of the ingredients in a 9X13 glass baking dish, making sure that everything is well coated with the canola oil.
Bake uncovered at 375 for 90 minutes. Stir several times during the baking process.
Let cool and blend well in a food processor. Store in large Ball Mason canning jar.

Serve warm over organic whole wheat pasta topped with freshly grated parmesan cheese.

Seriously, so worth the extra work to have fresh tomato sauce!

Life ticks on by

2011-05-31T11:14:00.000-07:00

We found ourselves lost in the mountains and it was just what we needed, as individuals, as a family. I have so many thoughts, pictures, ideas I want to share, and where I feel like we're going, but I find myself short on time for things like this. I have realized that life never "settles down," there may be mountains, there may be valleys, but life constantly ticks on by, whether you're aching or singing with joy. I have been pouring myself into my family, our little family, and both our extended families, it's the healing we've needed and will continue to mend my soul. Most of my healing is coming from the Lord, my constant provider. If I could share with you the impact my life circumstances have had on me, I would, but it feels too fresh to put into words. Death changes you. New life changes you. And we've had three family deaths and a new life in just nine months. I feel changed.

I want to tell you about ideas about our music, for a jesus music coffeehouse, starting homeschool for Bella, that Ellie rolled over for the first time, our pictures of the past month, that I'm still feeling the ache of my papa gone, about our lemonade stand to raise money for the tornado victims, the need and the urge to touch the lost, the needy, the displaced, and, and and.....

I come up short on time again.

I'm back, and will have time to share these things as it comes. Hope you are doing well.

xo

Hitting the road...

2011-05-18T05:59:00.000-07:00

And heading to the mountains...

Be back in a while...

Bear with me as we deal and cope with the changes, obstacles, sorrows, and hope this life offers. We'll be back soon. Love.

Hello May.

2011-05-06T06:05:00.000-07:00

Greeting this beautiful month with open arms.
THANK YOU to all of you who sent such sweet comments regarding my Papa passing away. They meant so much to me.

Getting back into the motions of everyday life but coming at it from another angle. I'll go into this more in another post, but for now, I've been doing a lot of work on my Rustic Wear line.

I've been wanting to design clothes for a very long time and this is a great beginning. It's still in the very early design stages, but have sewed up some great originals. I'm experimenting with different brands of dyes, different fabrics, and fits. I've picked out several fabrics that I'm in love with, and am still on the hunt for a few more.

The fabrics that have definitely made it into the line are a blend of organic cotton and hemp, stretch hemp and organic cotton stretch. I'm still searching for a super light-weight organic cotton, for flowy skirts and little dresses for girls.

Finished ideas are a wrap skirt, stretch skirt, girls tank top, strappy tank top, and in the works are a hoodie tunic, slip dress, yoga gauchos, lounge pants, and baby dress.

I'll post more updates as this line progresses.

The new Hemp Wraps are almost finished, two batches dyed, two more to go!

Love these colors!

xo!

Grief

2011-04-25T09:47:00.000-07:00

I'm not okay.

But I will be.
And that's okay.

I'll be taking a break this week to spend time with family to mourn the loss of my dearly loved Papa. I will miss his sage advice and his jokes. I will miss how he called my little girl "The Queen." I will miss him puttering around his garage, always working on something. I will miss getting his mail for him when I visited. I will miss his banter with my gramma. I will miss how he asked if we found a church. His legacy is amazing, he touched so many lives. I can't wait to see him again, but I deeply feel the absence of him. So thankful I got to tell him I loved him. I alternate between smiles and tears. I don't think I knew anyone who loved the Lord more than him. His footsteps are big to fill, but hopefully I can lead my girls in the same way he lead me.

I feel so lost today.

xo.

Up from the grave He rose again

2011-04-24T05:43:00.000-07:00

Easter. The power of Christ in me.
He makes all things new.

The Lord took my grandfather home this morning.
Rejoicing of a life well lived, celebrating this day in Heaven with his Savior.

Thank you for loving me Papa.

2 months

2011-04-21T16:21:00.000-07:00

Oh my. My little girl is growing so fast. This month has been so busy for us, I feel like the days are flying by. She's a strong little girl, holding her head up and sitting upright like a big girl! She's all smiles and still loves for me to wear her in my wrap, it's her favorite place to be.

We've been spending a lot of time outside, even though it's so so hot here, we can find a little comfort in the shade. We tend our garden, play under our trees, go to the park. We've visited my sisters and had a few visits from the girls' grandparents. We've been on errands, to the craft store, grocery store, and a few shopping trips here and there. We've made lots of music together and painted. We've had a few doctors appointments which aren't very fun and we have a few more upcoming. Ellie's soft spot is closing up quite quickly so we're getting her little head checked out. We've also decided to get a second opinion and take her to a craniosacral chiropractor to see if there are any alternative options. Nothing is definitive yet, so we'll see what will happen. Bella also has a tumor that she has to have removed, thankfully the doctors think it's just a fatty tumor, her appointment is next week so we can get a referral to another doctor. There are joys and aches to being a parent, we've been feeling both lately.

We've kicked our search for a job into high gear, we've been looking high and low for a firefighting job for the mister. I dream of the days where we can build a treehouse for our kids in a place where we know we'll settle down. To find a town with a nice market and a place to sell my soaps and other O Bella stuffs. A town with a little coffee house where we can play acoustic shows. It's out there, we'll find it!

I've been busy busy working on designing more clothes for O Bella, cutting fabric, picking out dye, working on getting a serger! I love the direction O Bella is taking. Exploring is so much fun.

Can't wait for the rest of the summer, for Ellie's first beach day, swims in the pool, a vacation and lots more tea.

xoxo.

April happenings

2011-04-18T10:57:00.000-07:00

April sure has been a busy month for us, and it's not over yet!

We've had park days

And sisterly hugs

A photoshoot with my husband

Love from both my girls

I designed my first skirt for O Bella

Had lots of time to play

Lots of coffee and tea

Found little things in the dirt

Watched and gardened with my handsome husband

Soaked up the sun

Had a family cookout

And made this delicious dish

Snuggled my sweet baby

And had an egg hunt with Bella and all her cousins and second cousins.

So thankful for all we have and watching the Lord work in our lives.

Sunday Jams

2011-04-17T08:25:00.000-07:00

&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;a href="http://toyouandyours.bandcamp.com/track/be-renewed-jam"&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;Be Renewed Jam by To You and Yours&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;lt;/a&amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;amp;gt;

Today's Sunday Jam is from your very own - me and my husband. We recorded this a few months ago, jamming on an idea. We've been collaborating a lot lately, coming up with two new song structures yesterday, it's so much fun working with your best friend!

Enjoy

A little moment

2011-04-14T12:41:00.000-07:00

Teaching her how to love music. Love.

Container gardening

2011-04-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

With no yard of our own, we decided to do container gardening again this year. We have learned a lot again this season, this is our second growing year. Even with a little space, you can produce lots of fresh fruits and vegetables. We pretty much have a year round growing season in Florida, so it's an optimal place to learn how to garden. I'm sure in other climates it's not this easy, but we've learned what works for certain plants, how much sun they like, the best containers and soil and so on.

Our space is fairly limited - we use a large wooden container, small wooden container, several tubs in different sizes, and small tray starters.
Tomato plants are in the large black bins, with fences to climb up. These plants are doing so awesome.

One of the things we've done to increase space is to grow vertically. Summer squash plants hang from the fence, as well as bee and butterfly attracting flowers. We've also used the tops halves of storage bins to create depth in our large container. We use these for plants like garlic, onion and carrots. On the other side of the planter we have arugula, sweet peppers and more summer squash. My husband created more space by making a platform for starters and herbs, no wasting space when you don't have much! More starters contain sweet peppers, carrots, beans and cucumber.

Our small wooden container has cooking herbs - rosemary, basil, sweet mint, and oregano.

We had two broccoli plants that were doing really well, but we planted them too late in the season and they're bolting now because it's too hot for them.

Of course planting is more fun when you share it with little hands. We're teaching Bell the different names of the plants and really enjoys going out every morning to find the ripe tomatoes.

Our herb harden is started! We have Lavender, Echinacea, Lemon Balm and Chamomile. We have more seeds on the way - Catnip, Skullcap, and Borage. I can't wait to begin to harvest and dry and make our first concoctions!

Something we tried this year was an EarthTainer, a hybrid, green, self-contained eco-system. It combines the traditional soil-based growing cycle with elements of hydroponic moisture delivery to the plants for sustainable, organic gardening. My mom and husband built two of these, they house 4 more tomato plants.
We've considered looking into a potato tower to grow potatoes or another system for sweet potatoes.

The tomato harvest has been great! I can't believe how many tomatoes these plants are producing. We have lost a few to some hungry caterpillars, so Bella and I are on "peepotter" (caterpillar) watch and they are promptly removed when found!

These tomatoes went into making homemade tomato sauce, post coming!

My husband and I are so thankful for this sacred space. Working with the earth and living plants is calming and centering. We have slowed way way down and feel a special appreciation for the time we have together and really feel like gardening is therapeutic. We don't rush through the moments any longer, eat dinner out here and sit quietly and listen. It's lovely.

Urban Farming & Permaculture in the Twin Cities: An Introduction to Backyard Harvest from Krista Leraas on Vimeo.

I really enjoyed this video on urban gardening.

Helpful Links:

Growing Vegetables
Map of the US and each zone - and vegetables suited for that growing zone. Helpful if you've never gardened and don't know where to start!

Permaculture
Some videos on permaculture. I love the thought behind permaculture, the observing and tradition. The wall in the video is definitely a natural structure! See my posts on natural building for more info.

How to make Sweet Potato Slips
Easy start to plating and growing sweet potatoes

Urban Farm
Great site on urban farming and livestock

Harvest H2O
Water harvesting for your garden

How to Compost
Composting for your garden!

We must get away from consuming and move towards producing. With a little energy and time, we can grow food to feed ourselves!

Have any of you started your garden yet? What are you growing this season?

Organic Cooking: Homemade Coleslaw

2011-04-13T06:12:00.000-07:00

Made this over the weekend for a cookout. Always a big hit, with the perfect balance of sweet and tangy.
Recipe here

5 cups shredded organic cabbage
1/2 cups almonds, toasted
1 1/2 cups dried organic cranberries
1/2 cup organic celery, diced
1/4 cup chopped organic green onions, white and green parts
1/2 cups chopped organic green bell pepper

Dressing:

1/2 cup organic mayo
1 tablespoon sweet organic pickle relish
1 tablespoon organic honey mustard
1 tablespoon raw
Salt and pepper

Directions

Combine cabbage, almonds, cranberries, celery, green onions, and green pepper in a large plastic bowl with a snap-on lid. Combine all dressing ingredients, adding salt and pepper to taste, and refrigerate until ready to serve. Pour dressing over slaw just before serving. Stir well.

Sunday Jams

2011-04-10T04:56:00.000-07:00

Facing some tough things this morning. Always good to hear.

Tea Time

2011-04-08T11:41:00.000-07:00

Tea time has become a regular occurrence around here. It happens pretty much every night after the girls are finally in bed and the house is quiet. We even bought these simple mugs that are suited for our tea, I felt like they were more for tea than for coffee, which is another regular beverage in this house. Our tea time has become so special. It's the time where we reconnect. Without the distraction of TV, we put on our favorite chill out music, lately it's been Crosby, Still, Nash and Young, and simply spend time being ourselves. My favorite that I've been drinking is a chamomile and lavender blend. Timmy's is a blend of relaxing teas like skullcap, chamomile and lemon balm.

Our gardening is going so well we decided to order some herb seeds and grow our own herbs to make tea. We're starting with echinacea, lavender, chamomile, lemon balm, and skullcap. Then we came across a simple book to learn how to make our own tinctures, tonics, teas and more homeopathic remedies. I can't wait to get everything to start. It just seems so logical. I make my own soap, eat organic whole foods, cook from scratch when I can... why not treat our bodies with natural remedies as well? My first goal is to make an echinacea tonic with honey for days when we're sick. Next, I'll order some Elderberry to blend in with it. I'm wishing I had some today, Bella has come down with a yucky cold. She could use the boost and I sure could too.

Tea and gardening. These are those simple things in life that make it so great.

Here's a shout out to all you tea drinkers. I'm a new tea drinker, would love to hear if any of you drink tea and have a favorite, or herbs that make great blends. What would be even greater is if anyone has any advice for making your own homeopathic tonics and such.

It's be awesome if you could vote for my blog - this directory is such a great way of finding new blogs and likeminds - send a vote for this blog for the organic, crunchy mamas!

Thanks for reading along!

Wanderlust Skirts available!

2011-04-08T04:06:00.000-07:00

Wanderlust Skirts are now available on my website! Find them in the Rustic Wear section under Shop.

They come in two sizes, small and medium, and will be made to order for the time being - so allow 2-4 weeks to get your skirt. These skirts aren't serged, but the seems will be reinforced.

Enjoy!

Come shop!

My little hippy mama

2011-04-07T17:07:00.000-07:00

I have been looking high and low for clothes that suit Bella. She's such a little free spirit. I love dressing her in little hippy tops and cute skirts. These are perfect for summer here.

She loves to run around barefoot in the dirt with her hair down. Just like me.

Mama made us matching anklets. I can't wait for my special headbands from my dear friend Laura to complete her outfit!

Post tomorrow about Wanderlust skirts available!

Wanderlust Skirt, Hemp Wraps and soap - O Bella updates

2011-04-04T08:04:00.000-07:00

We have some new things happening for O Bella over the next few months. I've taken a step back during this hiatus and was able to see where we're headed and what direction I want to take with this little business.
First off - The new set of Hemp Wraps will be available mid to late April, I've picked colors that I just love for this season. They actually look good any season, but I'm feeling particularly bright this season with all this time I've spent outside gardening, taking walks, and at the park. South Forida is already heating up and full of inspiration with it's beautiful flowers in bloom.

The material I use is made of Hemp and Organic Cotton -

This wrap is from Summer '10 season - I'll be carrying both long and cropped versions.

The Wanderlust Skirt!
Hemp and Organic cotton stretch fabric in natural- meant for yours days filled with wandering. Dresses up with a cute top and strappy sandals or dresses down with flip flops and a tank. Mid-calf length and a yoga roll over top for perfect fit.
Works for every season. Light enough for summer heat and can be layered over leggings in the winter.

I'm finally branching out into clothes. I've been in love with hemp for a long time, and started designing with it last summer. With the help of my sister-in-law, we designed this skirt in October of last year. She came for a visit from Bend, Oregon and was wearing a skirt I fell in love with. We made one up for me that was a little different and I have basically worn it at least once a week since then.

I've modified it a bit, having it a little shorter, mid-calf length and adding a yoga roll-over top.
I'll be carrying it in small and medium in natural at first. I'm wearing a size medium in this picture.

The model here is wearing a size small. These won't be made custom, rather they'll be available on my site as I make them.

I'm not carrying these yet, as I'm waiting for a serger to finish off the skirts. I'm doing a few skirts for family in the next few weeks, these will be made without serging, and I haven't had any problems yet. If you're interested in a skirt without it being serged, feel free to email me - it would be at a discounted price of course!

Oh soap. How I've missed making you. I'm getting back to soap making very very soon, I can't take buying all this soap that's not as good as my own (sounds snobby, but it's true!)
I won't, however, be making soap until I'm all set up. I'm getting ready to place orders for my supplies and may be rethinking some soaps. I don't think I'll be reordering any fragrances, I'm going to make all of my soaps completely natural with essential oils. I know lots of people have favorites that are made with fragrances, so I'm going to try to make them similarly.

I also will be crossing over to using cold process method to make my soap. I have to basically streamline my soap making to maximize the time I have. I have my hands full with two little ones. This won't change the quality of my soap, in fact, it will probably create harder bars.

I also need your feedback. I'm considering only selling on my own site rather than my etsy site. This news on privacy settings in this article really bothered me. I know the issue has been put back to how it was originally, but I'm not comfortable with how much privacy is being lost in every aspect of social networking and community. Do you have any thoughts regarding this issue?

I'll keep you updated on all the new things coming to my shop over the next few months! As always - thank you for all your support!

Sunday Jams

2011-04-03T04:09:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite bands of all time. Enjoy.

Organic cooking: Homemade Granola Bars

2011-03-30T09:28:00.000-07:00

Homemade Granola Bars

THE best granola bars I've ever had. Whip these up for the perfect afternoon snack. Just a little sweet and a little salty. Full of yummy, good-for-you stuff. Way better than any store bought granola bar and easy enough to make and have that afternoon.

Ingredients
2 cups organic oats
2 cups crispy brown rice organic cereal
1 cup organic WW flour
3 scoops organic flax powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
2 organic eggs
1/2 cup organic canola oil
1/2 cup packed organic brown sugar
1/2 cup raw honey
2 tsp vanilla
liberal amount of organic raisins and organic dried cranberries

Directions
Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl.
Beat egg in a cup.
Add wet ingredients to dry and mix well.
Grease a 13x9 pan
Pat the mixture in the pan and bake for 30 minutes

Yum! I'm making a batch of these this afternoon!

Browse other recipes and organic ideas here.

A piece of nature

2011-03-29T04:00:00.000-07:00

This is our spot. Every morning and every afternoon. Where Bella digs in the dirt, swings on the roots, and gets her feet dirty. Where I enjoy the breeze, breathe fresh air, and get a glimpse of nature.

We talk often about being in nature and wanting land of our own, but we don't let living in urban sprawl get in the way of being in nature. All we need is a little space to be in it.

I look forward to the day where we really can romp around on land that we call our own, but until then, we'll enjoy our coffee and special times under our trees.

Have I mentioned that my husband is an amazing photographer? He has an great eye. He did this set. We're working on something we've been wanting to do for a while now... setting up our space on the web for a photography business run by the two of us. I look forward to sharing it once it's up.

Remember to get out in nature wherever you are.

Sunday Jams

2011-03-27T04:00:00.000-07:00

My Sundays are spent with my family. Our days are filled with music, especially Sunday. A special song to me. Preparing my heart today.

Whole food eating

2011-03-26T09:00:00.000-07:00

It's almost been a year since I started a food revolution - eating as many whole foods as possible and cutting out processed foods and cutting down on sugars. It's been the best decision ever.

Cutting back on sugar wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. I completely cut out sugar for 3 whole months, except for a tbs or two in my coffee. I lost 15 lbs the first month. Then morning sickness came. I pretty much lived on bread, pasta and eggs for weeks. And cookies.
I did add some sugars back in my pregnancy. I consumed a good amount of greek yogurt, made some batches of cookies and could be found frequenting the cupcake shop. But on a whole, my lifestyle change has been amazing.

The success to this is found in the planning. Grocery planning, meal planning and snack planning. I made sure we didn't have any "what's for dinner?" nights, which always resort to something packaged and processed. Grocery trips were once or twice a week to keep us stocked with fresh stuff. And I never left the house unprepared. Storage really helped, I have a stainless steel waterbottle from Bella Tazza, to-go ware, canvas lunch bag, and reusable snack bags, all from Hip Mountain Mama. Packing our bag with yogurt, apples, bananas, raisins, cheese cubes, a salad and homemade granola bars before we went anywhere kept us able to graze throughout the day.

Now that I'm post-pregnancy, I feel like my body needs even more whole foods now that my weird pregnancy cravings are over. Breakfast has stayed the same - my toast made from homemade bread. I always need a snack in the morning like a banana. My lunches have consisted of apple slices with peanut butter, dried cranberries, and cheese cubes. I always need another afternoon snack - which usually is a homemade granola bar, greek yogurt, hard boiled egg, or veggies and dip. Dinners have become less pasta-based and more vegetable-based. I'm always trying to find new recipes to not run out of interesting things.

It's not just me on this adventure, Bella and Timmy have come along for the ride.
For those of you with picky toddlers and want to increase their whole foods, here's some things that Bella really enjoys

Banana slices
Avocado chunks
Hard boiled eggs
Cheese cubes
Cucumbers
Peaches
Berries
Yogurt

and dips like
Guacamole
Hummus
Salsa
Peanut Butter
Ranch dressing

I know some of those aren't whole foods, but they greatly increase what she's willing to try if she can dip it in a little ranch or have it alongside some cheese.
We're always trying to find new things she likes, dinner is always interesting.

As always, the most important thing to our eating is to eat as much organic as possible. And don't forget, organic junk food is still junk food!

Have you made any changes to your lifestyle for the better? Have any tips to share? Feel free to leave your thoughts!

Ellie: 1 month

2011-03-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

Wow. I can't believe Ellie has been here for a month already. I was told that the second (and third and fourth, etc) seem to grow faster. It's true. These weeks have flown by. My little Leelee is already growing out of the sleepy newborn stage. She's bright and alert, smiles at us, coos a little bit, has been holding up her head and peering at the world around her.

She loves to listen to me talk to her, she loves her wrap and I discovered her fussy nighttime can be solved by wearing her in the wrap. She loves being outside, especially if she needs a little change of scenery. She loves to watch Bella when she lays next to her on the floor.

I'm enjoying learning this new little person and her likes and dislikes.
She doesn't like to lay in the cradled position when she's wide awake, she prefers to look over my shoulder. She doesn't like to wake up in her swing by herself. She doesn't like getting dressed after her bath, it's too much of a bother.

She has the cutest little nose and the cutest little tongue.

I'm definitely sure she loves her mama. And I love her too.

I'm so lucky to raise these two beautiful girls. My silly little pair. I hope they are the best of friends.

Taken two weeks ago. Priceless.

Space

2011-03-25T06:28:00.001-07:00

I'm finding a great need to find space for me. Little pieces (and sometimes big pieces) of the day need to have a little me in there. I'm finding them in the small things. A short shower in the morning so I can greet my girls with a fresh face before they greet the day running. Time for yoga, time for stretching.

Gardening really does soothe my soul. Eating what we grow feels so gratifying. Teaching Bella about plants will hopefully pass on this passion. We got to munch on nice rocket salad with dinner on this afternoon.

Silly photos and pretty photos. I love them both.
Don't mind the crayon on the mirror, the strewn pillows and the mounds of toys. This is a toddlers room.

Crafting and creating. It makes my soul sing. Especially when I share it with little hands.

Getting outside. Outside, outside, outside. I don't know what I would do if we had no place to get outside. We have a little piece of nature outside our front door and this is our space. Every morning and every afternoon. We don't have a TV, we traded a talking box two years ago for fresh air, dirt and sunshine.

Sewing is going to keep my little business afloat. I've found that making soap right now is not feasible for me, so O Bella is branching out into new things with fabric. I'll pick soaping back up in a few weeks when I can have the kitchen kid-free for a few hours in a row.

Getting out - it's a hassle but really worth it. We made it to a nature park over the weekend. 5 hours of fresh air, warm sunshine and friendly faces. Plus lots of dirt digging for Bella. The outdoors really does center her soul. I actually made it to the grocery store. With the kids. By myself. And no major meltdowns. The girls were good too. Success.

Time with my husband. And time for music.

We're continuing to work on our sound, how we blend together. We have some major, rock-solid plans for this project. It feels good.

What are some things you do for yourself to keep sane?

xo!

Babywearing

2011-03-24T07:43:00.000-07:00

Babywearing has helped me bond with my girls. Already I have Ellie in her wrap for hours everyday. Instead of leaving her in the swing or laying in her bassinet, I have her in her wrap while I piddle around the kitchen getting breakfast and coffee ready. I wear her outside while Bella runs around. I wear her in the wrap while picking up, starting laundry, sewing, coloring with Bella, shopping at the grocery store, practicing piano and recording music.

If you've never tried babywearing, here's a great place to start, at askdrsears.com - Babywearing - to read up on the benefits, safe babywearing, daddy babywearing, reasons babywearing reduces SIDS, and how to make your own sling.

Babywearing is so good for your babe.
Babywearing
-helps your baby thrive
-encourages baby to feed more frequently
- helps babies feel secure
- helps babies be in a quiet, alert state rather than crying.

Worn babies learn more, cry less, and are involved in the world around them.

There's a reason people from different cultures have been doing it throughout the years. Here's a great post with pictures of different cultures wearing their babies - Babywearing Through the Ages.

Babywearing isn't just for crunchy, hippy mamas. It's great for all kinds of mamas and daddies. It makes sense for working mamas to wear baby once they get home to maximize the close time that they get to spend with their baby. I love this article on Licia Ronzulli, a European Parliament member who wore her 6 week old baby to a Parliament Vote. I love that.

I have 3 different types of carriers. The one I love best for this newborn stage is a wrap like a Moby Wrap. I love that the baby is upright with their head on your chest. I had a sling with Bella that cradled her, and she didn't like this position at all. I also didn't like that I couldn't immediately see her breathing or see her face and she couldn't see anything. Ellie also likes to be upright. This is a perfect position for when they are awake and alert to study their surroundings and gaze at your face (which is what Ellie is doing as I type up this blog).

For hiking, I have a Kelty Wallaby carrier. I loved using this with Bella on our trip to Idaho. The support was great, they can face out or in, and sleep in the carrier with a fold up flap. The drawback to this is the it is a front carrier only. I would probably only use this carrier up to 6 months as they get too long to carry in front.

My most recent carrier that I'll use for every day use, or hiking is an Ergo Carrier. I love this carrier. It fits on the front or back, goes up to 45 lbs., and it easy to get off and on. The support is perfect for use at the park or a serious hike. Tim and I are planning on a small vacation this summer and this carrier will be perfect for both Bella and Ellie. Timmy will have Bella on his back when she gets too tired to walk and Ellie will be on my front.

If you're new to babywearing or are a seasoned babywearer, there's a great giveaway going on at One Small Change. Sleepy Wrap is giving away two great carriers. One Small Change is associated with Hip Mountain Mama, one of my favorite eco-conscious, hippy mama stores. They are about making a small change each month towards living more sustainably and eco-friendly - like growing a garden, switching to reusable napkins, using reusable grocery bags, recycling, etc.
There's only today left to enter, so go check it out!

If you wear your little one, post up a picture on your blog and post links here and your favorite kind of baby carrier!

xo!

Come vote!

2011-03-18T03:05:00.000-07:00

One of my favorite blogs, Poor Pitiful Pearl, is having a contest for her sponsors - which I am one of (one of many that I also adore.) Come on over and vote for your favorite item and make things interesting! There are so many awesome items and shops! Up for grabs for one of the sponsors is one of her oxy shirts - while you're at it, go visit Poor Pitiful Pearl on Etsy!
Click here to go and leave your vote!

Hemp Wraps for hippy mamas - a peak

2011-03-17T09:55:00.000-07:00

It's time to get back to work! I'm beginning to work on a new line of Hemp Wraps. Colors are beautiful, springish and summerish! I can't wait to dye these. I'll have a few specifically for mini hippy mamas like the one Bella is wearing.

This time around I'm using a new fabric, a mix of hemp and organic cotton with a little bit of lycra for the perfect fit. I'll be dying them in colors of plum, blueberry, lemon and cucumber, then stenciling with white water-based paint. I seriously can't wait for these.

Don't forget there are a few hemp wraps left in fall colors, both on the blog (for a discount) and in my shop.

So excited about getting back to creating!

Little surprises in the mail

2011-03-17T09:08:00.000-07:00

Surprises in packages are the best. I ordered a few treats for myself from Picnic Basket Crafts just a few days before I had Ellie. Picnic Basket Crafts is one of my very favorite eco-friendly shops, I love everything she carries!

For myself I got Soft Whipped Facial Creme Soap and Facial Moisturizer, and for the girls I got Cleanse and Moisturize Mist for Baby.
The facial creme soap is the best I have ever used. It is the only soap I'll use on my face besides my own. My own soap is usually enough, super duper for all-over use, but when I want to splurge on myself I get the creme soap and covet it all for myself. I'll occasionally share with my husband. The facial moisturizer is the only lotion I'll use. Most commercial lotions make my skin more dry, I also can't stand the fragrances most lotions contain. This lotion has Lavender Essential Oil, Rosewood Essential Oil, Bergamot, Helichrysum Essential Oil - the combination creates a lovely, light scent. I use small amounts wherever I need, not just on my face. It's perfect. She also uses a paraben-free preservative, which being a bath and body creator myself is something I do look for. Lotions that are made with water must contain a preservative, the water in the lotion will grow bacteria, mold or yeast. Unless you're creating your own lotion for personal use, refrigerate it and use it within a week, always look for responsible bath and body makers who use a good preservative if the lotion contains water.
I;m now in love with the cleanse and moisture mist. I really like it for when we're out. Spit-ups, spilled yogurt, sticky hands, diaper changes. Love!

What was really awesome is that she included samples for Tummy Kisses Belly Balm, Boo Boo Balm, and Lip Balm. I love them all!
I just love supporting other small businesses, especially eco-friendly ones. Hit up her shop!

Organic cooking: Vegetarian Shepherd's Pie

2011-03-15T09:41:00.000-07:00

Vegetarian Shepherds Pie

Shepherds Pie is another dish I won't give up just because I don't eat meat. This recipe is yummy and nutritious, it uses lentils and barley in place of ground beef. Lentils are high in protein, essential amino acids, dietary fiber, folate and Vitamin B. Barley is considered a nutritional powerhouse, high in protein, fiber, and several important vitamins and minerals. Both a much better supplement to beef in my opinion. It also has carrots, onions and garlic. Bella gobbles this dish up, supplying her some awesome foods she might otherwise not eat. You don't have to be a vegetarian to enjoy this. I serve it to my dad who's as regular meat eater and he loves it. I also enjoy this dish because it's a great alternative to pasta. I've been trying to sub-out different kinds of potatoes in meals instead of using pasta. If going for a starch, I really try to go for a whole food rather than processed flour. I find these little changes go a long way overall. (Besides, I always tend to eat white pasta instead of whole wheat pasta, because I love the taste, so it's my own doing.)

Now on to the recipe! (All items used are organic)

You need:
4 cups vegetable broth
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup pearl barley
1 onion
1 pkg yeast
6-7 medium carrots
10-11 potatoes
1/4 flour
4 TBS butter

butter and cream/milk for mashed potatoes

In a large pan (covered), cook the following for 30 minutes. I use the wok.

4 cups vegetable broth (1 box)
1 cup lentils
1/2 cup barley
1 onion (cut up very fine)
1 package yeast
Salt, pepper, and a little sugar

*ADD 15 minutes into the the 30 minutes...carrots. I use 6-7 carrots cut up. I don't add the carrots at the beginning because they do not need that long to cook.

Right at the end of the cooking when the mixture is still boiling add a rue of butter and flour. I use about 4 tablespoons of butter and about 1/4 cup of flour. You have to judge this depending on how much liquid is still is left.

Put this mixture in a 9X12 glass pan and cover with mashed potatoes. I use about 10-11 potatoes when I mash them. Don't forget to add garlic when cooking.

Cook at 350 for 30 minutes.

Did you know you can search through the recipes I've posted on here? Browse by clicking ORGANIC COOKING button on the side, or simply click this --> link <--

Let me know if you try it out! It's perfect to make it early in the day before it gets hectic, and put it in the oven when dinnertime comes. Also is great for leftovers. Yum!

A (home)birth story

2011-03-14T07:00:00.000-07:00

This was one of the greatest things I have done in my life. The first was the birth of my first daughter, Bella.
Both births were equally joyful, bringing my daughters into the world. I wanted to share how special a home birth can be. It was magnificent and breathtaking.

Homebirthing first piqued my interest when I watched The Business of Being Born. I chickened out with Bella, thinking that since she was my first I would play it safe and have a hospital birth. I love everything surrounding her birth. I still had a natural birth and she arrived safely, soundly, and amazingly. It was the day I became a mother. But I didn't like that I didn't get to labor how I wanted, was hooked up to an IV, felt nervous and out of place, was cold and in a hospital gown, was checked in on so often, didn't get to hold Bella when I wanted to, how I didn't listen to my body - I listened to the monitors and nurses, how I let her go to the nursery on our very first night together.

After my sister had a homebirth with an amazing midwife, I said, "I can do this." I contacted her midwife and we started our appointments! I am so glad I did. I feel like I had the best prenatal care I could find. I love my midwife - she's incredibly knowledgeable, practical, down-to-earth, informative, and just an awesome person. Every visit we spent at least an hour chatting - over topics of physical well-being as well as emotional well-being.

My midwife gave me two books - which I would highly recommend to anyone having a baby, not just a homebirth. They really put great perspective on birth and delivery.
Hypnobirthing - The Mongan Method by Marie Mongan
Ina May's Guide to Childbirth by Ina May

Hypnobirthing is what really took me through my labor. It is different than Lamaze. And different from the Bradley Method. It focuses on controlled breathing, relaxation techniques and visualization techniques. I practiced these from about 28 weeks on. I really noticed a difference between my labor with Bella and my labor with Ellie. With Bella, I had no idea what to do with the pain. I was nervous, I looked to other people to tell me how to deal with it, things to do to relieve it, I tensed my whole body, I tried to avoid it as much as possible even though there was no where to go.
With Ellie I welcomed it. I knew with each contraction (which both books help you rename words associated with painful labor - I used rush instead of contraction, tensing instead of pain) it would bring her closer to me. I counted and breathed through the rushes, even sleeping in between rushes in early labor. I let my belly tense as it should and relaxed the rest of my body. It was incredible to listen to it in a way I never had before. I strongly believe the hypnobirthing methods helped me progress through my labor quickly and rather painlessly. It wasn't that it was completely painless. I accepted the pain as part of the process rather than being afraid of it.

Ina May's book was also incredibly helpful to read. She's the founder and director of the Farm Midwifery Center and has attended over 1200 births. Her book covers
natural childbirth, focusing on how women of ancient civilizations and other modern women give birth. It also shares first-person narratives of women who have given birth at the Farm. It really opened my eyes and put birth in a different perspective for me.

My home birth story is actually rather brief, but doesn't take away from the amazingness of it all. It happened without much fanfare, no nurses running around, no rushing to the hospital, no bright lights and people waiting in the waiting room.

Before going to bed that night, I laid my head against the door frame and said, "tonight's going to be the night." I don't know if it was more wishful thinking or just that I knew the day had to come some day.

My water broke around 12:30am on February 21st.
I actually called my sister first to see if I should call my midwife. She didn't answer, so I figured I should let my midwife know. I think I was in a little bit of a shock. When contractions come, it could be that day or not, they could come quickly or go away. But when your water breaks, that's pretty much, the baby's on her way!

My contractions hadn't started so my midwife told me to go back to bed until they started and then give her a call. Timmy changed the bedsheets for me and by this time, Bella had woken up from all the commotion, so we all got back into bed and went to sleep. I woke up at 1:30 and let my midwife know that my contractions had started - we sent Bella down with my mom. I got a shower, which is what I really wanted to do before anything started to really happen.

We lit some candles and laid down again in bed and I slept on and off between rushes - I used my breathing techniques I had learned, and this part of the night is blurry. I was still in bed when my midwife and her assistant arrived at 4:30am.
They listened to the baby's heartbeat, took my blood pressure and got all their gear set up. It was still nice and quiet. I later learned that Bella didn't go back to bed and was just watching movies the entire time.
I'm pretty sure they were all talking in the room, but by this time, contractions were getting stronger, maybe a 4 on a scale of 1-10, and I tuned everything else out. My midwife suggested I eat something since I hadn't eaten in over almost 12 hours, and maybe take a walk, since it was such a beautiful night out. I got dressed in what I thought would be comfortable.
We went downstairs where my mom, dad and Bella were. Bella was really excited, she even asked my midwife to color with her. I was going to have a piece of cheese and all of the sudden I wasn't hungry anymore. My midwife never checked me so I had no idea how far along I was. I really preferred this. I never relied on a number to tell me how far along I was. It didn't matter. I knew that I could progress from 4cm to 10 cm in a matter of minutes, so the number didn't make a difference to me. I continued to listen to my body.
I asked Timmy to grab a trashcan for me and headed back upstairs. I started sweating and got rid of my sweater, which I put on because I was previously cold. I knew I might throw up, I did during transition with Bella and didn't want to be unprepared.
I laid back on the bed, though not resting at all. Timmy continued to comfort me, pushing on my back to counteract the back contractions. My contractions came on strong and I became extremely nauseous. I didn't vomit though, hallelujah! Transition passed so quickly, it was maybe 5 minutes. I could literally feel Ellie shift downwards, it was the neatest thing.
After that I no longer had strong back contractions and felt like although they were stronger, they were more concentrated.

I started to get pretty restless at this point. I felt like nothing would do. I moved to the floor, then didn't want to sit. Laid back up on the bed and laid on my side, this was incredibly uncomfortable so I got up again. I rested on my hands and knees on the bed and this, too, wasn't where I wanted to be. My midwife suggested the birthing stool and I tried that and didn't want to be there either. It was at this point that my midwife told me to just let my body be happy. That was it. It clicked. I felt Ellie move down again and was ready to push. I never got checked, I just knew. I gave a few pushes on the toilet and my midwife heard the change of tone in my voice. I said to her, "I don't want to have my baby on the toilet!" Everyone was so amazing. My midwife was there the entire time, watching and offering support if I needed it, but giving me space to labor and listen to my body. Her assistant was also amazing as well. They got me over to the bed and I really didn't know how I wanted to push, and from where. I knew I didn't want to be laying, and I didn't want to be in water. My midwife suggested I kneel and lean into Timmy and him support me. This felt right.

I gave some pushes, they were pretty weak. I'm serious, they were really weak pushes. I was totally avoiding the pain, not focused. Then it hit me. I knew at this point no one could help me. No one else could get her out. Coming to this point was amazing.

Discovering the power of my body was incredible. I knew I could sit there and avoid it, only giving weak pushes, and she wouldn't come any sooner. Or I could push for real, accept the pain, and she would be here. I said to myself, "I can do this." I started saying out loud that I could do this.

Over and over I said "I can do this," in between pushes. After 10 minutes of pushing, she was here.

Breathing. Crying. Moving.

This moment. Is indescribable.
Timmy was amazing through everything. He supported me, he held me, he let me groan in his ear, he massaged my back, he got me whatever I needed when I needed it. He is my best friend.
It was us. Our baby came and it was just us.

I got to hold my baby girl. I got to snuggle her, smell her, and wrap my arms around her.

These first moments are so special.

A few shots from the moments after

A little newborn exam. She weight 7 lbs. 15 oz and was 19.5 inches long

Timmy got to weigh her, he's such a proud daddy

I can't say enough good things about these ladies. They enabled me to have a birth where I wanted to, and gave me the best care I could ever ask for. They were prepared for anything.

4 hours after her birth, I was showered, I did my makeup and my hair was blowdried. It was nice to give myself a little pampering that morning by taking some time for myself.

Bella arrived from my sisters and got to meet her new little sister. She was so excited about her. I hope they share the love and bond that I share with my sisters. And brother of course.

The first time holding both my girls felt so special. Bella felt very big, not like a baby anymore. The whole morning I talked about her coming home. She wasn't away for more than a few hours but I wanted my family whole.

And so a new life begins.

And a family of three became four.

An outing

2011-03-14T05:36:00.000-07:00

Our first outing!
To get a little break from the laundry, diapers, and a bunch of other things that are causing us stress, we decided to make our way out and enjoy the day yesterday. We went to Kilwins, a chocolate shop, and got some treats, then went to a mexican place to have an early dinner. We spent some time with some of Timmy's family. It was so nice to just sit and eat and laugh. Some much needed time out. I got a quesadilla and had some yummy guacamole. For my treat, I had a chocolate covered graham cracker. I've been needing something sweet all weekend. Little miss Ellie did so well out, it was nice to feel a little like my old, mobile self.

I'm wishing I had an iphone lately to capture all the little moments that I can't with a big camera. Both of these pictures were from my brother-in-laws phone, this one just cracks me up!

Timmy and I also enjoyed some time this weekend jamming together - we actually got a whole 3 hours to play together while the girls napped on Saturday, it was such a little blessing!
I'm posting my birth story a little later today - have had mixed feelings about this, but will post it up anyway!

Garden update

2011-03-13T16:12:00.000-07:00

We've been busy busy with our garden this season. It's my favorite place to sit and eat breakfast. And sometimes dinner! This tomato went straight to a yummy, fresh salad. If you remember our garden from last year, we're using the same big planter that my husband Timmy builts, plus big round black tubs for the bigger plants.

I think tomato flowers are so beautiful and cute.

We have three giant tomato plants like this one, each different kind. It's so exciting to go out each morning and see new flowers and more tomatoes. We're trying to teach Bella when the right time is to pick them. She's gotten some green ones accidentally.

We're trying some new lettuce this season, it's called Rocket Salad, or arugula. It has sort of a spice to it, it's so yummy! We had a salad and veggie burger a few nights ago with this lettuce, it gave our salad such a nice taste! It only takes 60 days to harvest so it's really nice for quick harvesting.

We're not having that much luck with cilantro. It's growing like a weed, but the leaves are all small. I don't think we're pruning it correctly to encourage it how we want it to grow.

We've also got carrots, onion, garlic, summer squash, broccoli, peppers and cabbage going.

Gardening and growing my own food has become such a passion on mine. I love the feeling it gives me, it sort of centers me - and feels really rewarding. I've learned a lot about what grows where and how, what works and what we're really bad at. Even learning about one plant is worth it.

Make a small change and start your own garden this spring, even a little one!

The goings on

2011-03-11T07:55:00.000-08:00

Hi folks! Hope your week has been great, we're getting along just fine here!

The past two and a half weeks have seemed to go by in such a flash. This newborn stage is so fleeting, it goes by like a vapor. Ellie feels like she has always belonged in our family, it's so amazing how a new little life just comes into your life and steals your heart.

Here's what we've been up to:

Lots of outside time, getting Ellie her daily dose of vitamin D

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We gave the girls our office and packed up all the office stuff. Bella's in love! I'm conquering organizing, sorting and getting rid of all the junk toys that we've accumulated. Keeping it wood and fabric toys, trying to get rid of all the plastic stuff that doesn't last.

My sister delivered her last baby, River, with my midwife, it's neat to have this picture!

Had a great check-up with my midwife. Ellie had gained all the weight back plus an ounce by the time she was 4 days old - she's a great nurser!

Bella pretending she's a baby, all bundled up in Ellie's bassinet.

Bathtime is a bit chaotic around here. We're trying to work out a better system to have both girls done by 7:30. Bella is sharing her purse here with Ellie. Such a nice sister!

Enjoy your weekend!
xo!

Hanging in.

2011-03-08T09:09:00.000-08:00

2 weeks have gone by since our newest littlest addition entered the world. And I'm so in love. I'm in love with everything. I'm in love with the way my Bella kisses her little sister's head. I'm in love with how selfless my husband has been during this time, even after returning to work, cooking dinner, rocking Ellie, getting Bella ready for her bath, and getting me all the little things. I'm in love with how my mom has cooked dinner for me every night so I wouldn't have to. I'm in love with Ellie's little cry and sleepless nights because it reminds me that I'm blessed to have a newborn baby to hold and little person to raise.

I'm not going to lie though, it's been quite an adjustment, but I think we're doing okay. Getting out is not that easy. When I do too much it feels like I'm trying to run a car with no gasoline, but that's getting better, especially if I have lots of nutritious things to eat. I did make it out of the house by 9:30 yesterday (success!) Some days my hair gets washed but never dried. Nap time is seriously dicey. Days like today, I get ambitious and go for a walk holding Ellie and pushing Bella and have to turn around. Bella and I have watched lots of movies, which I really hate doing - I get her outside as much as possible and keep any sort of movie to a bare minimum... but this tough time will pass. My emotions have been crazy and I can cry at the drop of a hat, but this will pass too.

I think I'm getting the hang of this "mom of 2" thing.

Bella sure keeps me smiling. She is such a character.

In the midst of writing the birth story now + updates of the goings on here!

xo!

Threads: First post-baby outfit

2011-03-02T13:04:00.000-08:00

Tank: H&M
Flannel Tunic: H&M
Tights: Motherhood Maternity

My first outfit post Ellie belly - not bad right? This is what I wore for Ellie's first doctor's appointment. Multi-tasking and stressed, I snapped a picture before I walked out the door.

When I shopped while I was pregnant, I looked for styles that would look nice during pregnancy, right after, and after I lose the baby tummy. I chose slimming tanks, longer flannels, flowy skirts and little cover-ups. Also, shirts that are easy to nurse in are a must. I'm finding that they are all working really well to make me feel cute, which a tired mama needs.

Admittedly, there isn't much to lose (don't throw sticks at me - I can actually button my skinny jeans!) as far as the belly goes, which I'm incredibly thankful, and I'm not sure how much weight either. After Bella it took me quite a while to get back to my pre-baby weight, though I ate like garbage throughout my pregnancy (chips, cookies, lots of bread and pastries, pizza, not much fruit or veggies). I feel like I didn't take care of myself. So I really tried hard with this pregnancy to eat and nourish my body. I feel like it paid off, even now only a week after she was born I feel good (despite the lack of sleep and mild exhaustion). I'm not concerned about the weight, I know I need it to feed Ellie, I'm just concentrating on continuing to nourish my body the right way and I'm definitely taking up yoga once I'm given the go ahead. For now, I've been stretching, which has helped incredibly to make me feel like I fit in my own body again. After following the Hypnobirthing book, I'm really yearning to exercise in a way that centers me. I can't wait to start, it will be my "me" time out of the house every week.

Working on Ellie's (home)birth story - I can't wait to share!

xo!

Guest Post Wrap-Up

2011-03-02T06:34:00.000-08:00

That wraps it up for the guest posts!
I wanted to say a big THANK YOU to my guest posters, who wrote such thoughtful posts and kind words about my family and I.
Thank you to those who have followed along my pregnancy with Ellie, I feel so thankful to have had a great pregnancy and delivery, and such nice people who had sent their encouragement and thoughtful comments.

Here's a round-up of the guest posts in case you missed one!

Pixie Mama - top 3 pieces of advice

Blessed Bee - Handmade Natural Lotion How-To

Poor Pitiful Pearl - Info on the Maker's Diet

my little loves. - minimalism and sizing down

Heart and Home - Moment Keepers

Violet Bella - Mother/Daughter bond

Peace Love and Leener - Resources for natural and homebirth ing

Hope you've enjoyed these awesome ladies and their words!