Reminder: May Holidays

If you're like me, you're blinking at your calendar this weekend a little startled to find that it's nearly May! If so, may I offer a reminder that there are a whole handful of holidays in May that might be worth remembering and celebrating?

May 3rd - Teacher Appreciation Day
May 4th - Star Wars Day
May 13th - Mother's Day
May 20th - Armed Forces Day
May 25th - Geek Pride Day
May 28th - Memorial Day

Everybody's schedules fill up fast as we approach the end of the academic year and (hopefully!) the advent of summer, so consider putting it on your to-do list for the coming week to reach out to friends or family you'd like to celebrate with, or to throw any specialty items you'd like for celebratory meals on your shopping list. Winter has been long and rough this year - make time to give your mental/emotional health a boost by celebrating something good!

Syruping

Please excuse the stove... I hadn't cleaned
up yet when I took the picture.

Syruping this year has been odd. Normally, one of two things happen. Either we have a fairly short, intense season or weather shoots directly from hard frozen winter to too-warm spring-that-wants-to-be-summer and we essentially skip syruping weather altogether. This year, we had all the buckets pretty early (end of February, beginning of March?) because predications said that we'd get syruping weather soon.

Only we didn't. Every time we checked the weather after that, they'd dropped the predictions for the following week by another 10 degrees. We proceded to get several more ugly snow storms usually with a few days of somewhat syruping-friendly weather in between. And it just stayed that way - back and forth - for weeks. We'd go days at a time with zero flow, and then spend a few days slogging through three feet of snow to get to the trees out back to collect sap and running two giant pots on propane burners in the garage. Some of the storms were so windy and awful that they actually tore spiles out of the trees!

It's now officially the middle of April and the forecasts are still all over the place and STILL include snow for the foreseeable future. That said, we made the command decision to be done for the year. The pot in the picture was the last batch of the season. We got a couple gallons and we're grateful for that, but we've reached the point at which diminishing returns no longer justify continued effort. At this point, I just hope the weather settles into something reasonable before the apple trees start to blossom - I'd hate to lose another apple crop! 

100 Days of Productivity

I recently ran across a challenge online called "100 Days of Productivity".

The original idea is pretty simple and geared toward Instagram/Tumblr in that you do something (anything) productive every day, and post a picture representative of it online. Obviously, my personality type is too geared toward productivity in general for that to be anything new or helpful for me as is. Moreover, I not a fan of taking/posting photos, so that whole tracking process would derail me completely.

But as we near the end of the year, I can't help but be attracted to the potential of a slightly modified version. There's a lot to like about the idea of starting something in the next couple weeks that rolls over into the new year - it feels like a headstart on a New Years resolution, with the added awesomeness that it's only for a set period of time instead of the whole year. By the time you hit March, for example, you could be celebrating already having banged out something great and feel like you'd set a positive tone for the year. It also feels like it might provide some welcome focus through the usual mess of the holidays and the generally cold, dreary weeks that follow when everything slows down and drags. 

The question, then, becomes what target to set or what subject to pick to specifically work on. I want it to be different from what I'm already doing (like reading a chapter of something a day) and separate from long-term health habits I'm trying to establish (working out, drinking enough water). And, of course, if it's going to be worth doing and set next year up well, it needs to be a goal that matters.

I've been picking at a couple ideas, and I think I've almost got it narrowed down, but I'd be curious to hear what everyone else thinks. If you were going to do 100 Days of (Focused) Productivity, what would you choose? Anyone want to do it as a shared challenge with me?

Parked, Plugged and Pickled

Despite the disgusting, erratic weather and uncooperative work/travel schedules, our beautiful Errant Venture served us admirably this year. When we could make the stars align, it took us on adventures to new places. Over the summer, when the weather was perpetually damp and too often cold, we moved out there full time (even when it was just in the driveway) and let it provide a much-needed modicum of sanity. (There's a tremendous amount to be said about and grateful for when your living space takes only moments to clean and almost nothing to run heat/energy-wise when seemingly everything else is trying to be as difficult as possible.)

Throughout the entire process - from buying it to bringing it home to adapting to and experimenting with it - the EV has taught us a lot. It challenged how we think about things, gave us a push to try new things (and to stick with figuring them out wherever initial attempts didn't go smoothly), and adjusted our perspectives and mindsets in valuable ways.

With the first frost upon us and most campgrounds in our neck of the woods closing down for the year, we bit the bullet and packed up our sweet EV, tucking her in next to the garage for the winter and making sure all the hatches were battened down for winter.

Now, I feel like one of those Master Gardeners who views Winter as the season of planning for the coming Spring. Instead of seed catalogues and gardening books, though, we'll be curled up with campground guides and travel guides, scouring the pages for places to go and things to see next year. In the meantime, we're finding ourselves grateful for space enough in the house to throw the Ball and let the babies careen after it for much needed exercise when it's too cold/gross to play outside.

Random Fun: Which Halloween Monster Are You?

Just for fun, a quick quiz to see what kind of spooky you do best.

(I got a witch... I'm okay with that. Cauldron! Bubble me up some cider!!)

: )

Protect The Asset

Just a brief thought to share from Greg McEown's book Essentialism this crisp Sunday morning as we head into the thrall of autumn:

“Protect the asset. The best asset we have for making a contribution to the world is ourselves. If we under-invest in ourselves – and by that I mean our minds, our bodies, and our spirits – we damage the very tool we need to make our highest contribution.”

Fall can be a wonderful time of year - full of rich smells, vibrant colors, seasonal adventures, cozy sweaters, and steaming mugs of delicious things - but it can also be hectic and stressful. There are new habits/schedules to adapt to, fresh rounds of the plague going around to avoid or weather, and the inexorable count-down to the holiday crunch. (Especially with all the chaos and upheaval going on down south right now, weather-wise!)

Can you carve out a minute (or five) this morning or this week to make sure you're "protecting the asset" that is you? Maybe:

• Get a few coffee dates with friends on the books before your calendars fill up
• Stock up on your favorite tea or seasonally flavored coffee to enjoy when you can steal a few quiet moments to yourself 
• Write a short bucket list for Fall - everything you loved most last year, or wanted to do and couldn't - and find a place for them in your calendar between now and December
• Buy something small and shiny that makes you happy and put it somewhere you'll see it every day
• Defer, delegate or drop one project, responsibility, or activity/commitment to open up some breathing room in your schedule
• Give yourself time and permission to get a full night's sleep as often as possible (and extra when you can! (Remember: sleep deprivation causes the same or higher levels of physical/mental/emotional impairment as consuming alcohol!!) 

How can you take better care of yourself this Fall?

 

 

Flea and Tick Season Is Coming

Generally speaking, I have tried since we first got Arthas to use all natural stuff with our dogs as much as possible. I use Diatomaceous Earth for deworming and love it, and most of time it's all I need to ensure we don't pick up any fleas, either. Unfortunately, it does nothing to combat ticks. Last year was a nasty year for ticks, and this year already isn't looking promising on that front.

As we have been examining plans for the summer and realizing that our furry babies are going to be exposed to (many) more unfamiliar dogs than recent years, we also recognized the need for stronger protection against fleas, as well.

Which brings me to this two-part PSA.

First, if you know anyone with a standard collie or border collie, please warn them to check any anti-flea/tick products they may use for Ivermectin. It is the base drug in  many over-the-counter options, and collies/border collies have a genetic predisposition to adverse reactions to it. In some cases, it can even be fatal. Many vets are not aware of this, so professional warnings are much fewer and farther between than would be ideal.

Second, read labels carefully. There are lots of products on the market, but only two that I found that prevent against deer ticks, which carry Lyme disease (which is an increasing problem), especially in east coast states. The problem is they all say "protects against ticks"... you have to actually check to make sure deer ticks are included in the list, though!

We ended up going with K9 Advantix II, which protects against everything and is Ivermectin free. (If you do the same, may I recommend grabbing yours off Amazon? The local stores here only carried two-packs for $40+, but Amazon had six packs for $60. Even those of us not so good at 'the maths' can tell that's a better option!)

Regardless of your needs or situation - or the stupid amounts of snow and cold you're getting assaulted with - spring will soon be with us. Consider taking a moment to reassess what you need and make sure you and your furry companions are covered?

Sunscreen That Won't Make Your Skin Crawl

Okay, another short post today of stuff that's just randomly been on my mind. Today's topic: Sunscreen.

I'm not going to rant about the nasty crud stuffed into most commercial sunscreens, or wail about how sunscreen causes cancer – honest. All I'm here to do is point you in a helpful direction if, like me, you struggle to find a sunscreen that: 

(a) Isn't full of scary things;

(b) Doesn't feel horrifically gross and make your skin crawl; and

(c) Can consistently be easily found/ordered/purchased.

After lots of research and some experimentation, I'm officially a fan of Babo Botanicals Clear Zinc Sunscreen (SPF 30).

(This is not a sponsored post. Just trying to save other people time and energy I wish I hadn't had to invest in this project.)

Anyway, long story short, this stuff is clean, won't bother your skin (even if it's sensitive), and can be conveniently ordered from Amazon if your local grocery store doesn't have it. (Note: Lots of them do.) It's not quite as durable as some of the other stuff out there – you'll need to reapply if you're spending all day in the sun, but for me that's a fair tradeoff.

Is sunscreen something you worry about?

Happy Labor Day

May your holiday include something as awesome and special as Sneak Whipped Cream.

(Confession: my aunt used to let us have whippped cream straight from the can on Thanksgiving if my parents weren't watching. It was the Best Thing Ever. Whatever you pick to celebrate the end of summer, enjoy it!)

Planning for Fall

Nearly everyone I’ve spoken to in the last couple weeks has said the same thing: where did the summer go? No matter what they’ve been occupied with, everyone agrees that time is going by much too quickly.

Very aware of the fleeting days myself, I dedicated a morning recently to planning for Fall. Fall is my favorite season, especially now that we have a house and are immersed in the glorious colors and scents of the season. At the same time, Fall tends to be an incredibly stressful for me if I am not careful; summer canning season too easily barrels straight into winter prep, and then the holidays are upon us. I do not enjoy the holidays if I am not prepared for them… which is kind of terrible, considering many people I know and love consider Christmas their favorite time of year!

Starting last year, I made a new Simple Rule for myself: by September every year, I will make complete lists of the cards and gifts I will need for the holidays. Shopping will be done by Thanksgiving, and cards written and mailed the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Following that rule last year completely changed my experience of the holidays. This year, I decided to build on that success by sitting down early with my calendar and a loose Fall Bucket List to address the things we always want to do but never are on top of ahead of time (and therefore usually miss). Now I'm looking ahead to Fall with anticipation. The days will continue to be busy, but I have a good view of what’s coming and feel like I’m diving in with intention and potential – not being thrown in headlong and scattered.

If you’re looking to hit your Fall/Holiday season with similar intention, here are a few tips and resources I use that might help you get started:

1    Coffee Date with Your Calendar
Make a coffee date with yourself (and your spouse if appropriate) and your planner (whatever kind/method you use) to sit down and double check that everything you already know about is in there - appointments, work projects, travel, etc. Block out date nights, girls/guys nights out, project time, mandatory “down days”, and anything else that is a priority so that it’s locked in before things get crazy. (If you're a visual learner, use colors!)

Bonus Tip: Don't forget to include your favorites from this list of Geek Holidays, because things like Eat Like a Hobbit Day will definitely make your Fall more fun!

2    Bucket List
Though I never make a formal bucket list, I’ve always got a mental list of things we either did last year and loved, or wanted to do but missed. Make time in your scheduling session to make a list of things you loved/wanted to do but missed and then follow up on them! Think OctoberFest, Harvest Festivals, Christmas Lights displays,family movie nights, walks in crisp autumn air - big or little, if the idea sparks joy in you, make sure you include it!

Bonus Tip: Start a list/folder/envelope for tracking events or bucket list ideas you want to remember for next Fall to put yourself ahead of the game in 2016.

 

3    Christmas Card & Gift Lists
Scattered Squirrel offers free downloadable planning lists for tracking Christmas cards and gifts, including helpful check boxes that let you track when things were purchased, sent, and received, as well as columns for retailer and cost that help you organize your shopping and plan your budget. (You could also easily make something like this in excel, which would do the math for you.) Don't forget to include hostess gifts on your list if you expect to attend dinners and parties where you'll need to bring some!

Bonus Tip: Consider selecting/ordering Christmas cards (or scheduling the family photo shoot for them) while you're making your list. This is also a great time to update/double check any addresses you'll need before cards can be mailed.

4    Backup Meals & Snacks
I consider backup meals and snacks one of the absolute best ways to build some grace into busy weeks. Whether that means (clean) boxed mac & cheese tucked in the pantry or pre-prepped homemade meals dropped in the freezer ready for a quick reheat, having  good, clean, comforting foods ready to go at a moment’s notice can be a life-saver. A generous stock of healthy, shelf-stable snacks can be equally appreciated amidst busy days.

Bonus Tip: Give yourself some extra grace by keeping a fool-proof go-to option on hand for last-minute get togethers. Make and freeze pies or cookies, stock fruit and oatmeal (frozen or canned) for almost-instant crisp, or find a great recipe you can reliably whip up with little time and no fuss. (My go-to is 20 minute chocolate mousse!) 

Are you still firmly in summer mode, or are you planning for Fall already too?

Simple Elegance for Summer

Author Gretchen Rubin has been getting a lot of press over her latest book, Better Than Before. Having never read any of her work, I recently checked the audio version of this new hit out of the library to listen to while working in the kitchen, cleaning, etc.

To be honest, I was unimpressed. The book was shallow and disorganized compared to many of the far more fascinating, better researched, and better explained books on habit formation and the cultivation of new behaviors currently on the market. It didn’t help that every time she mentioned anything related to food or nutrition I winced… SO many wrong ideas, happily touted as fact, without a stitch of backup, evidence, or logic!  

Anywho, the one really great thing I did take away from the book was the idea of a House Drink. Rubin tells an anecdote about an Italian friend of hers who was trying to cut back on her drinking. To help stick to her resolution to cut back, she created a personal concoction of juices, seltzers, and extras to serve in a pretty glass on nights she was dining at home with her family. It recreated the “special” feel of having a tradition and an elegant glass to look at and hold (and wasn’t straight, boring water which “feels healthy”), allowing her to cut back on her wine intake without losing all the other experiential aspects positively associated with it. 

I loved that idea, and promptly filed it away in my list of things to feature on my nutrition blog and with my clients, but thought I’d share it here as well. I’m a big fan of what I call “Peasant Food” – simple but satisfying meals, often made or served in a single dish – so a fancy “House Drink” is a bit over the top for us. But I’ve experimented a few times with making spritzers of juice and mineral water (2 to 3 oz juice to about 6 oz water) in a pretty wine glass, and been very happy with the result. It’s pretty, delicious (without being full of sugar or calories), and feels special – a perfect light indulgence for summer. 

Yes, I know these are strawberries and I'm talking about
raspberries, but it's a good picture!

That idea was still in my head when we had new friends over for dinner last week. They’d volunteered to bring dessert, and arrived with a bowl of raspberries (fresh from a local orchard!) and diced nectarines and fluffy whipped cream to pile on top.  It was incredibly simple but positively divine. (I know we’re going to be really good friends, because we both are all about the food and not how it’s served! I brought salad to the table in the big stainless steel bowl that goes with my KitchenAide, and they brought berries in a big, plain Tupperware bowl.   :)

The berries, like the House-Drink-inspired-spritzer, were incredibly simple but felt decadent. And now I’m thinking that the theme I should have been pondering all along was less about promoting healthy eating/drinking habits than what am I doing that cultivates simplicity, joy, and gratitude in my everyday life? 

None of us are promised tomorrow. If the zombie apocalypse hits next week or next year, I want to look back knowing I savored the beauty I was given… not squandered it.  

What is making you stop and see the beautiful in your life this week?

My Elegant & Complex Garden Plan

Despite never properly putting our garden "to bed" last year, I had great intentions of being totally on top of things this spring. Mapping out a garden plan, companion planting, researching what specific strains of common veggies (tomatoes, etc.) grow best in our region - you get the idea. 

But after a brutal (and busy) winter, I found myself with nothing planned or in place when that first post-it popped up in my planner reminding me that it was time to start planting seeds for this year's garden. What I did have was a pile of assorted seeds in the freezer whose age, levels of proper prep for saving, and probability of sprouting varied dramatically.

Since we've (finally) found a couple good farmers' markets locally and signed up for a CSA this year, I knew our primary veggie needs would be covered regardless of what we grew ourselves. [insert sigh of relief here]  Thus, I settled on my highly elegant and complex garden plan for this year: throw everything  on hand at the dirt and plant what sprouts.   :)

I reassured myself that if we somehow got an abysmally low sprouting rate we could always pick up a handful of seedlings somewhere to fill in any empty garden space. As it turns out, though, our sprouting rate was much higher than anticipated! I've made a huge mess twice already - once in the original round of planting, and again when I transplanted a bunch of seedlings to bigger cups.

I started with seeds for two kinds of pumpkins (cheese and sugar), peppers (chili and two varieties of bell/sweet), broccoli, carrots, eggplant, spinach, arugula, butternut squash, tomatoes (three varieties), onions, and lavender. So far I have no cheese pumpkins, eggplant, or peppers and only 1 butternut squash seedling. Everything else is thriving... and starting to take over our window sills. If they keeping soaking up what sunshine we can get, they'll (hopefully) be strong and ready for their move outdoors Memorial Day weekend.

Meanwhile, our wild edibles (like purslane) are starting to make an appearance, and our established perennials (rhubarb) are showing new growth as well. (Yay!)

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that everything survives my poor gardening skills (and the deer), and that we get a great harvest this year despite my very inelegant plan.

New Year, New Things

I thought after my post about what worked in 2014, it would made sense to follow up by noting some of the trends/themes that are already showing up as indicators of what 2015 might be like around here:

A long-neglected quilting project from 2014 that is finally
getting finished!

1. Addressing Long-Procrastinated Things
In December, I finally moved our dogs to a local vet. Since the new year, I've actually made the effort to acquaint myself with the local library system and order some library books. (Something I've been putting off since we moved, because it wasn't inherently user-friendly.)

I've also been doing some "binge quilting", piecing together my mountains of scrap fabric and sorting out backings for my unfinished quilt tops. I've given myself permission to just toss anything I really don't like, with the goal of working through all my back-stock one way or the other. I've got some gorgeous projects planned, but I won't be able to enjoy them until I've cleared the chaos first.

2. Dietary Shifts

As part of my Nutritional Therapist (NTP) training, I practiced a bunch of the (awesome) tests I'm learning on myself (and my very generous family). My classmates also practiced on me during our first workshop, and wow, did I learn a lot! Long a self-professed "starch based life-form", I spectacularly failed the Cocoa's Pulse Test for wheat and had to eliminate it from my diet. I've also started shifting our diet towards higher fat and protein ratios. It's an ongoing process for sure, but I'm already seeing big changes. 

 

 3. Clean, Sustainable, and Frugal 
This isn't a new trend around here, of course, but 2014 made me very aware of how easy it is to get pulled off course without realizing it. A couple prime examples:

Using canning jars instead of tupperware. We killed a bunch of tupperware last year. It was old and pretty cheap to begin with, but I was dreading replacing them because the clean, non-toxic pyrex-style stuff I felt comfortable getting instead was madly expensive. Then I discovered that canning jars are a great alternative! I can clearly see what's in every jar, they're easy to label (just write on the top in whiteboard marker) and rotate, and the vertical storage makes excellent use of fridge space! Although I still want to get a handful of the pyrex stuff for long-term freezer storage, using jars I already own for the bulk of my needs will save time, space, and tons of money! 

Ditching the Trifexis: In December, it hit the news that pet owners have been alleging that their dogs died from taking Trifexis. When I looked into it, I was appalled to find out that the product contains two known pesticides! I refuse to feed my furry babies pesticides, let alone pay to do so. We promptly agreed to take our dogs off of the meds. I've done my homework on (genuinely effective) natural alternatives, and guess what? They're not only safer, they're cheaper!! 

Beauty Products: When I got my hair cut and professionally dyed, I let them talk me into salon-grade shampoo and conditioner, because it was supposed to protect the color. It totally didn't, and actually worked less well than the organic shampoo bar and cider vinegar rinse I'd been using! As soon as the bottles are gone, I'm back to my cleaner, more sustainable, and more frugal bar & rinse!

Based on these trends, I'm challenging myself reexamine what I do and why this year. I hope to continue making this a year where I finish or let go of old projects, clean up and clean out toxins and excess, and find more unexpected ways to make our health and our home thrive.

What Worked For Me In 2014

I've seen several different posts of this style around the interwebs and really enjoyed them. I know we're nearly halfway through January, but I wanted to do one of my own anyway! I tried a lot of things in 2014, some of which worked, and some of which didn't. Here are a handful of the things that really did:

1. Life Editing & Customized Storage

This is an excellent example of the kinds of awesome things
my husband made for me. Getting the dogs' water bowl off
the floor has eliminated the slopping all over our beautiful
hardwood and made it so much faster to sweep/mop!

In 2014, we did some serious "editing" of our stuff. We tossed or donated a ton of stuff, and the house feels noticeably cleaner and calmer. In conjunction with those efforts, my amazingly handy and creative husband created a ton of customized storage and solutions for me! All year, he patiently listened to my ideas about what I wanted to better organize our home, and then disappeared into his workshop and returned with shiny things! Drawer dividers (that revolutionized my kitchen), custom shelving, beautiful wood storage boxes - his ingenuity has streamlined daily tasks and made a huge difference.

2. Working From Home
In September I officially made working from home the new normal. I only went into the office for deadline days or other special circumstances. It worked out to be a God-send on multiple fronts.

3. Rolling Menus
I'm all about meal planning. (I know, massive understatement.) But last year I largely shifted from day-based meal planning to prepping a bunch of meals on the weekend (or a free weekday) and making a list of available pre-prepped and no-prep meal options for the week. Each day I'd pick which one to make based on what actually cropped up. It worked surprisingly well, and I'm rolling it into 2015.

4. Glider Coffee
For my birthday, my husband bought me a beautiful glider. We parked it squarely in view of the garden and the forest. After dinner or on weekend mornings, we'd take our drinks outside to enjoy the fresh air and quiet, and it was awesome! (The dogs were especially fond of this practice, as it meant a dramatic increase in frisbee time for them. They were quite offended on nights we couldn't go out and relax for at least a few minutes!)

5. Nutrition Training!
I've been looking at the Nutritional Therapy Practitioner certification course for several years. This past summer, the timing finally seemed right and I signed up. It has been a time and effort-intensive program, but has drastically exceeded my already high expectations. I'm only halfway through, and it has already changed my life.

6. A Layered Haircut
Near the end of the year, I got layers cut into my hair. Although I lost a little more length than I wanted (because the ends were so damaged and had to come off), I love the layers! They give my hair some shape and give me more flexibility in hairstyles. I don't feel like I have to come up with some kind of twist or braid or something to look put together, but I can still do twists and braids when I want.

That's a peek at what worked best for me in 2014. I look forward to finding some equally great changes/solutions in 2015!