Easy Eco To Go

Confession and a Review

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Fri, 15 Oct 2010 03:52:00 +0000

I’ve talked a lot lately about all the new things that I’ve taken on recently and how it’s been a bit much. I think I’ve gotten a good routine down with Tyler’s schooling and Parent Club has calmed down a bunch (or I’ve just settled into it better as well).

The one thing I’m still struggling with is the blog. It takes me hours to get a post up with the writing, pictures, links and editing it. Many times it’s taken me the better part of a day to do it.

Not to mention contacting companies to do reviews and giveaways and then actually doing the reviews and giveaways.

The reason I started this blog in the first place was because I felt like I needed something to show that I was here. I know, like 2 happy, healthy, kind, caring boys isn’t enough, but I really felt like it wasn’t. I felt like I needed to show that I could do something. So I took 2 things I love, writing and being green, and put them together.

While I’ve enjoyed writing the blog it always seemed more like a labor than a labor of love. Probably because I was trying so hard to find something outside of me to make me feel whole inside.

It turns out that I really love just being a mom and all the things that are involved with being a mom. Like Parent Club and being able to be home so that I can help Tyler with school. Tyler’s doing better this year than he ever did last year and is the happy lighthearted kid that I knew before we moved here.

I’m going to go back to work (very part time) as a yard duty at Dylan’s school. It’s only 1 ½ hours a day and I found out that if I had college credits I could work as an aid in the classrooms.

So after much soul searching I’ve decided that I really want to go back to school to get my degree in education, I’d really like to be a kindergarten teacher. That little revelation I figured out after a great talk with my grandma who was a teacher. I've had people tell me that I would make a great teacher many times, but I never thought that I would. Who knew?

Which brings me back around to the blog. I don’t want to say I’m quitting, but I am taking a break. A blog is a lot of work and for me takes a huge amount of time and energy. I thought that this would be my passion, or maybe wanted it to be so I could say I had one. It turns out it’s not and that’s ok. I cannot express to you how hard it was to say that.

This blog taught me that I don’t have to look any further than my own backyard to be happy, or maybe it was the Wizard of Oz? At any rate, I’m so glad I started the blog and I know I’m better for having tried it.

I’m not shutting down my blog because like I said, I’m not done; I’m just taking a break. While it’s not my passion, I did enjoy it and may come back to it.

Lastly, I want to thank everyone who has read this blog, commented on it or told a friend about it. Thank you so much, I so very much appreciated every click and every comment that was left.

Now one last thing before I go, or one last review before I go. I was sent these eco, removable, reusable stickers from ecominders that help you remember to be green. You can put the stickers in the bathroom to remind you, and your kids, to turn off the water when brushing teeth, or next to light switches to remind you to turn off the light when leaving the room. There are sticker packets for kids, home and work so no matter who you are or where you are, you can be green.

I love these so much and are exactly the kind of thing I wish I had come up with. We could all use an extra little ecominder in our life and since I won’t be around for a while, this is the next best thing. Hehehe

I also plan on leaving my Facebook and Twitter accounts up and continuing with daily tips. So if you want to stay in touch you can find me there. Either way, it's been great knowing you and thanks again for taking this journey with me.

Blogging, Weddings and Yoga

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Fri, 08 Oct 2010 14:56:00 +0000

Sorry I’ve been MIA lately, life just keeps getting in the way of writing.

On Tuesday my sister got married and I officiated at the ceremony. I got ordained through the Universal Life Church just so I could do it. It was pretty awesome, if I do say so myself.

The wedding was pretty much the only thing I had on my mind last week and my mom and I spent all weekend shopping for it. Now this wasn’t a big blow out wedding but within the last couple of weeks it went from them just getting married at the courthouse in front of whoever happened to show up, to a real wedding that needed a dress, accessories and food……for whoever happened to show up with the last minute invite to a wedding held in the middle of the week.

For them October 5th is super special and the next one to fall on a Saturday would be around 2013 and they didn’t want to wait that long. So they figured they would just get married on the day they wanted and then have a big party later.

They also thought, quite wrongly, that no one would be that interested in seeing them exchange vows. So after much silliness Holly and Balta got married at his parents’ house under a weeping willow. Our dad flew in from Boston and flew our brother and his fiancé in as well.

The ceremony was short and sweet on a super windy Orland day. I hate talking in front of people but made it through (when I offered to do it the ceremony was just going to be in front of both parents and siblings) and was even loud enough that most of the people could hear me over the wind.

After the ceremony the tequila was flowing and much of it was flowing into me. I have never before drunk as much as I did that night. Luckily for me I’m not a sloppy, mean or overly flirty drunk. Also lucky for me my brother’s fiancé Melanie is a major sweetheart and stayed by me while I was swaying a bit. So here’s a big thanks to my fbff Mel!

So after recovering from a most awful day I thought it would be nice to get back into yoga. I’ve never been a big workout person because I have a naturally athletic build so I have to be careful about what I do or I bulk up even more. What’s always worked well for me is pilates and yoga, so I mostly just stick to those. Yoga’s also nice because, as I’ve mentioned, I’m also naturally pretty high strung, so the calmness of it is just as good for my mental well being as it is for my physical well being.

Aurorae sent me a yoga mat to try out and I was super happy to find out that it’s phthalate free. They even have one called Northern Lights that’s biodegradable, very cool.

I love how soft the mat is and how it conforms to your hands, feet and body. I also love that since it’s phthalate free it doesn’t have that weird plasticy smell. The focal point at the top is nice for helping me stay balanced and centered on the mat.

You can also get a rosin bag, like the one they sent me. It helps absorb moisture from your hands so you can grip better, this was very cool.

So that’s how my week began and ended, how was yours?

Pumpkin Pie For The Soul

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Fri, 01 Oct 2010 03:51:00 +0000

So the Fall Balls are actually Averie’s Vegan Pumpkin Spice Donut Holes. They looked so good and I love pumpkin pie, which I can’t eat anymore, that I just had to make them.

The first batch was straight her recipe. There were 2 problems with them, which is why there was another batch. Problem one, I apparently didn’t rinse the blender as well as I thought I had after my smoothie so the pumpkin spice donuts tasted more like banaberry donuts, while not awful, definitely not what I was going for. Problem number two, I really need to accept that I cannot have flax seeds, we just do not get along.

And so the need for batch number 2. For the second batch I bumped up the amounts and changed a couple of ingredients; for example, I replaced the flax seeds with cashews, the agave with honey and took out the coconut oil.

These ones came out much stickier but were crazy good. It was just like eating a piece of pumpkin pie minus the crust. I think that they were stickier because flax seeds absorb moisture unlike cashews. I was actually thinking about giving these a try with chia seeds, but at the same time, I’m not really sure if they would work.

Averie also has a recipe for a raw vegan pumpkin pie that I would really like to make. When I went to the store for a can of pumpkin puree I ended with the extra large size that has enough to make 2 pies. I only used about 5 tablespoons, so I really do need to make something else with it.

Pumpkins are a great source of calcium and potassium and are definitely in abundance right now. I’ve never tried cooking with fresh pumpkin but I bet it would be even better than the canned. Plus fresh food takes a lot less energy and uses a lot less resources to produce.

Ok, I’ve never actually made anything with a pumpkin before this but considering how good these donut holes came out and how much I think I’m going to love the pumpkin pie, I’m going to need to find a greener way to do it than buying canned pumpkin. I found instructions on ehow.com for cooking pumpkins that can then be used in other recipes. And since you can’t turn around without tripping over a pumpkin at any store right now, I’m definitely giving it a try after my canned pumpkin runs out.

Nothing says fall to me like pumpkin pie and right now I could definitely use some fall inspiration with this crazy heat wave we're having. Today it was only 95* but the 2 days before were both in the 100's. Ridiculous. Anyways, it's really great to find foods that satisfy that emotional need as well as the physical. I can't wait to make the pie for Thanksgiving.

Here’s the (thrown together) recipe for my Fall Balls in case you want to give them a go, and yes Aimee, they’re gluten free!

About 1 cup cashews
2 heaping tbsps pumpkin puree
2 tbsps honey
1 ½ tsps pumpkin pie spice mix

Grind the cashews first in a high speed blender or food processor. Then add the rest of your ingredients until they’re all blended together. Scoop out your mixture and roll into balls. I like to refrigerate mine so they get a little firmer.

Do you have any great gluten-free pumpkin recipes?

Oh, and I'm still planning on making my own caramel apples either with the raw recipe mentioned on Bitt of Raw or with one the I found in a magazine. Just in case you're curious. ;)

The Balls Of Fall - Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Wed, 29 Sep 2010 03:07:00 +0000

Batch #1...

Batch #2...

Curious? Then I'll see you Thursday!

Wordless Wednesday

And The Traveling To The State Of Gratitude Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Tue, 28 Sep 2010 17:22:00 +0000

It's just me picking the winner again and the winning number I chose was...

#9, Donna!

Congrats Donna and thanks again to Waves of Gratitude for providing the ebook for the review and giveaway!

What A Wonderful Weekend

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Mon, 27 Sep 2010 21:29:00 +0000

I don’t know about you, but it was a pretty great weekend around here. Sadly, that’s not something I say about most weekends. It seems like so many of them are filled with chores and errands and things that we “have” to do instead of things we “want” to do. However, this wasn't one of them, which was pretty cool.

The weekend started off with a trip to the farmers market. I haven’t actually made it to the Saturday one in a few weeks now so I was really happy to go this week. Usually it’s just my mom and me but his time Dylan decided to come to too.

The boys don’t usually want to go and even though I’d like it if they did I don’t want to force them either, so it was nice that Dylan wanted to come. Then when I checked his homework folder on Sunday I found a book about going to the farmers market, hmmm, I wonder if that had anything to do with his decision to come?

After that Tyler and I went to Taekwondo. I’ve wanted to go to the Saturday morning class for a while but that’s been another thing that I just hadn’t been able to fit in.

Then we all went up to my grandparents house, which is something we do most Saturday’s. This would definitely be a “want” to not a “have” to. ;) While we were there we checked out the garden and found a bunch of ripe banana peppers and checked on our watermelon and cantaloupes. The watermelon and cantaloupes didn’t look much different than they did 2 weeks ago, but hopefully that’s going to change. And apparently I didn't take any pics of them. hehe

My grandpa has a few fruit trees as well and the pear tree was bursting with pears so we got to bring a bunch home. We took home about 3 x's what I'm holding, plus another bag full of lemon cucumbers.

After we left their house we stopped at Apple Ridge Farm on Apple Hill. I know I said the weekends are crazy busy but I had a mean craving for a caramel apple. I blame bitt’s raw vegan caramel apples, which just looked so good, but I was feeling lazy so I bought these caramel covered apple wedges instead of making my own.

However, I realized later that caramel sauce is made with corn syrup, which would explain why I wasn’t feeling so good afterwards. Guess I should stock up on raw caramel ingredients and stop being lazy. ;)

Not to mention the guilt over the styrofoam bowl, which contains chemicals that I was then eating, is made with petroleum, a non-sustainable and heavily polluting resource and can't be recycled. Ugh. You know what would have been better, if I had brought my own bowl. Can you imagine the looks I would have gotten?! I get weird enough looks when I take my reusable bags to retail stores. It definitely would have been the green thing to do though.

On Sunday we took the boys to see Legend of the Guardians: The Owls of Ga’Hoole. It was pretty good and the boys enjoyed it. I love going to the movies but we don’t do it very often, another one of those things we don’t make time for.

We did have a few errands to run after that but it really wasn’t too bad. We had done so many fun things and things we wanted to do that the couple of things we had to do didn’t seem so bad.

With life being so busy lately with the boys’ schools and various commitments, I’ve decided to make a conscious effort to slow down and make time for things that make me happy and cut back on some the things that don't. I’m working out what those things are and I’ll keep you posted.

How was your weekend?

What are the things that you slow down for?

Are there things that you’ve given up to stay happy?

And don’t forget to enter to win a Copy of Traveling to the State of Gratitude, today’s the last day to enter!

And while you're entering giveaways stop by Love Veggies and Yoga for a chance to win 6 vegan lip balms. I'm a total lip balm nut and am really hoping to win these!

Three Sisters Cereal For 2 Brothers

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 20:02:00 +0000

A little bit ago we were sent some cereal from Three Sisters Cereal to try out; Honey Oaties, Cinnamon Sweets and Sweet Wheat.

The Honey Oaties and Cinnamon Sweets were big hits. I actually had to talk the boys into trying the Cinnamon Sweeties because they didn't think they'd like it. They gobbled it up after that. The Sweet Wheat cereal however was a no go. No amount of pleading could get them to try that one, it was just too "different". I think they would have preferred the Marshmallow Oaties. If I could still eat cereal the Sweet Wheat would actually have been the one that I would have eaten.

The cereals are made with all natural ingredients and without any trans fats, partially hydrogenated oils or phony flavors, all good things to not include in my book. They’re not organic though, but nobody's perfect. ;)

Three Sisters uses renewable wind energy to make their products, which includes oatmeal as well as cold cereal. They package their cereals in plastic bags instead of boxes with bags inside of them to save energy during production and transportation. Less packaging means more bags of cereal can fit in a shipping box and therefore less shipping boxes are needed. The bags aren’t recyclable, which is too bad though. Three Sisters do say that they’re still looking for recyclable options, so that’s something.

Right now Three Sisters cereals are only available at Whole Foods (find the closest one to you here). We don’t have a Whole Foods near us (the closest is in Sac about 45 minutes away), but if we did I would pick these cereals up.

Picture Perfect - Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Wed, 22 Sep 2010 15:11:00 +0000

Picture day, the second scariest day of the school year.

You put nice clothes on them, make sure they’re clean and that their hair looks good, send them off to school and just pray they look like that when they get their picture taken.

Because if anything’s going to happen, spill something on their clothes, get scratched on their face, it’s going to happen today.

Which is exactly what happened to Tyler yesterday before his pictures.

He wiped his mouth on a towel a few minutes before we had to leave, which it turned out had a sticker or some other scratchy thing on it, so he got 2 nice scratches on the side of his face.

And what did he have to say, “Now the pictures will look cooler because I have battle scars.”

Ah, boys.

Wordless Wednesday

And The Gentle Cycle Pads Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Tue, 21 Sep 2010 18:57:00 +0000

Once again I didn't get the winner picked while the boys were here to help so it's just me choosing the winner.

The winning number I picked was...

#15, the radioactive vegan!

Congrats radioactive and thanks again to Gentle Cycle Pads for the giveaway!

And don't forget to enter the giveaway for the Traveling to the State of Gratitude ebook!

Traveling to the State of Gratitude {Review & Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:26:00 +0000

Recently I was asked if I would like to review an ebook called Traveling to the State of Gratitude by Kim Wierman and Cheryl Nordyke, they’re the women behind the Waves of Gratitude jewelry company.

The book is about how to get your self into a constant, well, state of gratitude. The way they explain it is like getting ready for any trip you would take, what do you need to take, what do you need to leave behind, the state of mind you get into before leaving and once your there and how you feel afterwards and want to share your trip with friends.

At the end of each chapter there are worksheets with questions about how you to incorporate gratitude into each situation. I liked that part because it made me have to stop and really think about what I had read. It also made me think about what it is that I have to be grateful for and places I needed to work on and how situations in my life would fit into the different areas of being grateful.

One of the things that resonated with me the most was the example of how some people see the glass as half empty, others as it half full and still others are just grateful for the glass because they can put anything they want in it.

Another part that really hit home with me was when they said, “The shift from stress to gratitude requires you to accept where you are and then move towards where you want to be.”

I mentioned a few times on here how I’m a bit of a high stress person, so the idea of changing how I look at a situation, i.e. I’m stressed because to I’m grateful for, really struck me.

I believe that everything happens for a reason and right now I have definitely spent a lot more time being stressed than I have being grateful, so for me this was absolutely the most perfect time to get Traveling to the State of Gratitude. Won’t you come along with me?

You can also find them on Facebook here and here as well as following their inspired thoughts here.

Not only can you buy this great little ebook right now, but you can also win one. Kim and Cherly would like to give one lucky Easy Eco To Go reader a copy of Traveling to the State of Gratitude for free. For the main entry leave a comment here telling me something that you're grateful for. This one doesn’t have to be done first but it does have to be done for all other entries to count.

Here are some things that I'm grateful for:

My 2 boys. I had always been sure that I would have 2 kids, a boy and a girl, and when it didn't turn out that why I was sad at first. But after watching them grow and laughing and playing with them, I'm so grateful for these boys who constantly tell me I'm the best mom ever.
Todd, my hubby. No matter what new and crazy thing I want to do, write a blog, go raw, be PTA co-prez, he's always right there telling me it's a great idea and as long as it makes me happy I should do it.
Being a stay-at-home mom (though I really think that's an oxymoron, hehe). Not working outside of the home means that I can help in Dylan's class 2 days a week and that Tyler can go to the charter school instead of regular school, which he has been much happier at.

This contest is only open to EVERYONE. The contest will run from Monday September 20, 2010 thru Monday September 27, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST. And as always the boys (or just me) will help me pick a winner which will be announced Tuesday the 28th.

As always there are additional ways you can enter:

Follow @easyecotogo on Twitter and leave your @name (1 entry)
Follow @wavesgratitude on Twitter and leave your @name (1 entry)
Write a blog about the contest, mention the contest on your blog or email 3 friends & cc me on the email easyecotogo at gmail.com (3 entries, please leave 3 comments) (3 entries, please leave 3 comments)
Tweet about the contest (Travel to the State of Gratitude with a #giveaway from @wavesgratitude & @easyecotogo http://bit.ly/9p6zoq) (1 entry, can be done once a day. Please leave a comment for each tweet)
Follow my blog in Google Friend (1 entry)
Subscribe by email or RSS to Easy Eco To Go (2 entries, leave 2 comments)
Add my button to your blog (leave your site with your comment so I can stop by and say hi!) (2 entries, please leave 2 comments)
Add my blog to your blogroll (1 entry)
List this contest on any contest linky & leave the link in your comment (3 entries, 3 comments)

Separate comments must be left here for each additional entry!

Also, please include your email with comments or if you’d rather, after you leave your main entry comment, email me at easyecotogo(at)gmail(dot)com so I will have a way of contacting you if you win. You will have 48 hours after I contact you to send me your info or else I will choose another winner.

Apple Hill - Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Wed, 15 Sep 2010 17:03:00 +0000

We live about 5 minutes away from Apple Hill and apple season officially started Labor Day weekend.

One of the best things about Apple Hill is the pick your own farms and our favorite is Pine-O-Mine. They do blueberries and raspberries in the summer and various apples in the fall.

If you’re local you do not go to Apple Hill on the weekend because it is crazy busy, so the boys and I went up after school yesterday to pick some fresh fuji apples.

There were lots of apples since the season’s only just began and Dylan really wanted to eat one right away. He said it was soooo good.

The boys had a great time looking for the biggest ones they could find.

And we left with a nice big box of apples (15 pounds to be exact).

But we couldn’t leave without checking out the tire swing first.

And then we absolutely had to stop for apple donuts at Abel's Acres, not that I can eat them but everyone else can enjoy them and they are amazing.

That’s another nice thing about Tyler doing the charter school, the “homework” that his teacher assigns Tuesday can be done during the day on Wednesday and Thursday’s can be done during the day on Friday and Monday. Rarely does Tyler ever have to do anything in the evenings.

So days like yesterday where we played at Dylan’s school for a little awhile after Tyler got there (another mom has a daughter at Dyl’s school, in his class, and 2 boys at the charter so one of us gets the “regular” school kids & one gets the charter kids) and then went and picked apples, are no big deal because we don’t have to rush home to get homework done.

Wordless Wednesday

And The Vapur Water Bottle Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Tue, 14 Sep 2010 19:20:00 +0000

Well, I just realized that it's Tuesday and I need to pick a winner for the vapur reusable water bottle giveaway. Since school has started I feel I'm hardly ever at home.

Since starting those adrenal pills though I'm much more relaxed about that fact and am actually enjoying all the reasons I'm not at home; volunteering at Dyl's school, PTC, even grocery shopping.

Anyways, it may be a little late but here's the winner of the vapur reusable water bottle...

#23, HiHoRosie!

Congrats Rosie and thanks so much to vapur for the great review and giveaway!

Paperback Heaven

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Mon, 13 Sep 2010 19:59:00 +0000

I recently did something that I haven’t done since I was a kid; I got a library card. I had actually just planned on getting one for Tyler because he needs to be reading every day for school and all we have are either little kid books or adult books, so nothing he was really interested in. But then when we were there, I figured I should get one just because.

I absolutely love reading but I don’t really read much anymore because I love books so much. Confused, I’ll explain.

I've loved reading for as long as I can remember, but there's one little problem when I read, once I start that’s all I want to do. When I start reading I don’t want to stop to do laundry, I don’t want to do school work with Tyler, I don’t want to dance with Dylan, I don’t want to blog, I just want to read my book. So you see how this could be a problem.

I don't have a favorite author, but I do love a good mystery or fantasy book and I can do some suspense stories as long as it's not down right scary (hi, wimp). I like a story that takes me away and keeps me guessing. I'm not a fan of unhappy endings though, I've read a few of those that have been suggested, but I like to feel happy when I'm done reading, not bummed out.

When we went up to visit Todd’s parent his mom gave me the first 3 books in the Sookie Stackhouse series (the ones that the show True Blood are based off of). I thought, “It won’t be that bad, I’ll just read them here and there.” Well I finished them all in a week, but I was still able to get some stuff done so I didn’t feel too awful about it. I did, however, need to get the rest of the books since I wasn’t going to be seeing Sally (mother-in-law) anytime too soon.

I don't know what the t.v. show is like (we don't get HBO), but the books are great; great characters, great stories, thoroughly enjoyable. I'm very much loving this series and would definitely recommend it.

Anyways, I certainly wasn’t going to out and buy them since once I read a book (or series) I don’t tend to read it (them) again. Plus, with trying to be greener, buying books that require lots of paper, water and energy to be made, isn’t really so great of an idea to me anymore. I admit that I have bought many books that I knew I would only be reading once and would just end up at the local thrift store, kind of a waste for me and the trees.

So I busted out my new library card and headed down to the library. Naturally the books I wanted weren’t available but I was able to put them on hold, something that I can even do from home online (that’s how we re-checked out the book Tyler borrowed). Oh yeah, libraries have totally gone high tech. ;)

I know that the other big thing in eco-friendly reading now is e-readers, like the Nook and the Kindle, but for me, there’s just something about a book. I like the way it feels in my hands, I like the anticipation of turning the page, I like the sound it makes when the page flips, you just don’t get that from a gadget. I love gadgets, don’t get me wrong, and I can definitely see the advantage of an e-reader, like when going on trips or if you like to re-read books, but me, I think for now I’ll stick with my library card.

While writing this I got to wondering what other green ways to read books there might be and came across this site, paperback swap. You sign-up (free) and then you can swap books with any of the other members. The person sending the book pays the shipping, but other than that there are no fees that I could find. It seems like a pretty good system.

Oh, and I’ll try not to completely ignore my family while devouring these books. ;)

Do you read books much, if so what's your favorite type?

Do you have an e-reader, do you want one, or are you like me and like holding an actual book?

Also, don't forget to enter the vapur reusable water bottle giveaway (today's the last day) and the gentle cycle pad giveaway.

My Gentle Cycle {Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Thu, 09 Sep 2010 21:06:00 +0000

Aunt Flo has once again come to call and a year later, I’m still using my reusable girly pads. That means that I’ve kept roughly 300 pads out of landfills. Not bad if I do say so myself.

Wow, when I first made the switch I really wasn't sure if I'd be able to stick with it and now I can't imagine not using these pads.

If you’re like I was and can barely deal with a snotty hankie let alone even imagine dealing with a reusable pad, fear not, it’s truly not that bad. I think they’re definitely more comfortable than conventional pads for one. The reusable ones are soft and these new ones I got are extra padded, which I’m loving.

Cindy from Gentle Cycle Pads sent me one of the reusable pads that she makes in the punk print because I may be a green blogging mommy, but somewhere deep down I’m still a little punk. Hehehe

I noticed right away that the Gentle Cycle Pad was thicker than the others I have, which I think makes it softer. I'm pretty lucky and don't have a very heavy flow so I haven't needed to worry about absorbency, but with the extra thickness of these pads, my guess would be that they are also more absorbent.

The one I was sent also has a very sturdy little snap so I didn’t have to worry about it slipping around or falling out. Yeah, that happened with my quickie homemade ones and it wasn’t pleasant.

I really like my Gentle Cycle Pad and I definitely like the idea of supporting a mom business. My punk pad will make it into heavy (get it?) rotation for sure and when I need to add to my collection I will stop by Gentle Cycle Pads.

Besides shopping at Cindy’s etsy store you can also keep up with her and her greenness on her blog and Facebook page. Cindy's also working on a new web site, it's not completed yet, but stop by anyways if you have a minute.

Cindy is giving 1 lucky Easy Eco To Go reader 1 pad of they’re very own (your choice of punk, animal, peace, or nature print). If you’ve never tried reusable pads this is a great risk free way to do it, if you don’t like it, you’re not out anything. I have a feeling though that once you feel how comfy it is and realize how much waste you’re reducing, you’ll just want more. Or, if you’re already using them, well, you really can’t have too many.

For the main entry stop by her etsy store you and leave a comment here saying what else you like. This one doesn’t have to be done first but it does have to be done for all other entries to count. .

This contest is open to EVERYONE! The contest will run from Thursday September 9, 2010 thru September 20, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST. And as always the boys (or just me) will help me pick a winner which will be announced Tuesday the 21st.

As always there are additional ways you can enter:

Follow @easyecotogo on Twitter and leave your @name (1 entry)
Write a blog about the contest, mention the contest on your blog or email 3 friends & cc me on the email easyecotogo at gmail.com (3 entries, please leave 3 comments) (3 entries, please leave 3 comments)
Tweet about the contest (Ditch disposable pads w/ Gentle Cycle Pads & @easyecotogo http://bit.ly/9aZplh #giveaway) (1 entry, can be done once a day. Please leave a comment for each tweet)
Follow my blog in Google Friend (1 entry)
Subscribe by email or RSS to Easy Eco To Go (2 entries, leave 2 comments)
Add my button to your blog (leave your site with your comment so I can stop by and say hi!) (2 entries, please leave 2 comments)
Add my blog to your blogroll (1 entry)
List this contest on any contest linky & leave the link in your comment (3 entries, 3 comments)

I Heart Green Day - Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 14:55:00 +0000

Last weekend the boys went to stay with Todd's parents and Todd and I went to a concert. We haven't gone to a concert since before we had kids, not that we went a lot before, but still.

We went to see Green Day who I've been a fan of since high school when Dookie came out but have never seen live. Todd thought we should change that.

The concert was absolutely incredible and I am so glad I finally got to see them live. Sadly none of the pics I took came out, besides the one above, but somehow I doubt I'll forget it.

Wordless Wednesday

Bring On The Oil

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Wed, 08 Sep 2010 01:49:00 +0000

Remember when I did that review of the All Things Pure skin care line? Well not long after that I finally asked my doctor if I should be using a facial wash with corn in it since I’m allergic to corn. Her exact words were, “No! Stay away!” Well ok then.

Just as I was thinking about what to do then for face wash I saw a tweet by @thesoftlanding (the button for the Soft Landing store is over on the right) about the oil cleansing method. Alicia was talking (tweeting) to someone else and was saying that the OCM was absolutely wonderful. I clicked on the link she provided and it took me to a post on Simple Mom.

When I read that I would be using castor oil and olive oil I was a bit skeptical. I know that breakouts aren’t necessarily caused by oil, it also has a lot to do with hormones, bacteria and other things, but still, the idea of rubbing oil on my face to get it clean just seemed weird.

Then I stopped to think about all the other funky things that go into most cleansers, like Propylene Glycol, Sodium Lauryl Sulfate, Stearyl Alcohol, Methylparaben, Propylparaben (and those were found in a “gentle” skin cleanser) and somehow olive oil and castor oil didn’t sound so bad anymore. So I figured what they heck and went to the store for castor oil. Just as an aside, castor oil is manly used as a laxative, I didn’t know that when I asked the Raley’s employee, in front of other customers, where I could find it. Lovely.

The oil cleansing method works on the principal that like attracts like. Like I said above, oil isn’t bad for your skin, your skin needs oil to be healthy and olive oil has the same pH as our skin. So the castor oil goes down into pores and breaks up the oil while the olive oil keeps the skin balanced.

The problem with most cleansers out there is that they strip the skins natural oils, which actually makes you produce more oil if you have oily skin (hi, that’s me) and leaves dry skin even drier because it can’t naturally compensate. That state of unhappiness is how you get dry itchy patches and breakouts.

I followed the directions on Simple Mom for the oily skin cleanser (you use different combinations of castor oil and olive oil depending on your skin type) and combined three tablespoons castor oil and one tablespoon olive oil in a little jar I had. That night I put about a quarter size amount in my hands rubbed it on my dry face (don’t wet your face first) for about a minute, then put a very warm cloth on my face for another minute, then wiped the remaining oil off my face and patted my face dry.

I admit it did feel a little strange rubbing oil on my skin, but the (very) warm cloth felt great. After I wiped and dried my face I noticed something different, my skin didn’t feel the least bit tight, which it does sometimes, and it absolutely didn’t feel oily, just soft and refreshed.

The amount I made lasts about 2 weeks or so but I only wash my face in the morning. I’ve noticed that since I’ve been using this cleanser I haven’t had to put anything extra on my face, which is really nice. I’m using less products, which means spending less money (castor oil is pretty darn inexpensive), but it also means I’m using less packaging and creating less waste, which you know I love.

Also, I’m using a fraction of the water that I used to use when I would wash my face. Before I would wet it before I washed it then splash water on my face until it was thoroughly rinsed off, and I would usually wait for the water to warm up. Now the only water I use is for the cloth and to get the water hot I put some in a pyrex measuring cup and heat it in the microwave instead of letting the tap run and wait for it to get hot enough.

So in the end I’m using a cleanser with no funky chemicals, reduces how much I need to buy, which reduce my waste, and helps me save water. Yeah, you could say I’m pretty darn happy with.

Have you tried the oil cleansing method?

If you have, did you like?

If not, do the think you will?

And The Eco Earth Manor Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Tue, 07 Sep 2010 16:34:00 +0000

It's always hard getting back into a routine after a 3 day weekend, don't you think? The boys spent the weekend with Todd's parents and we got some much needed alone time. It was wonderful.

However, I'm guessing that right now you'd rather find out who won the mixing bowls from Eco Earth Manor.

Today it was just me picking the winner and the winning number I chose was...

#29, Katie!

Congrats Katie and thanks again to Eco Earth Manor for the great giveaway!

Don't Worry, Be Happy

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Sat, 04 Sep 2010 05:40:00 +0000

A few weeks ago I threw my shoulder out while at Taekwondo. I decided to call the chiropractor that my Taekwondo teacher goes to because she said he’s simply amazing and well, he’s a lot closer than the other chiropractor I was seeing.

I found out after I made my appointment that chiropractics is actually just a small amount of what he does. Dr. Patterson focuses on whole body health to figure out why your body is inflamed and in pain. He believes that there’s a deeper emotional reason for why your body hurts, or more precisely, why it didn’t get better on it’s own.

Usually the first visit with him is a consultation but because I was in so much pain I had the chiropractic appointment first. He did do some muscle response testing (MRT) and found that I should stay away from nightshade vegetables (tomatoes, potatoes, peppers and eggplant) and that I was most definitely suffering from adrenal fatigue and recommended that I start taking a supplement to help it.

Now, the other chiropractor had me on various supplements to help with things too and I swear they didn’t help at all, so I was a little reluctant to take these, which I told him. He didn’t push, just suggested and since it was just 1 supplement that I would take twice a day I decided to give them a try.

From what I’ve read, adrenal fatigue is a lot more common than you might think and very often over looked as the reason you’re feeling the way you do. Adrenal fatigue essentially occurs when you’re adrenal glands (which are on your kidneys, which I only have 1 of by the way) become too stressed out to properly function. Which means that even in very mildly stressful (or even not all) situations your body acts like it's end of the world big.

I know my tolerance for stress, my energy and motivation haven't been very high for some time and that I haven’t been the mom, wife or person that I’ve wanted to be because of it. I can get stressed very easily and I tend to take on more than I should because I have a hard time saying no and because since I'm a stay-at-home mom I feel like I should do lots of extra kid related activities.

Last month was just the most recent, and possibly most intense, in a long line of too much. Between the responsibilities of being PTC co-prez, being in charge of the school t-shirts which included getting the teacher orders done and starting this new school experience with Tyler, I was pretty much on permanent go, which left me pretty exhausted and unable to get much else done, a feeling I was all too familiar with.

So back to the supplement, that first appointment was on a Monday and I took my first pill that afternoon, by the next appointment on Thursday I felt like a new woman. These supplements literally changed my life. That week was just as busy and crazy as the others, but it didn’t stress me out and weigh me down like it did before. I was able to get done what I needed to do without actually feeling stressed out by it. I just felt busy and by far more clear headed than I have in a very long time.

I've had more energy and desire to be involved and play with the boys then I have in a very long time. I had no idea I was that bad until I started feeling that good. It had been my way of life for so long it almost seems strange to not feel so panicked, and so sad that I did for so long.

I’m happy and content in a way that I never knew I could be. It’s like going from seeing the world only in shades of gray your whole life to suddenly finding out that there are really thousands of colors in it. It’s simply wonderful and I swear that even Tyler and Dylan are more relaxed now that I’m not oozing stress out onto them.

I know I’ve gone on forever so thanks for reading all the way through. And I really just want to say that if you’re feeling like I was, you don’t have to, it’s not “normal”. Find someone who understands that and do something about it. You won’t regret it, I know I don’t.

Vapur - ize Bottled Water {Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:05:00 +0000

I was recently asked if I would be interested in doing a review and giveaway of a new reusable water bottle called vapur. My first thought was, “Heck yeah, down with bottled water!” Hehe, sorry, I get a little carried away when it comes to bottled water.

Then I saw that the bottle was made out of plastic, not something I’m a big fan of. However, after reading more I found out that the plastic is BPA free (so it’s dishwasher safe) and made in the U.S.A. Currently all stainless steel bottles are made in other countries, which means they have to travel a long way to get to us here in the US. So even though plastic isn’t so great, the fact that the vapur bottles didn’t travel from the other side of the world is, in fact, pretty great, I think.

When the bottle came it was completely flat, which looked a little weird. It’s more of a water pouch than a bottle, either way it holds water. ;)

Anyways, after I filled it up the bottom expanded (insert joke here) and was able to stand up on it’s own.

It has a carabiner so it can attach to a belt loop, purse, backpack or anything else. When it’s empty it can also be rolled up and stuck in a pocket.

We have lots of Klean Kanteen bottles that we take with us everywhere, but there’s always been one thing that’s bothered me; the sport top is really noisy when you drink out of it. The vapur, on the other hand, is completely silent, which is really great when I take it to Taekwondo.

Vapur is also a member of 1% For the Planet, giving a portion of their sales to water based environmental causes.

In the end, I'm happy with it and will definitely put it into permanent rotation with the other water bottles.

Now onto the giveaway. Vapur is giving one Easy Eco To Go reader their very own vapur water bottle. For the main entry go to vapur and tell me something you learned (lots of info in The Movement). This one doesn’t have to be done first but it does have to be done for all other entries to count. .

This contest is only open to US residents. The contest will run from Thursday September 2, 2010 thru Monday September 13, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST. And as always the boys (or just me) will help me pick a winner which will be announced Tuesday the 14th.

As always there are additional ways you can enter:

Follow @easyecotogo on Twitter and leave your @name (1 entry)
Follow @vapur on Twitter and leave your @name (1 entry)
Write a blog about the contest, mention the contest on your blog or email 3 friends & cc me on the email easyecotogo at gmail.com (3 entries, please leave 3 comments) (3 entries, please leave 3 comments)
Tweet about the contest (Win a foldable, rollable water bottle from @vapur & @easyecotogo http://bit.ly/d7eOoW #giveaway) (1 entry, can be done once a day. Please leave a comment for each tweet)
Follow my blog in Google Friend (1 entry)
Subscribe by email or RSS to Easy Eco To Go (2 entries, leave 2 comments)
Add my button to your blog (leave your site with your comment so I can stop by and say hi!) (2 entries, please leave 2 comments)
Add my blog to your blogroll (1 entry)
List this contest on any contest linky & leave the link in your comment (3 entries, 3 comments)

Dancing with Dylan - Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Wed, 01 Sep 2010 03:52:00 +0000

This was after playing baseball, bouncy ball and catch at 8 o'clock at night.

Just a week and a half ago I wouldn't have had the energy or motivation to do that. Yeah, that's my little teaser to get you to come back tomorrow. ;)

And yes, that's the Kung Fu Fighting song from Kung Fu Panda.

Wordless Wednesday

Family And Food, Always A Good Mix

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 21:21:00 +0000

Last weekend we went down to see Todd’s family. They live 3 hours away, which means we need to stay the night when we go, so we haven’t made it there much since we moved here a year ago. Since discovering all these food issues traveling and eating out has been less than fun and staying at someone’s house and inflicting my dietary needs on others has been even less appealing.

My mother-in-law was very sweet and offered to pick up whatever I needed but like I said, I don’t want people to feel they have to go out of their way for me. I told her not to worry about me, that I would just bring my own food. She does however make a great 3-bean salad, so I said if she’d like to make that I wouldn’t stop her.

The easiest things to pack up where nuts, apples, plums and nectarines for snacking on, the harder part was coming up with meals.

In both the raw food recipe books I have there were recipes for marinating mushrooms to give them a more cooked texture. I thought that sounded like it would be good with some marinated kale (to soften it and make it easier to eat) that I had seen on Simply Raw Recipes as well as in the Raw Foods Made Easy book I have.

So Friday night I whipped up some marinated mushrooms and broccoli as well as some marinated kale. For the ‘shroom and broccoli I added 1 part Bragg’s Liquid Amino (sort of like soy sauce or tamari, just better) and 3 parts olive oil. For the amount of veggies I used it came out to 4 1/2 tablespoons olive oil and 1 1/2 tablespoons Bragg’s. I put it all in a bowl, mixed well, and put it in the fridge.

Funny story, I went out that afternoon to get the veggies and was sure I had enough olive oil. Turns out I was wrong so I had to run out and fill up my olive oil downtown at Winterhill, made it there just in time.

For the kale I used 4 big curly kale leaves, 2 tablespoons olive oil, ¼ of a lemon and a pinch of salt. I tore the leaves up, mixed well really making sure each piece was covered and put in the fridge. Oh, and I also added some olives, I’ve been on an olive kick lately. These olives come from a local olive maker, I didn’t realize when I bought them that they weren’t pitted so I had lots of fun cutting the olives off the pits.

I admit that it did feel weird bringing my own food and my mother-in-law said that she understood and it didn’t bother her, and I really hope she meant it. I certainly didn’t want to seem ungrateful or unappreciative about her offer to accommodate me. But I’d rather she enjoy the time with Tyler and Dylan than spend it worrying about me and my food stuff.

When we had dinner the first night I combined the broccoli mushrooms and kale to make a very awesome salad and while I did get some weird looks from Todd’s grandpa it was definitely the right decision for me.

Just as an in general, I have definitely found that people are more accepting of my food when it's allergy related than when it's preference related (not eating meat). I definitley got that vibe from Todd's grandpa and it's happened with other people as well. It's sort of like "Ok, there are all these things you can't eat, and than you choose not to eat meat? Why?"

Hmmm....that seems like a good topic for another day since I need to go pick the boys up from school soon. Did I mention that they both get out at the same time and that their school are 15 minutes away from each other? Yeah, Tuesday's & Thursday's are too fun.

Do you ever take your own food places?

Do you just eat what is prepared so as not to seem rude or unappreciative?

What's your go-to potluck food?

And The Healthy Kitchen Winner Is...

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Tue, 31 Aug 2010 14:36:00 +0000

Woo Hoo, it's winner Tuesday!

The boys were too busy playing to help out this morning. Can't blame them, they did look like they were having lots of fun.

Amy, however, was all to happy to help me out. And boy was she excited about the winner, which is...

#89, Emma!

Congrats Emma and thanks to Healthy Kitchen for a great litter free lunch giveaway!

They Grow Up So Fast

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Fri, 27 Aug 2010 20:59:00 +0000

I know I mentioned a little while back that Tyler is going to a home/charter school for middle school and I’ve really wanted to write about how it’s been going but things have been heck of crazy around here. Wow, did I really just write that in one sentence, frazzled much?

School started for him on the 9th and as well as getting school going for him I’ve been super busy with Parent Club stuff since then as well. We’re trying to really up our presence at the school since Parent Club is responsible for nearly every activity and fundraiser at the school, and there are LOTS of them. So far it’s really paid off, which is probably why I feel totally, um what’s the word I used, oh yeah, frazzled.

Oh and it turns out I have adrenal fatigue syndrome, which explains why I’m so massively tired all the time and when I do push myself (like the last couple of weeks) I feel like death warmed over after I stop moving. But more about that later, I really want to talk about Ty.

In 6th grade you have the option of going to school 2 days a week for the core classes (math, writing, science, social studies) with the parents being responsible for literature (the school assigns the curriculum still), P.E. and art or doing it all at home, which is mostly how K-5 works. The student and parent also see a caseload teacher every other week no matter which option you choose.

I’ve never wanted to be Tyler’s “teacher” and I like the idea of him still going to some classes so we went with first option. He goes for those 2 days and his teacher Julie has them do class work and then assigns homework to fill up the “off” days. Yes, they call her by her first name; I can’t decide if that’s progressive or weird, I mean I have a hard time calling the principal, who I talk to a lot because of parent club, at Dylan’s school by his first name. I’ve never had the kids call adult friends “Mrs.” or “Mr.”, but a teachers just different. Whatever, moving on. ;)

Todd and I started thinking about alternative schooling about halfway through last school year. Tyler had a rough time adjusting to the new school last year; he never really made any good friends and had some issues with bullies. Plus the teacher that he had wasn’t all that great or at least not that great for him. Over the summer Todd and I talked to Tyler about trying out the charter school and he was all for it. Of course, I think he was mostly interested in the only going 2 days part, but hey, he was at least excited about something.

We did have a few talks about how even though he’s not going to a class everyday, he’s still doing “school” everyday. I knew that part would be an adjustment for both of us, but since he was willing to put in the effort, so was I.

The first week of school was at home only. This proved to be quite trying for both of us since I also ended up having my cousin’s son here Tuesday-Thursday. There were tears from both of us and when we finally got everything done the following Monday I told him this was the worst it was going to be and it could only get better. That’s certainly what I was hoping for anyways.

The 17th was his first official class day and the only thing he was thinking about was if there would be any bullies. I nearly cried. Last year was the first time he ever dealt with it and I’m sure that more happened than I ever heard about. Some people think that you need experiences like that to “help you grow” I couldn’t possibly disagree more. Ok, I’m going to stop there, I could write a whole huge post on my feeling about bullies and “growing”.

So anyways, I told him that it was going to be a small class (18 kids) so the teacher could really keep an eye on everyone and besides that, I really didn’t think there would be anyone like that there. That was what I was holding firm to and putting every bit of positive energy into.

When I picked him up that afternoon I asked him how his day went, what were the kids like and if he made any friends. He said that everyone in the class was really nice and kind so really, they’re all friends. And again I almost cried.

Every other day has been great too and he’s even met some boys with common interests and has talked about inviting them over, something he’s never been interested in before. So I would definitely have to say that our “alternative” school idea is working out pretty great.

I really felt the need to add pics of Ty and the only ones he would let me use where old ones since "they don't really look like him anymore". Hey. I'll take whatever I can get. ;)

Mixing It Up With Eco Earth Manor {Giveaway}

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Thu, 26 Aug 2010 20:40:00 +0000

I’ve been a fan of Eco Earth Manor on Facebook for some time now and they’ve been a fan of mine as well. Every now and again they would post my daily tips on their wall, which I just thought was awfully nice.

Eco Earth Manor is an online store that carries great green products to help you live a lighter. I actually bought a compost pail from them when they offered they’re fans a discount code. But that’s actually not what I’m here to talk about.

After I bought my pail I contacted then to see if they would be interested in doing a giveaway with me. Well they said yes and also sent me a set of Preserve mixing bowls and Preserve measuring cups to try out. You get a 4 quart, 3 quart and 2 quart bowl in the mixing bowl set.

Both Preserve products are made from recycled #5 plastic. Remember when I mentioned that you could send Preserve your #5 plastic, well this is what they do with it.

I have lots of small mixing bowls so I was really excited about the 4 quart one. I put mine to use right away soaking buckwheat groats and almonds. Almonds are coated with an enzyme inhibitor that protects them on the tree, but makes them harder to digest, soaking them overnight breaks the enzyme down (click here for more). I don’t know why you should soak buckwheat, it just says to in Raw Food Essentials when you make buckwheaties.

The bowls and measuring cups are nice and sturdy and definitely not flimsy. They’re BPA free, dishwasher safe (a must for me) and made in the USA. The bowls also have handles and pour spots, which definitely came in handy when I needed to strain and rinse the almonds and buckwheat groats.

Ok, so onto the giveaway. Eco Earth Manor is giving one Easy Eco To Go reader a set of Preserve mixing bowls. For the main entry go to Eco Earth Manor and tell me something else that you like on their site. This one doesn’t have to be done first but it does have to be done for all other entries to count. .

This contest is only open to US residents. The contest will run from Thursday August 26, 2010 thru Monday September 6, 2010 at 11:59 pm PST. And as always the boys (or just me) will help me pick a winner which will be announced Tuesday the 7th.

As always there are additional ways you can enter:

Follow @easyecotogo on Twitter and leave your @name (1 entry)
Write a blog about the contest, mention the contest on your blog or email 3 friends & cc me on the email easyecotogo at gmail.com (3 entries, please leave 3 comments) (3 entries, please leave 3 comments)
Tweet about the contest (Mix it up w/ recycled mixing bowls from Eco Earth Manor & @easyecotogo http://bit.ly/bLxvS6 #giveaway) (1 entry, can be done once a day. Please leave a comment for each tweet)
Follow my blog in Google Friend (1 entry)
Subscribe by email or RSS to Easy Eco To Go (2 entries, leave 2 comments)
Add my button to your blog (leave your site with your comment so I can stop by and say hi!) (2 entries, please leave 2 comments)
Add my blog to your blogroll (1 entry)
List this contest on any contest linky & leave the link in your comment (3 entries, 3 comments)

Lemon Cucumbers On A Not-So Wordless Wednesday

noreply@blogger.com (Julia) — Wed, 25 Aug 2010 21:08:00 +0000

Ah, Wordless Wednesday. I remember when I would actually get this post up and done Tuesday night…and when it was a lot less wordless than today’s is going to be. ;)

I left a comment on Sheila’s blog about the lemon cucumbers that my grandma is growing on her patio and after a return comment from her asking about them, realized I never mentioned them in any of the garden update posts.

I had actually never heard of lemon cucumbers until my grandma told me she was going to plant some in containers on her patio. I’ve never seen them in a store and while I’ve heard you can find them at farmers markets, I’ve never seen any. Of course, even if I had I probably wouldn’t have known what they were.

Lemon cucumbers are a bit sweeter, or maybe just less bitter, than other cukes that I’ve had. The skin is really soft (once you scrub off the little prickers) so you don’t need to peel them first to eat them. Ok, I don’t peel fruits or veggies except for ones that you have to like bananas and citrus, but if you do, you don’t need to with these.

Cucumbers are surprisingly rich in vitamins and minerals like vitamin C, magnesium and potassium (excellent for those of us who can’t eat bananas). They even have a smidge of protein, always good when you don’t eat meat. Did you know we don’t need nearly as much protein as we generally consume on a meat based diet? But I digress.

These little cucumbers are great in my mango salad, which I made for my mom and grandpa’s birthday dinner last Saturday and almost everyone liked. You know who you are people who wouldn’t try it. They’re also great in my newest non-lettuce salad creation. I don't know why, but I have just not been interested in eating lettuce, or any leafy greens, at all lately. I have been adding some to my morning smoothie to make sure I'm getting them, but eating them, not so much.

Anyways, the salad's super simple; cucumbers (lemon if you have ‘em), tomatoes, red onion and kalmata olives. The olives in the pic are actually a mix, they didn’t have any containers of plain kalmata olives at Noah’s Ark today. Oh, and the tomatoes are from my Aunt Connie’s garden.

My grandma loves these little guys but wants to have a container of tomatoes on the patio as well next year, so she's only going to do one lemon cucumber plant. I will definitely be growing one of these on my patio next year so I don't have to fight her for any. hehe

So that’s my not-at-all worldess Wednesday. Tomorrow I’ll have a new giveaway going, but until then stop by and enter the Healthy Kitchen giveaway for a stainless steel lunch container set. I’ve got a few more giveaways coming as well as a review from CSN. Since I did the giveaway with them first, I thought I would go ahead and pick something out for myself this time. They have everything from cloth napkins to modern rugs and more. Is it just me, or is it really hard to make that plug sound natural? hehe

But seriously, they've got some great stuff and there's a lot of cool gadgets for making my new raw food diet even easier, so I'm glad to plug and get to try something out that I've had my eye on.

Oh, had you ever heard of lemon cucumbers before? Have you tried them, did you like them? And better yet, do you have a fave recipe for them?

Wordless Wednesday