The Broke, Happy, Vegan, Momma.

Hello Stranger!

2011-06-16T13:46:00.000-07:00

It's been way too long since I have blogged.

Maybe I haven't had much to talk about. Humm what has been happening with Tasha?

Now that my seasonal after school job is done for the summer, I've been trying to get away with not working so much. It's been awesome. I love filling my days with just Owen. We spend a lot of time in the backyard, going to parks, and going to the pool. It's great that this year Owen can play at the pools. Last year he had just started walking, so he was not so steady, if you know what I mean.

I took Owen to Magic Waters water park last week. And he loved it. He loved playing in the waves, loved going down the side in the baby pool, but he was done after a few hours. One second he was laughing and running around, and the next he was just done. I could've stayed all day:)

I've been working a few days at the museum, and next week I start working doing summer school stuff. It's only in the mornings, and I'll be done by 12:30. So that's pretty nice.

Oh one big change for me, and yes it's a little hard to believe since I am not religious. I started going to church! I've been going to the Unitarian church with my mom on Sundays. It's a cool church cause welcome all religions, not just christianity. They really do a good job of making you see how doing good in the world makes you a better person. One big thing for me is holding grudges. I really need to work on not holding grudges.

Any way, on the Vegan side of things... I've not been baking so much. What??? No I know, I need to get back on track. I guess the whole being broke has left me without some of the essentials needed for baking.

Owen has been a little less picky lately. He has also been talking a lot more. So sometimes he can tell you what he wants. He loves pizza, pasta, mac and cheese, toast, and fruit. This morning I asked him what he wanted to breakfast and he says "fruit."

I also need to be on the ball for planning Owen's birthday party. I like to try to make the decorations myself. The invitations have been sent, so at least I have that taken care of. I'm going to have a loose Owl theme for the party. Owen's favorite book is Owl At Home. He wants us to read it every night, three times a night. Oh and at nap time too:)

Well next time I won't wait so long. I've got some potty training to brag about. So see you soon!

AutoMobills

2011-05-10T09:44:00.000-07:00

Just finished paying some bills. Ahh now I can relax a little. Still trying to figure out what to do for the summer. I'd love to take a few weeks off and just spend lots and lots of time with Owen. There is a few things I can do for After School to accumulate a few hours. My After School boss told me about a program through the park district where the DC goes to schools and does activities from 9:30 to 12:30, and I really want to do it, I just need to figure out what to do with Owen. I don't think it's going to pay the same as what I get now, so I need to figure out if it'd be worth paying a sitter. It will get me out of the museum, but set hours are of course more challenging. I'll have to talk to my peeps and see what I can do.
John's grandparents are back from Florida for the summer, so maybe I can work out something with them. I'll just keep my fingers crossed that it will all work out.

So there is only one more week of After School left, and I am sad! I'll miss the little monsters. I've really started to like my job, well most of the time. Yesterday I had to expel a student from the program. He had his 3rd strike, kicked over a garbage can, and threw something at another student. I really like the kid, and I hate when I have to remove a student. Makes me feel bad, cause I then have to wonder what kind of help will they be getting at home. When we talked to his mom, she asked to speak to him, and started screaming at him:( That is why I always try to keep what happens in the program, stays in the program.

Owen is doing really good. Still waiting on the gate for our privacy fence though. Owen always tries to run out of the back yard. Today he didn't get far cause he tripped and fell on the next door neighbors driveway. Scraped up his leg, but didn't cry! Such a tough guy.

Mother's Day:)

Oh To Be Young Again:)

2011-05-04T09:44:00.000-07:00

Friday is my birthday. I used to put so much thought in to my birthday, and now not so much. I guess once I hit my 30's, I didn't feel as much as celebrating. My friend Nadia found a white hair on my head and pulled it out. From what I understand, I'll be getting about 8 more to replace it. Oh well. I think I can rock white hair:)

Since Owen has been sick, I haven't been baking as much. I've really been trying to cook every night. Last night we had polenta with linguine and sauce. I'm excited that Hilander now has Daiya cheese. It's cheaper than the natural food market's price. I know, I know I should support local stores. And I do, once in a while. But as you can see from the title of my blog, sometimes you gotta go where it's cheapest. Especially since I missed a few days of work.

I've been trying to catch up on hours, but I can never get to work before 1 o'clock because of Owen's nap. Part of me still wishes that I could stay home with Owen, and I definitely considered not working the rest of the school year, but I don't think we could swing it. We just got caught up, and are already starting to fall a little behind again. I'm a little scared of the doctor bills that will be coming our way, but I know that I would have paid anything to ensure Owen was getting the care he needed. So we'll just have to pay what we can, when we can.

My mother in law is very giving. We are very lucky to have her. Even though she doesn't have much money herself, she gave us some money to help out. She's always given us money when she can. I hope I can be the same way for my children when they are older.

My dad bought us a swing set too. Completely caught me off guard! He said it's mine and Owen's birthday presents, and that totally works for me! It's a classic swing set too. Just like the one I had when I was a kid:)

My dad also helped us put up a privacy fence! What a good feeling to go in the back yard now. They are going to finish putting up the other side this weekend so it will be completely enclosed, and Owen can't run for the boarder. I think it's gonna be a good summer!

La la la la la

2011-05-03T10:10:00.000-07:00

Ooh it seems as if it's been a while since I've posted. Been a little preoccupied. We had a scared with Owen a week ago. He woke up in the morning drenched in sweat, and a low temp of 94 degrees. Rushed him to the ER, and after many many tests and a 48 hour hospital stay, the doctors came to a conclusion that Owen has Ketotic Hypoglycemia, say that 3 times fast for me:)

So we pretty much have to make sure that Owen is eating and drinking regularly. I think parents would agree that sometimes it's hard to get toddlers to eat. Sunday Owen wasn't very hungry and didn't eat much. Monday it was the ER. The doctors said he will outgrow it by the age of 4. So until then... we are going to try our best to keep him out of the ER.

There's nothing scarier that watching your baby fall in and out of consciousness. Owen is usually so energetic and active. After the doctors gave him glucose, he pepped right up. So at least we know for the future what to expect.

Owen did really well in the hospital. The first day he was pretty much confined to the bed. He was hooked up to monitors and an iv, so he really couldn't move around. The next day, they took off the wires and Owen could move around. The hospital had a really nice playroom, so we spent a lot of time in there. The hardest part for us was at night. Hospital couches and chairs are not the most comfortable ways to sleep. But we got through it, and are so happy to have the old Owen back. Owen had a check up yesterday, and it went very good. Thank goodness!!

You Say Omelette, I say Omelette.

2011-04-23T09:11:00.000-07:00

Oooh being vegan is so easy and fun! I googled vegan omelette yesterday and came across this recipe. I saw that Vegan Dad tried it and liked it, so I figured why the heck not. The omelette turned out really good. Okay, it's been probably 8 years since I've last had one, so to me it's right now. I suppose your average egg eater would take one bite and spit it out:) Ahh to heck with ya!

I served the omelette with Gimmie Lean soy sausage. Perfecto! Oh and lets not forget Daiya cheese. yum!

When You've Got Nothing, You've Got Nothing To Lose.

2011-04-21T09:19:00.000-07:00

That line keeps repeating over and over in my head today. I wonder why?...

Me and my friend Nadia signed up for a Monday night tennis class through the park district. It's and hour and a half long and lasts for 4 weeks. The first class was this week, and oh so much fun. I haven't played tennis for a few years- since I was pregnant with Owen to be exact, and I forgot how much fun it is. I like watching tennis on tv, but had lost the desire to play. I guess part of the problem was finding someone in my skill level(ahem, low) to just play and not take it so seriously.

The first class was basically for the instructors to see where your level was in tennis. Since I've played in the past, I was actually one of the better peeps in the class. We played some tennis games, one of which was called "Rambo." It was a fast paced game, and you need at least 6 people to play it.

The next day I was sore! I'm so out of shape:) Once we have nice weather again, I want to start going for morning walks with Owen. Being in the midwest, the weather is so unpredictable.

We want to put up a fence, but every weekend has been pretty crappy, so my dad hasn't been able to help us put one up. This weekend doesn't look so hot either. As my sister read in a book, we are the type of people who when we want something, we want it now. Not later. Now.

Just a silly pic of Owen playing with his Star Wars toys.

On a much lighter and sunnier note. Owen has gone to the bathroom on his potty, when prompted, 10 days in a row! This weekend we are going to put Owen in some underwear, and hope for the best. It's a dirty job, but somebody has to do it.

Shop Till You Drop

2011-04-15T09:08:00.000-07:00

I started an Amazon store at the bottom of my blog. I'm going to try to add stuff weekly that I would recommend. The great thing about ordering on Amazon is if you are a mom, you can sign up for Amazon mom and receive free 2 day shipping on items sold by Amazon.

John and I shop on Amazon all of the time. I'm also going to recommend Groupon and Mamapedia to find great deals. These days it so much more convenient to shop online with so many places offering free shipping. There is a little guilt that goes along with it, but a deal is a deal. But then at this point with so many corporate businesses putting local businesses out of business, I find it hard to sympathize with places like Boarders. I must admit that I enjoy going to Boarders, but if we lost ours then I'd happily go and hang out at the library more than I already do.

Okay Here it Goes...

2011-04-11T10:30:00.000-07:00

Co-Sleeping is a very controversial subject. It seems that most people have strong feelings for and against it. I know that before Owen, I may have thought it was a little weird. I mean, I really did not co-sleep with my parents. When I was sick, I'd sleep in their bed, but other than that I shared a room with my sister.

I can say that I do remember being scared at night, and yes, I was a bed wetter. Maybe that's linked to insecurity, I'm not sure, have never really looked into it that much. I do remember laying in bed frozen, and not wanting to move because I was afraid that someone was behind me. That probably definitely came from the movie Pet Cemetery. Looking back, its not a movie that I would let Owen watch at a young age, but never the less I saw it, and there is a dead guy in it, who scared the living day lights out of me, and that is who I thought was behind me in bed.

So anyway back to co-sleeping. I almost am embarrassed when I admit that Owen sleeps with us some but not all nights. Okay let me rephrase that. Some nights we put Owen to bed in his bed, but he always ends up in our bed at some point. Sometimes it's midnight, and sometimes not until 3 or 4. And I must admit, this does not bother me one bit.

I love having Owen with us. I think it gives him an extra sense of security, and me as well. John and I still have privacy when Owen is in his room, so that is not a problem. Of course I'd be silly to think that it'll never be a problem. I never said our system is perfect. I've talked to other parents who said that their child naturally moved to their own bed. And, Owen does show interest in his own bed. He has a toddler bed. Some times he wants to nap in his bed, and some nights he wants to read books in his bed. I guess we just do not try to make it an issue.

Owen is a very happy toddler, and is loved very much. I've done some research on co-sleeping and the US is one of the only countries that does not have their young sleep with or near them. I'm definitely not asking for advice on how to move Owen out of our bed, I am just confessing that yes, we are a co-sleeping family:) But I do look forward to your comments.

The Food Blog

2011-04-04T10:12:00.000-07:00

I wanted to share some stuff I've made in the past. It's amazing the possibilities of cooking vegan. I love going to the Chicago Diner and ordering a rueben. Now, I know what you carnivores are thinking. "Why do you want to eat stuff that looks and tastes(kinda) like meat?" Well the answer is quite simple. It brings me much much comfort to know that no animal had to die for me to eat. And I enjoy so much the process of cooking a great meal. I like that I can be creative, and that being a vegan is in no way boring, nor do I feel like I am missing out on anything.

Here is a salad that I bring just about every day to work. I go to my local supermarket, and see what organic fruits and veggies I can get on sale. This week it was mixed bell peppers- $1.99, mushrooms- $1.99, and lettuce- .99 cents. The strawberries were not organic- $1.99 and the craisins were $1.69. And of course Newman's Poppy Seed dressing. Yum yum. I always get a lot of compliments on my salad. It is a pretty salad if I do say so myself.

Next is my St. Pat's dinner. I made shepherds pie, mashed rutabaga and carrots, and broiled cabbage. Very tasty, and of course, beef you were not missed.

I've already shown my mac and cheese using Daiya, but here it is again. I'm finding it hard to get Owen to eat his veggies. He is a picky eater, but when you cover them in cheese, he's game:)

The last thing I'll brag about today is my crepes and potatoes. My crepe recipe comes from The Garden of Vegan, and it's a family and friends favorite. We recently picked up some soy whipped cream, and it really is the icing on the cake, I mean crepe. The potatoes are simple fried potatoes with red pepper and onion, and a touch of seasoned salt. Syrup is completely optional with this tasty treat.

So that is that. Time to eat.

Not Keeping Up With the Kardashians

2011-04-02T07:53:00.000-07:00

Currently, we have Direct Tv. It has gotten mucho expensive. So we lowered our package and lost some channels. Then we looked into Hulu Plus, and saw that that we can watch some of our favorite shows on there for $8.99. But a few favorites are not on there, and it's probably a good thing. Number one on the list: Kourtney and Kim Take New York. Number Dos: The Real World- Las Vegas. I know those shows are just complete garbage, but lets just refer to them as "guilty pleasures".

Anyway once our contract is up, we are saying good bye to sattlelite tv, and are just going to have Netflix and Hulu Plus. It's a way cheaper route, and I'll be less likely to watch so much tv. (BTW, it's only a cheaper route if you already own some crazy expensive game system such as a PS3) And that my friends, is my money saving tip of the day.

Spring Break

2011-04-01T07:52:00.000-07:00

That's Why We Don't Eat Animals: A Book About Vegans, Vegetarians, and All Living Things
This is a book I need to get for Owen.

Spring break so far has been great. I'm sad that it's almost over, but before I know it summer break will be here. I haven't decided whether or not I am going to be working this summer. I probably should, but it'd be nice to spend the summer with John and Owen. We'd be pretty broke if I chose not to, but it's worth a shot.

So this week we took Owen to Wonderland Books and Toys for story time on Tuesday. It was our first time so Owen was shy and sat with us the whole time. When we take him to the library story time, he's up and running around. I'd love to take him more to Wonderland's story time, but it's tough going places in the morning cause I work in the afternoon, and I usually have stuff to do around the house, not to mention Owen's nap time.

After Wonderland Books, we took Owen home for his nap, and then we went to the Discovery Center Museum. We have a membership there cause I work through the museum doing After School. Otherwise the membership is $70.00, and it also gets you in to children's museum's throughout the nation. So if we happen to be in St. Paul, Minnesota visiting family, we can go to the children's museum there. We have been to that one already, and it's really nice. Needless to say, if your a broke mamma like myself, a membership to your local museum is a great option. Owen goes to the Discovery Center at least once or twice every couple of weeks. He never gets bored, and never wants to leave:)

Wednesday we took Owen to the bike path with our friends Kevin and Karyn, and their baby girl Anna. Owen loves loves loves ducks. I'm sure we will be visiting the bike path quite often so Owen can see his feathered friends. It's still a little chilly outside, I'm really looking forward to warmer weather.

Wednesday night, John and I had adult time, and went out with some friends. Owen has been giving us a terrible two preview, so it was nice to get out of the house. Owen has had his mom and dad non-stop all week, so it was nice for him and us to have some time apart. Of course I started missing him as soon as we got to the restaurant. It was fun to go out though, we haven't been doing much of that lately.

Thursday was work in the yard day. We took Owen over to Nana's house(John's mom) and actually got most of the cleanup done. This summer I hope to have a garden again. I haven't had much luck in the past. I'm going to do a garden box this year. We also hope to put up a fence. It's going to cost a few dollars, but at this point we really need one for Owen. Right now if we take him out, he immediately runs out of our yard. I can just see myself this summer, relaxing on a lawn chair, sipping lemonade, and Owen playing in the sprinkler:) Yeah right!

So today is Friday. It's raining outside, and I can't complain because we have had a really nice week weather wise. I can use today to clean a little more in the house, and maybe do some light shopping. I've been selling stuff on eBay to earn a few extra dollars. Shopping for clothes is my favorite past time.

Take a deep breath!

2011-03-25T21:08:00.000-07:00

Paying bills lately has been giving me stomach pains. I really really dislike logging onto my online banking. Usually I am a little relieved to see that it's not as bad as I think. Today I guess can go in that category. I'm looking forward to John's student loan check, that will really put me at ease. We will be more caught up that we have been in a while. That money tree never grew!

On a much happier note, I made homemade baked vegan mac and cheese using daiya cheese. It's what a lot of restaurants are using in their vegan cuisine. It's the most like real cheese that I have found. Mac and cheese was always at my top favorite food items along with cheese pizza. What a relief that I have found some super good cheese alternatives.

Whenever someone says "I could never give up cheese" I think "Gosh if they only knew." It's really not a big deal, IF it's something you actually want to do. I know this because for a really long time cheese pizza was the deal breaker. But what I found out was that giving up cheese was not a big deal. Once I really made my mind up. Easy as cheese. And cheese is soooooo freakin' bad for you. So much fat and cholesterol, who needs that? Not me. I can say however, I remember the last real cheese pizza I ever ate. It was good, but so worth giving up.

Anyway Daiya is my homeslice. I'm glad I found her. I just need to find someone in this town that carries it. Last shipment came from my mother in law who went to Whole Foods in Schaumburg. I can drive 45 minutes to Dekalb to get it as well. We do have a natural food market, I haven't been there for a while, so maybe just maybe they have Daiya. And, it never hurts to suggest it. Yes a pack of shredded Daiya costs double of what your run of the mill Kraft cheese costs, but I say, you can't put a price on your health. And, we do not consume cheese every day either. Baked mac and cheese is a special treat. Owen gobbled it up!

Yawn's and Smiles

2011-03-23T07:11:00.000-07:00

Wow, Owen woke up at 4:30 this morning. That is probably the earliest he has woken up in some time. Poor Dad had to be to work at 7:15 and it's on Wednesday's that he has a night class. So he will be nice and tired when he gets home tonight.

I thought it would be nice to make a yummy breakfast before he went to work. Owen and I went downstairs while he took a shower. But Owen immediately started throwing a big time fit when I started preparing the crepes. The last thing I wanted to deal with at 5 am is a screaming toddler. So I did what any sane person would do, and turned on cartoons.

***Disclaimer*** I never turn on cartoons for Owen. Desperate times call for desperate measures.

Anyway, so I made vegan crepes and potatoes. Not to toot my own horn or anything but I make really good crepes.

If I had money to spare I would love to open up my own little bakery downtown. I would have it open for breakfast and lunch, but I'd only serve a few options a day. Can't you just see my little bakery with a chalk board that tells you todays items, and when you walk in the door you can smell chocolate chip cookies baking in the oven?

I've researched opening up a bakery, and they are the number one business that do not have a big return. In other words, if you want to be able to support your family, do not open a bakery:(

This is not to say that I will never open a bakery, but for the time being, it's just not realistic. My first goal to spread the word, and have people taste my vegan baked goods. This summer, I really want to get in gear. I want to build up a repor on Etsy. Take my baking to local stores, and maybe even dabble in farmer's markets. We'll see, we will see.

My First Whining and Complaining Blog...

2011-03-21T06:44:00.000-07:00

Being a parent is hard work. It requires patience, loving, and understanding. I love being a parent. Being a manager is really hard work. I love my job. But it too, requires a lot of patience, and understanding. Okay I even throw in the loving part. When it comes to the students, I have no problem managing them. Calling parents used to freak me out, but it's gotten so much easier. But, when it comes to managing adults, it's tougher. I would say that I am a pretty understanding person, and being a parent, I know that things happen that are obviously out of your control. So I never ever ever give my employees a tough time when it comes to their health, or the health of their kids.

But then when I see on Facebook that the person I've been the most understanding with say "They need to find a better job, and that they do not like their job", I start to get a little less understanding. But, I do not want to be passive aggressive. Like I said, I am very understanding when things come up.

I guess my first concern is always the program I oversee. It's important that I go to work everyday, but it's really really important that my group leaders come to work every day. Kids are all about routine. And it's three hours a day!!! I've never worked somewhere where you can come to work when it's convenient for you. Jobs are commitments.

All this being said, I will still be an understanding manager. It's just the way I am. But is it okay to be a little less understanding with someone who doesn't seem to have much of a commitment and care about coming to work everyday? I'm leaning towards yes...

Maybe I shouldn't be friends with my employees on Facebook? Is that the problem?

and a St. Patricks Day to you!

2011-03-17T16:44:00.000-07:00

Tonight for dinner, I am making Shepherd's Pie, mashed rutabaga and carrots, and boiled cabbage. I do not usually make a big deal of St. Patrick's Day, but I am pretty in the mood this year. I think working at a school, all of the teachers dress head to toe green, and the office uses all green paper, and then of course my secretary was talking about what she was making for dinner. Corned beef and cabbage. I actually found a vegan recipe for that, but I opted for the shepherd's pie. So it's all in the oven now. I can't wait!

It's so easy being vegan these days. There are subs for everything. The beef in the shepherd's pie is made of seitan, and everything else is just veggies. I'll take some pictures of the finished product.

Hummmm...

2011-03-17T09:47:00.000-07:00

I am just loving this weather. I love to take Owen outside and let him run around. He enjoyed going to the park last summer, but now he is to the point where he asks to go outside, and he is much more aware of his surroundings. He points out birds, when he hears a dog barking, he points and says "woof woof". So no complaints here as far as the weather is concerned. It does however stink that I have to work! I'd love to take Owen to the park every day, but mornings are tough cause I know he needs his nap, so we only have a short time to spend outdoors. Ah well summer is just around the corner.

Spring break is coming up soon. I am looking forward to the week off, but I will not be getting paid for the week that I am off. We will just have to come up with lots of fun and free stuff to do. If the weather is nice, we can go to the park and have picnics. Maybe go to the bike path and Owen can chase ducks:) Working through the Discovery Center, I have membership, so we can visit other Children Museums. We've gone to the Milwaukee and Madison museums. Both are really fun. And again with the weather improving, we can bring stuff for a picnic instead of eating at a restaurant. Although, Madison and Milwaukee are very vegan friendly, and we enjoy trying new places. Our favorite place to eat in Madison is Monty's Blue Plate Diner. www.montysblueplatediner.com They have a few really good vegan options. It's a good place for carnivores as well:)

Last night Owen was in a much better mood. I do not know if there is a correlation, but John was in class, so it was just Owen and I. When dinner was ready he climbed right into his high chair, and he maybe only whined a few times. I think Owen really misses John during the day, so at night he just wants all of John's attention. And I guess he thinks crying is a way to get it. Hopefully this is a short stage. Owen is communicating more and more every day, but he still seems to get frustrated at times. Maybe that is the cause of his outbursts.

Chocolate Chip Cookies

2011-03-16T07:47:00.000-07:00

Owen and I made chocolate chip cookies. As I said before he is already in the terrible twos. Last night he had a fit from the time he got home from our friend Holly's till he went to bed. It's as if satan took over his body:) Okay that's a little bit of an exaggeration.

I've been googling how to deal with temper tantrums. This stage in a toddlers life can start as early as one, and last until the age of 4. Hopefully for our sake, Owen is just going through a spurt, and he will be sweet wonderful Owen again. So we try to ignore his tantrums and not give in. At dinner time he didn't want to sit in his high chair, he wanted to sit on John's lap. He screamed and cried, and finally after 10 or 15 minutes he climbed into his high chair. I must say, dinner is never boring with a screaming toddler.

So this morning Owen and I made chocolate chip cookies. He makes them all the time with his Nana- John's mom, so he is quite familiar with the process. He has his little spoon, and eats the dough. I do not think I am as generous as his Nana, but I let him taste a little bit.

I cannot remember who told me this story but somebody at sometime was telling me, that when their child was young and in elementary school, they would bake their child chocolate chip cookies from scratch and send them in their lunch. Come to find out, the child would trade the cookies for chips ahoy and oreo's at lunch time. I wonder if that will be Owen:)

Why I started this blog...

2011-03-15T10:13:00.000-07:00

Hello, I'm Tasha. I am a momma, a vegan, and like most people right now, struggling!!!

It seems like when we (my husband and I) start to get caught up on our bills, another one knocks on our door. But, I try to maintain a positive outlook, and for the most part it works!

My vegan family consists of me- Tasha- hi, nice to meet you! John-my husband who is a high school English teacher. And our big turkey man Owen- who is going to be two in July. I work part time as an after school site-coordinator. Which is just another way of saying manager. It's a seasonal job, and I do not get paid holidays or summers. I work an average of 20 hours a week.

I have a college degree, but really, I'm not using it:) I couldn't tell you what I could do with it anyway. I'll just say that having that degree may have helped me get my job. It never looks bad to have a college degree, right?

So my job doesn't exactly pay the bills all of the way, but it keeps us from being two months behind, and in return we are just one month behind. Look, I know there are things we could do to make paying bills easier, but then our life would be a lot more boring.

There's a lot to learn from all of the tragedy in this world, and one of them is to live your life as if it could end tomorrow. I do not have a lot of regrets. I get anxiety sometimes when I look at our bank account, and yes our life would probably be easier with fatter wallets, but would we be as happy? I'm going with no.

The things that bring joy to our lives is number one- Owen. After Owen, it's our friends. We have wonderful friends. We also love going out to eat. Baking is another big one. I love love love baking. Vegan baking, of course! So doing the things we love is essential to our life. We do not go out to eat very often, but when we do, we are happy and grateful. I have a few favorite restaurants that I will eventually talk about.

Being vegan is not cheap. But then again, the good far out weighs the bad. We hardly go shopping for clothes, video games, etc. But, most nights we eat like kings and queens. I would say that I am a smart shopper. I like to buy fresh, not processed foods. I might spend an extra dollar sometimes buying organic peppers, but if buying organic is out of the question, I know I have a bottle of veggie wash under the sink.

It's important to me and my husband that Owen is raised in a loving and accepting environment. We of course are not experts on raising children, and sometimes we get a few raised eye brows. But, we know what works for us. Owen is extremely energetic and happy. He is approaching the terrible twos, so I am not going to pretend that every day is bliss. Far from!!!

So this is my introduction, and again nice to meet you!