Happy Earth Day!

While everyday is Earth Day in our house, today we also celebrate our planet....mother nature...mother earth...our home!  She is absolutely magnificent and deserves such a celebration, especially everyday!   It is time for us as a whole human race to be kind to her!   Our planet is our home, and we are all connected as one big family!  It is time we set aside our differences, reach out with love and kindness, and help each other and this planet.  We need to listen to what Mother Earth is saying and tred lighter on her.  This needs to be done so our children and grandchildren have a safe and healthy place to live. 

So go outside today and do something kind for our planet.  Then try it again tomorrow and the day after.  There are many small things that can be done every single day that leads to a earth friendly life.  It doesn't take much!  If everyone started taking these small steps to help our planet and each other....things will get better.  Our earth will start to heal!  And we need to do this with love....lots of love!

Here are list of things you can do today and everyday to celebrate our Earth and to do something kind for her......

• Plant a tree!
• Plant a garden/work in the garden
• Cook and eat an organic, local, sustainable dinner
• Thank & hug a farmer
• Go on a nature walk
• Hug a tree
• Avoid this nasty thing called....plastic!
• Pick up litter
• Clean up your favorite park or beach
• Sit in a beautiful spot outside & meditate
• Attend local events that promote earth friendly activities.  
• Stop buying stuff
• Reuse and upcycle what you already have
• Share with others
• Make something instead of purchasing it
• Be creative!
• Watch a documentary that expands your knowledge.  My favorites....No Impact Man, King Corn, Blue Gold, Food Inc, Tapped, Fresh, Garbage Warriors, Dirt-The Movie, Bag It.  Oh I have so many but I will stop there

I truly could go on forever!   There is so much that can be done!  So I hope you get out and enjoy this day while doing your best to do something kind for this planet.  I'm off to enjoy the sun with some planting of trees, vegetables, and flowers!  Then a great "earth dinner" with my little family!  Tomorrow is our local Earth Day Celebration that we will be attending!

I got permission to use this image from the amazing Brenna @ Almost All The Truth!  Check out her blog!

Happy Earth Day!
-Alyson

"The care of the Earth is our most ancient and most worthy, and after all our most pleasing responsibility. To cherish what remains of it and to foster its renewal is our only hope."  -Wendell Berry

Menus and Bellies

30 weeks today!  Two more months! I feel like this pregnancy has gone so fast yet at the same time I can't remember what it was like NOT being pregnant!  My belly is growing right along with my little one and I am feeling great at the moment!  I am trying to walk as much as possible and doing my yoga routine more frequently!  And nesting....that is already in FULL effect!  For the next two months...I plan to send some "organic" pregnancy tips your way.  Maybe I will even keep doing it after the baby is born!  The pregnancy and birth world has really become a passion of mine and I LOVE to talk and share information about it.  Since I am working on becoming a doula, I feel writing on here about pregnancy and birth will only expand my knowledge about it!  So stay tuned in the next week for some awesome organic pregnancy talk!

My belly at.....28 weeks!

Sorry the lack of posts the past week or so.  This spring weather has kept me outside...planting, walking, playing, enjoying!  I am not going anywhere though.  My blog is staying and soon with a fresh look to it.  I am excited to share it with you all!  On to my menu for this week!  We have quite a few simple recipes for the week and then some fun ones for the fun weekend we have ahead!  Since this is Earth Week.....remember that one of the biggest things you can do to help our Earth is to cook and eat organic, local, and sustainable foods.  The foods we choose determine the health of the earth and our bodies!

MENU:

MONDAY:  Baked salmon, sauteed asparagus, and brown rice

TUESDAY-  Vegetable Stir Fry over brown rice

WEDNESDAY-  Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Sandwiches

THURSDAY-  Dinner at a good friend's house

FRIDAY-  Happy Earth Day!  Light & Creamy Asparagus Pasta (We will be adding local sustainably caught shrimp to this dish).  I am also making Kale Chips as an appetizer. Recipe to follow!

SATURDAY-  Green Pizza with homemade dough

SUNDAY-  Happy Easter!  Having a family dinner at my aunt's house.  Making and bringing a Broccoli & Garlic Quiche!  Recipe to follow!

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday.

What are you cooking this week?

Peacefully,
Alyson

"Eating Is An Environmental Act." -Alice Waters, Restaurateur/Environmental Activist

Music for the Soul- Ziggy Marley

If you walk into our house music is usually playing and you will find that a lot of the time that music is reggae or a form of reggae. We absolutely love to shake our booty to some reggae!  Shorty after our son was born, we were given a CD by Ziggy Marley called "Family Time".  A CD full of family and kids songs all by Ziggy Marley.......YES!!!!  The moment we heard the whole CD, we knew it would be a family favorite for years and years.  Just like most of Ziggy's music, this album is filled with messages of love, unity, generosity, compassion, fun, and peacefulness.  In my opinion, the perfect recipe for great encouraging childrens music!  Plus this CD really opened up the world of reggae music to my son and he loves it.  When asked what music he wants to listen to he either says "Ziggy" or "Rock N Roll."  And when we play Ziggy, my son knows every single word! 

It's so hard to pick a favorite Ziggy song, especially from this album.  So I had to pick two to share with you all.  Enjoy these great songs with your kids....or even if you don't have kids!!!!

The first one is called "Family Time".  We absolutely love this one, since it really enhances how special family time really is! 

This one is called "I Love You Too".  This is our absolute family favorite song of all!  It's all about love....what more would we want!?  As a family we are constantly telling each other that we love each other (like probably 100 times a day) and this song just helps express that when we sing and dance to it.  LOVE....LOVE....LOVE! 

Enjoy the music,
Alyson

"I think Americans should have a policy of love. That should be the foreign policy, love. Export Love."- Ziggy Marley

One Small Change- April

It's Earth Month!  The celebration and communication of our love for the planet is circulating this month!  Which in our household is EVERY month but this month always has an extra focus on the earth, with planting and being outside more.  We have a lot planned this month for our changes that will lessen our carbon footprint.  I can't wait to get to it.  

For those who are new to my blog...I am part of a campaign that challenges people to make a eco-friendly change monthly.  It doesn't have to be big, just something that will lessen your carbon footprint.  Check my first One Small Change blog here or the One Small Change Blog to read more about it. I just learned that the blog who hosts One Small Change has chosen to end One Small Change blog to allow more time for herself and her family.  I am sad to see it go but totally understand where she is coming from, I have felt the need to do this a few times.  I think I will continue my own little version of One Small Change, because it helps me to write and share about my goals and wishes for this planet.  I might call it something different but I will keep you informed with it in May. 

As usual, I am doing more than just one small change.  I just find that there is so much to do that I can't pick just one thing!  Here is my long yet fun list of changes for the month:

• Making my own green, toxic free, all purpose cleaner and bathroom cleaner.  We only buy toxic free and green cleaners in our home but I thought I would try making my own.  It will be less packaging and better for our bodies & the environment.  I am in the middle of researching the best way to do this.  Before April ends, I will post my recipe, pictures, and how it went.   Once I get these done, I will move onto other cleaners and household products.  My goal: removing most or all toxins out of my home! 
• We are doing two tree plantings!  One is in my parents backyard.  The other is at a local park.  My son will be involved with both.  I strongly believe that children should be a part of helping our beautiful earth at an early age.  They are our future!  We have already done one planting in February and he loved it.  
• The city is also putting on a Nature Walk at a local park for 3 and 4 year olds.  My son and I will go check it out! 
• Attending an awesome Earth Day celebration, that City Repair puts on every year.  The event will be full of booths with sustainable living information, music, food, kids activities, community art projects, and community service projects.  We will make this a family day and enjoy the celebration of our earth and all that live on it. 
• For Easter, we will be making our own natural toxic-free color dye to decorate our eggs with.  We will definitely take some pictures and post them.  
• I am also continuing my "green" spring cleaning.  I am actually going to dedicate a whole blog about this, because its a fun subject with a lot to write about.   

Wow....that is a lot!  I like keeping myself busy, as long at it involves my family!  On top, of all of this we are also doing most of our planting for our backyard garden and our co-op farm.  Planting and waiting for the seeds to sprout is my favorite part of gardening....well besides eating the fresh produce that you grow yourself!

What changes are you making this month to lessen your carbon footprint?

Happy Earth Month,
Alyson

"I'm not an environmentalist.  I'm an Earth warrior."  ~Darryl Cherney

Menus and Organics

My mama rocks and I think it is funny that the way of living that I want for myself and for my children is what she has taught me all along.  It wasn't until I had my own baby that I realized this.  I cherish everything she has taught me and continues to teach me.  Especially in the way of loving our earth, our fellow humans, and ourselves.  She is a smart lady!  My mother and I spent some time together yesterday going to some maternity/baby shops around town and we stopped in two sustainable living shops.  These shops were pretty much exactly what I had been wanting to find for some time now.  I didn't buy much, but got some good ideas for my home and how to reuse things I already have.  My husband and I are really doing our best to bring sustainability to the way we live and eat.  It is refreshing to be living this way and we know that this is a lifestyle that we will continue for the rest of our lives.

I found this poster at one of the stores I went to, and I want to share it with you.  I will get some photos of it soon.  I love what it has to say about "growing and becoming organic".  It pretty much sums up our belief on being organic!

Going organic takes patience, curiosity, open-mindedness and humility. Organic growing acknowledges a cooperation with nature and a collaboration with its intrinsic balance. When we commit to a non-aggressive approach, we begin to view nature, not as a foe, but as a friend and partner in our garden.

Imagine Your Garden
Cultivate the Earth
And Our Connection With It
Greet the Sun
Feed the Soil*Let It Breathe
Welcome Earthworms
Thank busy soil organisms hard at work
Compost
Cherish The Treasure of Stones
And Bones and Broken China
Practice Non-Aggression
What Works in the Garden May Work in the World One Day
Bless the Seed You Sow
Observe weather
Welcome the Gifts of the Seasons
Weed Early And Often
Leave Wild Spaces
Mulch
Feel Your Whole Body
Know the Cycles of the Moon
Keep a Garden Journal
Charm Fairies
Explore Companion Planting
Flowers & Herbs Love Fruits & Veggies
Welcome Beneficial Insects
Discourage Foes
Work in Harmony With Nature
Don’t Use Chemical Herbicides,
Pesticides, or Fertilizers
Take Pleasure in Your Garden As
A Gift to the Birds, The Bees,
And the Children
Dance In The Fields
Teach And Learn
Save Seeds*Tell Stories
Look At Stars
Rotate Crops*Rest The Earth
Observe* Adapt*Enrich
Sustain*Preserve
Savor The Abundance
Share the Harvest
Give Thanks

-Melinda Matzell

Our backyard winter garlic that will be ready in a month or so!

 

With that being said....let's move on to my menu for the week!  I am moving over two recipes from last week because our weekend got busy fast and our dinner were rearranged a little. 

MENU:

MONDAY: Veggie and tofu stirfry with brown rice

TUESDAY-  Spinach Enchiladas (recipe posted soon)

WEDNESDAY-  Homemade pizza with homemade pizza dough and a green salad

THURSDAY-  Mustard-Crusted Salmon and Potato Casserole (recipe posted soon)

FRIDAY-  Leftovers and a fresh spinach salad

SATURDAY-  Poached Cod and Asparagus

SUNDAY-  Family Dinner @ my aunt's house.  I am making Creamy Spring Asparagus Soup to bring!  (Side note: We use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth)

For more meal planning inspirations, visit I'm an Organizing Junkie every Monday.

What are you cooking this week?

Happy eating & cooking,
Alyson

"Let your food be your medicine, and your medicine be your food." -Hippocrates