GreenWay Home

Changing brands…can change your life

2012-02-13T07:19:00.000-08:00

How was your weekend? We had a nice weekend. We had a great Valentine’s night out and Jeff surprised me with a spa gift certificate from our favorite spa near us. It’s in the Herrington Inn in Geneva. It’s not a big spa-but we have had some of the best services done there and we have tried some pretty decadent spas in our travels. If you live near here, check it out!!! He thought since these first couple months have been a little crazy start to the year, I could sooo use some pampering and relaxation. So sweet & generous! What a stinker though, we normally don’t exchange gifts for Valentine’s, our evening out is the gift to one another. I think I might get a sitter one afternoon and share it with him since we both deserve some pampering!

It dawned on me that I don’t think I ever really shared with you about how I came to know Shaklee’s products and what it has done for my family. You have just heard how much I LOVE their products, LOL!

As I have mentioned before, I had been making many “green” practices in my home for quite a few years. So, I had been using the non-toxic cleaners that were out there in the market place and they were okay, but I was never pleased. I stumbled across a blog, House of Grace early last spring and was immediately drawn in by how Bonnie had such a clean house and was so organized with 3 kids!!! After reading about her testimonials about how much she loved Shaklee’s products, I finally took the plunge. With a minimum order, I qualified for a free cinch pack for weight loss which I so desperately wanted/needed to try. It arrived within a couple days and I tell you what, things have never been the same! I know that sounds so silly-but after all the hype Bonnie had put on how much she loved the products, I couldn’t wait to start trying them out. I started doing this on a Friday night even after Reed went to bed (that’s how excited I was to try them). I have NEVER, EVER been sooooo impressed with the performance of cleaning products, and the best part is they are all non-toxic. I spent the entire week cleaning every nook and crannie in my house because these products were so effective (hence it was fun, can I say cleaning products are fun?)to use. Okay, so I was hooked on the cleaning products!

Then I tried the Cinch weight loss Plan I got with my first order and was so over the moon with how great I felt. It was exactly what I needed to get me started on losing weight. I had so much energy having the 2 protein shakes, protein snack bars & an energy tea in the typical slump of the day and was feeling so great about doing something healthy for myself. Plus, the more energy you have, the more you are active, the more you lose weight, the more energy you have…see where this is going? I have lost 30 lbs and 4 sizes. I am 18 lbs less than when I got pregnant with Reed in 2008 and I am a few pounds less than when I met Jeff back in 2000 (although your body is never quite the same after a baby, right?). This is the skinniest he has ever seen me and that makes me so excited! I think he likes it too, wink wink

I was so passionate about these products. Shaklee, where have you been all of my life? I was telling all my friends and family about my new discovery, it’s like it was a hidden secret. Then it hit me…why should’t I be distributing these wonderful products myself if I am going to be talking about them with everyone? So, I did it. I became a distributor. It’s great to earn money from home on products I so strongly believe in and use myself.

Shortly after, we were in need of some more vitamins so since I had been beyond pleased with every other product, why not give the vitamins a try. You get so much packed into them-we found it actually saved us money from all the vitamins we were already taking, Multi-vitamin, Omega-3 fish oil and probiotics. Plus, Vitalizer gave us even more than what our other supplements were providing us. Then once we started taking them, we realized, we got something here. We feel amazing. In the beginning I would be all snuggled in bed drifting off to sleep and realized I forgot to take them, “oh well…, I am not getting out of bed”. Well, let me tell you, now if I were to forget which rarely happens, I get myself out of bed because I feel a drastic difference when I don’t take them. Yuck!

In a recent post, I talked about Reed taking the children’s multi and DHA vitamins, too.

Over the past few month I have started using the beauty products as my other products have been used up and have not been disappointed, either. I don’t know if I honestly could be. Shaklee puts soooo much research into their products and only wants to produce the very best-so how could really anyone not be happy with them???

So, pretty much everything in this house is Shaklee-itized that can be and I love using the very best, safest products.

Shaklee’s products are about complete healthy living. It’s not about buying products you don’t need, it’s about choosing to use better, safer, healthier products than you already are.

So, wouldn’t you say, changing brands…has changed my life? It can change yours too if you are ready to live a healthier life.

These are the vitamins we take (Vitalizer). See all that you would have to eat to equal what is included in Vitalizer?No wonder we feel great!

Give Vitalizer a try, you’ll feel a difference or you money back!!!

Keeping a happy marriage

2012-02-10T06:31:00.000-08:00

With Valentine’s approaching…I thought this would be an appropriate topic. Especially when just a year ago on Valentine’s day…I honestly felt a major disconnect with my husband. Our relationship had always been pretty good, but things had just gotten off.

Jeff had been traveling almost every week since October 2008. We didn’t know if we were ever going to be blessed with having children, so we decided if this is a job he really wanted to pursue, go for it. Low and behold, we found out I was expecting right after he took this new job that required travel 3-4 times a week. Talk about Murphy’s Law. Not the ideal situation, but we were just so thrilled to be pregnant that we would make the best of it.

By the time the new year rolled around last year, he was just DONE with his job, even when they offered him a promotion-it just wasn’t what he wanted to do anymore. So, I am sure he was a little down, overweight and tired! All ditto for me. What a pair! Can you imagine why we didn’t have alot of romance? We used what little energy we had to focus on Reed and our relationship was put on the back burner.

Thankfully, a great opportunity pretty much fell in his lap last February and he ended up taking the new job which was local. That has helped tremendously because he was much happier in his job and was beginning to lose weight which equals more energy. And we were able to have family dinners every night which is so important to us.

Last year on Valentine’s we decided that “we” needed to make “us” a priority again. Since then, we have weekly “date” nights after Reed goes to bed and about once a month we get a sitter and go out. Sometimes we go out to dinner by ourselves or with friends, sometimes just for a coffee to chat or a local winery like we did last month. It’s great to go out, but really taking the time to talk to one another is the KEY! I am still amazed how awesome our relationship is now. We feel so connected and are a team again. I have to say, it’s even better than when we first were together-we have grown so much and there is just a deeper connection & intimacy. TMI??? LOL!

Our relationship didn’t change overnight, it actually was an adjustment once he stopped traveling for me. I was used to doing my own thing several nights a week for 2 1/2 years, but now I couldn’t imagine him not being around all the time. It’s so important for us as a couple & for Reed to have his dad around. They have built such a special relationship and I want that for them.

This past year we both got our acts together and got healthy and lost weight. We both feel better about ourselves which makes us happier, we have way more energy and just plain feel good. How can you put a price on that? We have a better relationship and are better parents because we aren’t tired all the time.

I also did some things just for me, besides losing weight and making healthier food choices. I felt I needed a creative outlet. Hence, this blog ‘GreenWay Home’ was born. I wanted to be able to share in a community about decorating, crafting, cooking, homekeeping, being healthy, living green and the loves of my life, all the things that keep me passionate in life!

I really feel like everything that we implemented in our lives this past year has made our marriage better. If each person is happy, then it’s so much easier to be happier together. And I really think the key to our marriage is that we really just want each other to be happy so we do things or support each other in what they want to do, from even the littlest things. This year when we went away for our anniversary-it was AMAZING. I feel guilty that I wanted to stay longer(not that I didn’t want to see Reed, but gosh it was nice for just the two of us). We are at such a good place in our lives right now that is almost scares me.

They say one of the best ways to help your kids confidence is to show them a loving marriage. Reed often will say, “Daddy kissed Mommy” or vice versa and we tell him it’s because we love each other and then he smiles. It’s not like we are smooching all the time in front of him, but I think it’s important for him to see how much we love each other and I think it makes him feel secure in our family. He isn’t at the age where he is like “ewwww”, yet. LOL!

Saturday we are celebrating Valentine's Day. We used to ALWAYS stay in on Valentine’s day because it was more romantic because we always went out to eat. Now it’s a treat to go out. We have chosen to rarely eat out for both our health and food allergy safety, so when we do, we so look forward to it. We don’t do a fancy dinner too often anymore, but for Valentine’s or our anniversary, it warrants it. I love to get all dolled up for a night on the town. Hmmmm, now what am I going to wear! :)

Here are some ‘at home’ date night ideas I pinned on my marriage board that I plan to do this year, thought you might be interested too.

http://www.themomcrowd.com/30-ideas-for-a-date-night-at-home

What are your plans for Valentine’s day? Do you go out or stay in?

The Cinch Weight Loss plan really helped turn me around…things are just better when you have energy & feel good. Losing weight can do that. And this is the right way to do it and keep the weight off!

Healthy kids

2012-02-08T13:07:00.000-08:00

I think it goes without saying that besides your love & attention, providing your child with healthy, nutritious food is the best gift you can give them.

I think I have mentioned this before, that I ate terrible as a kid. Although I was not a sickly kid, I remember my Grandma always saying, “you have another cold???”. Growing up, eating well, just wasn’t a priority for my mom to enforce and I pretty much dictated what I would and wouldn’t eat. I ate ALOT of fast food and spaghetti. I was a terribly picky eater and I think my mom felt beat down on trying to make nice meals after working a long day for a kid that would refuse to eat them.I probably ate the best when my grandparents were in town and picked me up after school. We always stayed for dinner, although I don’t remember ever eating any veggies. Thank goodness for Ovaltine (remember that???). My eating habits as a child really did me a disservice and has taken me too long to want to eat better. I know my mom thought she was being “nice” and accommodating, but I think the best thing you can do when it comes to your child’s eating is making sure they eat good food, it’s their health after all that is affected and how important is that!

As I got older, I vowed that my kids would have healthy eating habits from the beginning (although mine were still pretty bad but I knew they would have to change at some point to be a good example). So, when Reed was born, I wanted to do everything right for him to be as healthy as he could possibly be. I breast-fed for almost a year, gave him vitamins, made all his food from scratch (we wanted him to experience what good food tastes like from the beginning, how tasty can food that’s been sitting in a jar for who knows how long be?)and to this day provide him healthy food choices. And, he is a pretty darn healthy kid and a great eater. Him eating healthy has never been negotiable. From time to time we have gotten some resistance when they get to those stages of push-back but overall, he loves eating good, healthy food! I would like to think starting him off right will serve him well with his eating habits & health as he goes through life.

After I fell in LOVE with Shaklee’s cleaning and weight loss products(and became a distributor), I gave their vitamins (Vitalizer) a try. Can I say A-MAZ-ING, there is no comparison with other vitamins out there-even if you think what you are taking is good (I thought I was taking great vitamins before, too)! I of course wanted to give Reed the very best supplements as well.

He takes these everyday with his breakfast.

Another thing that I am very conscious about is sugar! Did you know that your immune system is more susceptible to illness & disease if you diet is high in sugar? Instead of giving him syrup with his pancakes, I give him apple or pumpkin butter to dip the pancakes in so they aren’t dry. He LOVES it and I love that I am giving him something healthier that tastes yummy. I keep his “juice” consumption very low. What he refers to juice is about 1-2 oz of juice to 8-10 oz of water. From time to time he does get a full-fledged juice via juice box or capri-sun for a party, but he knows it’s just a special occasion and luckily, easily converts back to his regular “juices”.

Every breakfast he gets a fruit with either a healthy cereal, oatmeal, toast or pancakes. I really want to get him more protein in the morning, but with him not being able to eat eggs (or nuts until he is 3 due to other food allergies) it makes it more challenging. I am looking to find a healthy turkey sausage, not one that has ingredients I cannot pronounce or artificial coloring. Do you know if something like this exists??? Next time I go to Whole Foods, I am going to check their selection out.

At lunch & dinner he always has a vegetable. Sometimes with lunch I also give him unsweetened applesauce or mandarin oranges (I only buy the ones in juice and rinse them off) for something sweet.

Snacks I will admit we got into a rut not eating whole foods like I would like. HE LOVES PRETZELS (and they are the Snyder’s Gluten-Free ones)! I want to get him back on track so I let him have pretzels once during the day and then he has to have a fruit, raw veggies or non-dairy yogurt for the other snack.

You are probably thinking at this point that I let him eat nothing “fun”. No worries, he is not deprived! I do make sure I have some dessert whether I make him non-dairy chocolate pudding or some baked good, he always has something fun to eat if he eats a good dinner. I have used the raw sugar in baked goods and am pleased with results so I am also experimenting with using agave nectar instead of sugar in baked goods. It makes me feel better about giving him the “healthiest” treats I can.

It made me so pleased as a mother when his Pediatrician commented how the only time she sees him is on well-visits. I'd like to think it has something to do with our practices of eating healthy, taking the best supplements, and getting enough sleep!

It’s because we just love this kid so stinkin much, we insist that he eat well to have the very best health he can!

And for you to be your healthiest...

In anticipation of spring

2012-02-06T10:07:00.000-08:00

it’s exactly this time of year when I get giddy with the thought of spring and those first few mild days, the plants budding and my endless thinking of what to plant this year and new ways to do planters, etc.

Where do you go for garden inspiration? I am finding some lovely images on Pinterest this year. You can follow my boards here. (If you don’t already have an acct, email me so I can send you an invite).

love these wood planters

something so bountiful about all the herbs growing out of these baskets-would look great with summer annuals, too

not quite sure about that “head” on the wall, but love the outdoor “mantel” with the HUGE lanterns and plants

So far, I have added some “spring” branches in our foyer and picked up this candle at Anthropologie.

The scent is so fresh & lovely, just what I am craving this time of year!

I know I have at least a months or tow until spring shows up here in the midwest, but it makes me happy to daydream about it anyway. :)

greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

New cookbook

2012-02-03T13:32:00.000-08:00

I LOVE cookbooks. I have found however, that what looked like a great cookbook, has only a couple recipes that I turn to. It seems like such a waste to have a whole book of recipes I don’t use. (The cookbooks you saw in my messy pantry are only 1/3 of all the ones I have). Most recipes I turn to are still Barefoot Contessa’s, some Giada and Everyday Food by MSL. When I hear of a new cookbook, I log onto my local library catalog and see if they have it. Most of the time they do and I can check it out and then see if it’s my type of recipes and worth adding to my collection. Rarely, they are and they go right back, with maybe jotting down or scanning in a recipe or two. So, when I got Gwyneth Paltrow’s ‘My Father’s Daughter’ last weekend, I was immediately taken in. Her philosophy of cooking is right where I am these days. Nourishing, healthy, with vegetarian and vegan options. Even her baked goods are "healthy” using spelt flour and agave nectar instead of sugar, no eggs or dairy. I think this is definitely a keeper!!!

I tried this recipe from it for lunch (yesterday I made the oatmeal with vanilla soy milk topped with blueberries & bananas, way more delicious with milk than water!!!) It was super quick, just 15 minutes to throw together. After working out this morning and heading to Trader Joe’s for groceries, I was starving and craving something healthy & yummy. Have I told you, kale is my new favorite??? You must try it if you haven’t. It’s great as a salad green but also great steamed like in this dish and in soup such as Ribollita. I can’t get enough of it and it’s such a super food!

fried rice with kale & scallions

Here’s the recipe if you would like to try it for yourself. :) I am thinking I will add chicken next time when I make it for dinner for Jeff & Reed.

So, what are your plans for the weekend? Are you going to a Super Bowl party or hosting? We are hosting Jeff’s buddies. There’s going to be alot of less-than healthy goodies, so even better that I ate such a healthy lunch, LOL.

I just saw on Martha today a recipe for a kale, sausage, mushroom dip-it looked scrumptious. A great variation from that same old artichoke dip. Would be great to make for the big game.

Where do you find your go-to recipes?

I dream of organized spaces!

2012-02-01T15:24:00.000-08:00

I don’t know what it is about this year so far-but I am obsessed with getting organized, and for good! I’ve done it a zillion times before, but I guess never in a way that actually worked for me since it always got unorganized in a matter of time.

I’ve been pouring over inspiration & tips everywhere to get my home into shape.

I saw this on the newsstand the other day and couldn’t wait to get it home to dive into it.

I actually bought this last year and it has GREAT tips, but I guess I wasn’t in “that place”, you know?

Here are some images from my Pinterest boards that get me all giddy imagining that I can make my home as beautiful & organized as these. Well, maybe not quite as beautiful since I am not comfortable spending too much $$ right until we decide that this is a long-term home but they are inspiration for incorporating some beautiful ideas into my own home. Can you guess what I am working on organizing right now?

Love the baskets to corral like items

all the glass jars/containers to decant dried goods

old baking pans painted to corral little stuff(somehow, I have acquired 5 bread pans, really how many does one need??)

I guess the theme I am looking for is some uniformity instead of it looking like “dog’s breakfast”. Just because it’s utilitarian doesn’t mean it can’t be pretty, right?

I am lucky to have a walk-in pantry and it’s out of control…we even added extra shelves a couple years ago to maximize. It’s time for an overhaul! Our garbage can is in there, so any time we have guests, they always end up seeing this disaster. How nice would it be to open the door to see a beautifully organized space? I know it would thrill me every day!

Okay, so I am being REALLY brave and showing you the before. If you didn’t see how bad it was ‘before’, you can’t appreciate the ‘after’ as much, right? It ain’t pretty! Don’t judge. LOL!

There is soooo much in there that I am sure is past it’s prime or we no longer need. Cleaning that out alone will make a huge difference. We have at least 4 different gluten free pastas that I have tried to get Reed to eat pasta with no luck of him loving it.

When we added the extra shelves, I also created labels so we knew what went where. More or less they have kept things in the general idea…but there’s just too much and the bottom shelf is overflow and who knows what really is all down there.

my baking shelf has overflowed to this smaller section, my cookbooks don’t fit

Looking at these pictures makes me ill.

Stay tuned for my pantry makeover.

Are you working on any organizing projects?

greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Dirty Dozen

2012-01-30T13:40:00.000-08:00

Hi, how was your weekend?

Ours was a bit crazy, some things have come up and there were some decisions to be made…Jeff & I did the yoga “relaxation pose” Saturday night in front of the fire. What a HOT date night, right? LOL! Have you ever done yoga? I LOVE this pose, it’s amazing how it REALLY works and clears your mind. :) We woke up Sunday feeling so much more refreshed.

Do you buy organic produce? I am adamit about buying at least the dirty dozen produce in organic. This is especially important with young children, their bodies are smaller so the percentage of chemicals consumed is so much higher than if an adult consumed that same amount. In case you haven’t heard of this, the dirty dozen are the twelve produce items that have the most pesticide residue after washing and peeling just as we would in our homes. Something like a peach has pesticide residue all the way down to it’s pit! YIKES. If I cannot get these produce items organic, I just don’t buy them. Fortunately, the organic selection seems to be growing by leaps and bounds; I think us consumers are demanding it!!! We are choosing not to put harmful chemicals in our bodies when we can control it and growers and food companies are listening to us.

On the other side of it, is the "Clean 15" which is a list of produce that has pretty much no pesticide residue so they would be safe to eat non-organic. Did you know both of these lists can change year to year?

Here is the most current list from 2011.

I thought I would create a new list and make it cute to share it with you so you could print it off and keep it in your purse. So much easier than trying to remember…

Here’s to your healthy eating!

Homemade soft pretzels

2012-01-27T10:47:00.000-08:00

I came across the recipe at Memories on Clover Lane blog months ago. I was re-inspired to make these last week when I came across soft pretzels with jalapeno dip on Pinterest. I decided to try the Clover Lane recipe based on the low bread flour content. It makes them less “chewy”. They were super easy, you get on a roll (no pun intended) while you are rolling the dough out…

Oh yeah and…these are delicious. They have a little chew but not rubbery like a ballpark pretzel. More like an “Auntie Anne’s” pretzel, which I have always been a fan of! (If you like your pretzels with more “chew” I would use a recipe that calls for mostly bread flour.)

I did 3 different flavors:

Wildtree Scampi Blend (a garlic,white wine blend)

I just recently got some more, can you tell I love this stuff?

Rosemary & Fleur de Sel (french sea salt)

I used the freshly dried rosemary that I just jarred up the other day-very tasty!

Bite (well, maybe 2 bites) size with just Fleur de Sel (these will be good for dipping)

I hope these pictures entice you to give these a try!

Your family will gobble them up!!! How about making them for a fun after school snack or Superbowl party???

Have a great weekend!

dried herbs

2012-01-26T13:04:00.000-08:00

One of the things I miss about summer is having fresh herbs right outside my back door. You can just cut what you need and it makes the plant grow and grow!

Most of the time, I find adding fresh herbs to my cooking dramatically elevates the dish’s flavor. Growing them yourself is the most economical way to add fresh herbs to your cooking but here in the midwest, most herbs don’t grow too well indoors in the winter. When I do make a recipe that calls for fresh herbs, I do fork over the $2.00 for a little bunch and it never fails that you only need a sprig or two.

What do I do with the rest of the herbs??? Well, sometimes I can add them to something else within the week or if I know I won’t be needing them, I tie them up with kitchen twine and hang them on a hook I have in my pantry to dry. After a week or so they just crumble off in your fingers and then I put in glass spice jars I have on hand. I must say that even though they are dry-they have way more flavor than if you were to buy them dry at the store. Who knows how long they have been sitting on the shelf. This also means you can’t keep them in your cupboard FOREVER, either. If there isn’t a VERY fragrant scent when you open the jar-you just have to toss it because it’s not worth using if it doesn’t give your cooking good flavor (this also applies to spices). Which reminds me that I desperately need to go through my spice cabinet and clean it out!

Since the herbs seem so fragrant when I dry them myself, I don’t mind adding them where I would otherwise use fresh until they are gone which doesn’t take long. As you can see, you don’t get a ton from the bunches, but at least you aren’t wasting any right?

I’ve got thyme and rosemary ready to go.

(notice my little orange timer in the background? yeah, that’s set for an hour to let homemade soft pretzel dough rise …oh I can’t wait-I will let you know how they turn out)

I just came across this-and remembered I have heard this before so I need try it next time-frozen fresh herbs.

Have you ever tried freezing fresh herbs?

What kind of little tips & tricks do you do to prevent waste or improve your cooking?

greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Don’t knock it till you try it

2012-01-25T08:25:00.000-08:00

veggie burgers, that is.

I remember turning my nose up at the idea of a meatless “burger” not too long ago. A couple years ago, I took the plunge and made greek-style quinoa burgers.

They were delicious and have become a regular in my meal planning (for either lunch or dinner). I recently came across another meatless burger-chickpea brown rice veggie burgers. I made them last weekend with roasted winter vegetables. Dinner was a hit! I was especially giddy that Reed loves them because I really like to find alternative ways to give him protein. I have always pushed the envelope with him to try new things and more times than not he likes them. I had HORRIBLE eating habits as a child, and quite frankly they didn’t get much better until recently. I wanted better for Reed. I think by him having food allergies, it has forced me to think outside the box more and be willing to try these less traditional recipes. These burgers couldn’t be better for you and they are D-lish!

(we opted to put the burgers on toasted whole wheat buns instead and just piled the veggies on top of the patty like you would a meat burger; we just cut Reed’s up since he’s only 2)

(I omitted the beans since we were eating this just as a side but this would make a great lunch with the beans and I varied the veggies to what I had in the house-leeks, garlic, carrots, sweet potatoes and frozen asparagus)

I hope you give one (or both) a try. I think you will be pleasantly surprised as I was!

Fun in the snow & pure decadence

2012-01-23T12:40:00.000-08:00

Hi, how was your weekend?

Ours was good. I took some time Saturday morning to do some window shopping by myself and then did some cleaning/organizing the rest of the weekend. Sunday, we took Reed out to play in the snow for the first time. Of course, he loved it! Winter can be so pretty!

We came back in and made a fire to cozy up by and then had this for dinner:

Yes, that’s right, cinnamon roll pancakes!!! You have to indulge sometimes, right?

They were heavenly, but not too rich. I even made them dairy free! You can either use the recipe for the pancakes themselves or use your favorite pancake mix.

I hope you try them-let me know what you think!!! :)

Fresh-baked cookies, spur of the moment

2012-01-20T13:02:00.000-08:00

Happy Friday!

It’s snowing here today…what could be better than some warm cookies right out of the oven after lunch? That’s what I thought too…unfortunately they are only for Reed! :(

When I make Reed goodies I always make the full recipe, size them smaller and portion them out and freeze them since I think the same treat for weeks and weeks would be sooooo boring, not to mention, they would probably not taste as fresh towards the end. For cookie dough balls, scoop them with an ice cream scoop for uniformity and then put them on a cookie sheet in the freezer. Once firm, put into freezer bags. You can bake them right from the freezer-just allow a little extra baking time. For cutout cookie dough, once shaped into a flat round (it will make rolling out much easier), wrap in plastic wrap and put in freezer bag, allow to thaw and then just cutout the cookies.

I also portion out pizza dough I make in our bread machine the same way. It’s great to have some go-to meals at the ready!

Cupcakes freeze well, so I just freeze them after I bake them (I like to make the little mini’s for Reed). I can just grab some whenever I need to and just whip up some quick frosting while they defrost.

I just love having frozen goodies on hand for these type of days when baking is spur of the moment and you don't have to think about if you have all the ingredients on hand to make them. Now, I just have to get better at consistently doing this for entrees. Jeff's tells me his Grandma was great at doing this-there was always something in the freezer.

So, do you freeze food to have at the ready? What types of things do you freeze?

Have a great weekend!

How something so simple…

2012-01-18T12:15:00.000-08:00

can make life so much easier.

I am not one of those people who is extremely organized by nature. I’m not a complete scatterbrain and there are certain things/areas where I am fairly organized, but mostly, I think I have made it this far in life by having a good memory and keeping my mess in piles so it’s “tidy”. When you can’t find something, just look in the pile. Do you know what I mean? LOL! I really want to be more organized because it thrills me when I need something, I know where it is. And, when I see beautifully organized spaces, I do get some butterflies imagining my space like that. So why can my home not stay organized. I know, it must be because of my husband… Just kidding honey! I am trying to incorporate lasting changes that suit my personality this year. I feel like I will get just some peace from a beautifully organized home, it’s good Feng Shui you know. So this year I am all about edit, edit, edit and organize. Can you believe I stopped into Home Goods the other day and didn’t even feel like shopping??? Nothing was exciting me. I need more home decor like a hole in my head I guess. Don’t panic stores…I am sure this too will pass. :)

Corralling mail, keys, phones, sunglasses, etc has always been a hot mess in our laundry/mudroom. We have a bench that has always been a dumping ground and I am forever searching for where my keys are…how did they get under that pile of mail and leaving the house isn’t always a smooth process because of that. I want to set a good example for Reed on the importance of being at least somewhat organized and not the mom who is always looking for her keys.

I know this isn’t rocket science, but last fall I came up with the idea of installing a shallow shelf right when you enter from the garage….for dumping our keys and hung a wire basket above for mail. Voila. How this has changed the ease of heading out the door and kept the laundry room more tidy. We got the shelf from Ikea and the wire basket from Container Store (I actually bought the mail basket like 4 years ago when I was trying to organize, but never put it up. Lovely!) I shopped the house for a bowl and a tray to corral each of our items separately. It has been working out beautifully.

What little changes have you made around the house that has helped you stay organized?

Day 1

2012-01-16T11:53:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a great weekend!

I started my detox eating plan today. Breakfast and lunch have been really tasty. I would eat these recipes even after this “detox” plan.

Here is what I have made so far for breakfast & lunch:

Carrot, Mango, and Herb Smoothie

Roasted Peppers, Cauliflower & Almonds

And thank goodness since I indulged yesterday…Jeff & I went on a date to a local winery in the afternoon and then stopped at Starbucks for a cappuccino & couldn’t resist the mini treats (that’s exactly why we don’t have that kind of stuff in the house on a regular basis anymore).

Then for dinner I made a beef stew from Barefoot Contessa with homemade bread. If I am going to eat red meat, this is the kind of thing I love-especially on a cold winter day! It was so delicious!!!!

So, what resolutions have you started???

greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

What I’ve been up to

2012-01-12T14:57:00.000-08:00

So…2012 has not started out as I would of hoped. In a matter of a week, several medical issues have surfaced with me all at once. It’s been a bit overwhelming not knowing exactly what is going on and if it’s 3 different issues or all somehow related. After we got back from our trip, it’s been doctor visit after doctor visit and a whole lotta feeling awful all the while. So much for enjoying Jeff’s vacation off work. :( I even had a "me” day planned last Friday that had to be put off. The good news is nothing terrible appears to be wrong, but no one is quite sure yet what what is exactly going on. It’s just a guessing game and let’s try this and wait and see business which I HATE. I much prefer to have closure on things, but hence is life. So, in the midst of all this I am finding myself plunging into discovering some good for me things, too.

I got myself a little stovetop cappuccino maker which I am so very excited about! It’s the little things, you know…

I finished my last coffee mate creamer on Sunday and said, “that’s it…no more of that junk”. I was seriously ADDICTED!!! When we go out for a nice dinner, I always get a cappuccino and so enjoy it with just a touch of the raw sugar (which is alot better for you than the white sugar) so I thought, why can’t I just make it at home using vanilla soy milk? Oh did I mention that I have eliminated dairy from my diet? (More on that in a bit.) So far I am loving it and since I have to make it cup by cup, it also lends itself to having just one cup in the morning and not drinking a half pot of coffee like I used to.

So, yes I have eliminated all dairy from my diet (at least as a trial). I have sinus issues and although I don’t consume alot of dairy, I know that it does increase mucus so I thought I would try to see if it gives me some relief. It hasn’t been too bad so far-but long term it will be hard to live without some good cheese. And maybe if this does prove successful I will just know I need to limit it and not eat it all the time. The other dairy products I have found great substitutes for due to Reed’s severe milk allergy(I pray every day that he will stay safe and the severity will lessen or better yet, he will outgrow it, it’s so so scary!!!).

I have resolved this year to really improve eating even cleaner and just simply doing more things to be healthy, not just for my body but my mind & spirit, too. I neglected those too much in 2011. All this stressful health stuff going on has led me to get back to yoga. The classes already started where I work out, so I have been doing PM yoga at home to wind down at the end of the day. It really has helped some of my symptoms already and has done wonders for my sense of peace. I really have been craving that since the holidays.

I am toying with the idea of doing a detox diet. Of course there are some social functions coming up that would be impacted, but I feel like my body just is craving it, especially when I am not feeling 100% right now. I am looking at the one from Whole Living. In past years, I just turned my nose up at the menu thinking, I don’t like any of that…but in the latter of 2011 I really broadened my horizons on new foods and tastes and you know what, I am loving good, whole food. I think I mentioned before and it was one of the 31 days to green living is to eat more vegetarian or vegan for that matter. I have tried to do that more and it’s even more of a priority this year to eat plant-based. Too much research has shown how crucial this is for healthy living not to mention better for our environment. Thankfully, Jeff is open to trying new things. He is not the typical “meat and potatoes” kind of guy. Ironically, when we met, I was a meat & potatoes girl, boy have I changed or what???? And Reed, well he is a pretty good eater and likes "different” types of food than I think most kids do so I am confident he will eat more plant based just fine. I have always strived to provide him the same if not very similar meal we are eating for dinner despite his food allergies. In recent years, we have always preferred to eat fish or pasta over a big steak so I guess it’s just a natural transition to eat less meat.

I was really pouring over my ‘babycakes’ cookbook yesterday (famous allergen free bakery in NY & LA) and reserved the other one at our library. In the spirit to be more healthful and provide yummy, allergen free baked goodies for Reed, I really want to delve into just trying these recipes to see what we like. Delicious baking sans dairy, eggs & wheat is tough. Actually, the wheat I find the most challenging, other flours just taste different! Reed likes them alot, but it’s all he has ever known. Certainly I don’t do too much goody baking with wanting to lose more weight but I want to find some great ‘go to’ recipes when an occasion arises.

On days that I feel pretty good, I have been trying to work on deep cleaning a room or two since the house just frankly gets neglected during the holidays. It gets the bare minimum attention when you have so much other things going on. Strangely…cleaning helps me-it settles my mind and let’s me burn off any stress. Not to mention I feel great when I have a clean & organized house. The organized part, well that’s a whole other issue to be tackled. How do things get so darn unorganized???

We are getting our first real snowfall of the season…it’s so peaceful (when you don’t have to drive in it). Jeff is home from work early since it’s accumulating fast. Once Reed gets up from his nap, we are looking forward to a nice cozy evening together. I think a dinner carpet picnic in front of the fire with my two best boys is just what ‘Dr. Heather’ ordered!

greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Wish I was here…

2011-12-28T13:24:00.000-08:00

First, a BIG THANK YOU to the Inspired Honey Bee for featuring our Christmas card in the Pinterest-a-thon #2! I am so touched and flattered to be chosen.

Second, I am ready for the New Year! I know, I know Christmas was just Monday but I have to say that I am one of those, that is all about it until the 26th and then it’s time to move on and focus on renewal and some calm. That’s probably why this year I am a little frazzled this week because I am not getting any of that “calm” thing…

I got a crazy hair up my ‘you know what’ Monday night and decided I needed to start taking down the holiday decorations. I was really crabby from a typical conversation I had with someone close to me so I channeled my crabby energy into something useful, I guess. We are going away for New Year’s for a few days and I dreaded the thought to coming home and having to worry about taking everything down. Now, it’s done and I can move on. It’s amazing that what took weeks to decorate can be taken down in a matter of several hours. So, now every surface is pretty bare until I figure out what I want to do.

I am so restless right now…I am chomping at the bit to start on some long overdue projects yet in other ways I feel paralyzed on what I want to do. I am craving change big time right now because I feel unsettled. I am just plain worn out from all the “festivities” and the to do’s, I guess. I just want to do nothing for a little while to settle the brain frenzy and to take some time to be inspired again because I can’t stay still for too long. :)

Don’t get me wrong, I just LOVE, LOVE the holidays, the entertaining and all the crafting, decorating, and cooking I sign myself up for, but I will tell you, by Christmas Eve I was mentally spent and I hate that! And the thought of having more still to do this week has just really taken a toll on me. I suppose you could say it’s self inflicted, but I so enjoy the many things I do around the holidays that I don’t know how not to get burned out.

I look forward to the days away to get a breather. I have a new book from the library, ‘A Thousand Gifts’ I am ready to dive into and some new digital magazine issues to read on my downtime when Reed is napping (no chores calling my name)or before bed, I can’t wait. I think this time will allow me to really focus my mind and make some goals for 2012. I do cherish this time of year-a new beginning!

Have you started thinking of what you want for 2012?

Focus on your health?

More quality family time?

New decorating projects?

A new hobby?

Organize?

Yeah, that pretty much sums up the general areas I want, too! These are the type of topics that I will be blogging about in the New Year!

Wishing you a happy & healthy New Year!

greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Christmas recap & little gifts of appreciation

2011-12-26T15:17:00.000-08:00

Hope everyone had the most joyous of Holidays!

Ours was very enjoyable! We had the “big” festivities on Christmas Eve and then yesterday was all about opening presents from Santa and then just playing, relaxing and just a little putting the house back together from all the cooking & present opening on Christmas Eve. We had our good friends over for casual snacks & winter Sangria (delish!) in the evening to get one last little low key celebrating in. We started doing this last year when we made the decision not to travel on Christmas so we can let Reed be at stay home on Christmas morning.

Here is our intimate Christmas Eve table for four…

We were able to get a really nice family photo this year. Jeff & I hate looking at our last year’s picture since we have lost quite a bit of weight since then. :)

The week leading up to Christmas I was busy putting together little gifts of appreciation.

First I ordered some local(I LOVE supporting little local shops), handmade toffee we ordered to hand out to Jeff’s team at work. Since they were already bagged at the shop, I just added a little note to personalize the treat. I had just received a customizable stamp kit from my mother-in-law when we celebrated Christmas the weekend before. This was a great chance to use it!

Then on Wednesday a good friend and workout buddy came over for our 2nd annual cookie baking night. We are very fortunate to have such great “teachers” that take such good care of our kids where we workout. Especially at Holiday time we like to show them extra gratitude by making them some yummy treats! Last year when we did this, they just gushed and gushed about it, so I don’t think it happens too much. What a shame!!!

This year, we made White Chocolate lollipops with cashews & dried cherries, Hot Cocoa Cookies and Shortbread dipped in chocolate with walnuts and then cut shortbreads into snowflakes drizzled with chocolate with crushed peppermints. The juxtaposition of mint with the buttery shortbread is really quite enjoyable!

I cut some greens from our yard and Kelly took them home and boxed them up with the lollipops on top. When we brought in the treats, we dropped the kids off to play for awhile and went shopping…(so much for working out) LOL!

It’s so enjoyable to do a joint effort!

So, one would think this week I can relax a little…but we are going out of town for New Year’s to celebrate with extended family so I have some more baking I want to do to give as gifts and I am ready to start my January pare down and cleaning! I have already stripped our bed and have been washing every bit of it today. I LOVE starting fresh!

What are you up to today? Did you hit the sales?

Are you still celebrating or are you focusing on the New Year?

Are you ready to lose those extra pounds?

This has helped me lose weight & some serious inches and counting!

A night to visit Santa

2011-12-23T21:19:00.000-08:00

We went to visit Santa tonight. The hours for Santa this year just didn’t work with his afternoon nap, so we took Reed tonight at 5:30 since Jeff had the day off today. It was such an enjoyable family night for us. We are really making some great memories!

We parked then walked over to Starbucks(to take the chill off) and Reed got a apple juice box which is a REAL treat for him since his juice is otherwise extremely watered down. Reed decided to just climbed into one of the big comfy chairs to drink his juice box while we were waiting for our drinks. He is growing up so darn fast!!!

We walked a few blocks to wait for Santa. It was chilly tonight but he did so great waiting out in the cold for 35 minutes. He was just so pumped to tell Santa what he wanted this year. And, he actually did(you never know with a two year old). He was so grown up talking to Santa! He got his very first candy cane, too and he was darn excited about it!!! :)

Here is the big beautiful tree that is in the center of downtown next to where Santa is.

Daddy & Reed braving the cold!

And the big boy sitting on Santa’s lap shmoozing him for what he would like for Christmas(since his parents waited until the night before Christmas Eve, it will be a “rush” order for the elves to make the two toys he asked for) including giving him a big hug!

Afterwards, he ate a little dinner in the car while we drove around to a few houses to look at lights all snuggled in his new snowman blanket he got for a Christmas present. He was so snuggly warm!

Here is one of the houses we saw-quite spectacular! It’s one of those where the lights change to music!

Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a happy & healthy New Year!

Holiday Home Tour, Part II

2011-12-20T14:14:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the second part of our holiday home tour. I just love putting little touches throughout our home to make it festive!

Foyer

Powder Room

Playroom

Dining Room

Stairway

For more Holiday Decorating:

Exterior

Home Tour, Part I

Gift & Tree Decorating

Holiday Crafts

I am linking up to:

Not Just a Housewife-Show me what ya got

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! I can help you with any of that.Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to share how Shaklee's products can make such a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Holiday Crafting

2011-12-19T12:45:00.000-08:00

Hello all-how was your weekend? We had a great one! We hosted a Christmas for Jeff’s family. It was great to have all the cousins together. They burned energy in the bounce house, decorated cookies and of course played with the new presents we exchanged. It was a great day. We had just a little dusting of snow so it made the day feel so magical.

Do you think I took a picture of the tablesetting? Of course not! I was able to capture a couple pictures of some things I did do for the table.

Casual Holiday Table Crafts

I put a piece of scrapbook paper at each kid’s placesetting for them to decorate the placemat with Christmas stickers. What young kid doesn’t like stickers? The one above is Reed’s. In some of that trusty ‘ole scrapbook paper pad that I have been using for everything this year, they had “gift tags” that I used as napkin holder/placecard with the letter stickers that were in that pad as well. I was going for a very casual, homey feel for our table.

Glitter Snowflakes

I pinned this project on my Holiday Board on Pinterest. It’s not your grade school pasta craft!

I wish it showed more glittery in the pictures, but they are in person. You can follow the ‘how to’ from the pin. I need to make a few more. I lost 2 in hanging when they dropped on the table and I think 4 more would round out the “branch tree” better.

Letter Garland

Remember that glittery eyelash yarn (Martha Stewart’s) that I created my tree garland with? Well, I told you I used it other places…I decided to use the individual strands for letter garland on the dining room mirror. I just love how feathery and sparkly it is!!!

I used two different papers since you would see the back of the letters in the reflection. Double-side paper would save the step of cutting out twice and gluing. :)

So, those are the crafts I have been working on.

Do you do crafts this time of year? What are you working on?

Do you have a Pinterest account? Leave me a comment so I can follow you. Please come visit mine, here!

I am linking up to:
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia's Tuesday's Treasures
Home Stories from A to Z Tutorials & Tips

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

I interupt all the decorating, wrapping, baking…

2011-12-18T14:17:00.000-08:00

to talk about staying healthy this time of year.

I know, not a typical post this time of year and maybe not as “fun” as getting ideas to for decorating and baking, but I hope it inspires you nonetheless. :) If we feel sick & run down, how can you really enjoy yourself and create the memories with your families, especially this time of year?

I have ALWAYS loved my sleep and usually get to bed around 10. The past few weeks, though I have been up until midnight or 1am doing things I love to do (I think this is only possible because Reed is sleeping until 7:30/8ish and then just plays in his room until I get up, rough I know). It dawned on me the other day that last year I wouldn’t of been able to hold this kind of schedule day in and day out if I wasn’t healthy. I have so much more energy and don’t feel like I need a nap all the time. Feeling great makes all the difference!

Here are the ways I have found to stay healthy & feel great:

Take great vitamins (Shaklee’s Vitalizer)

Watch this video about supplementation

Wash hands often and always before eating.

Drink lots of water(except for my morning coffee & occasional wine with hubby) it’s all I drink anymore. This was huge for me, being a coca-cola addict!

Get enough sleep (yes, I am staying up late currently, but at least still getting 7-8 hours)

Eating clean food-nothing processed and getting more veggies (eating this way doesn’t necessarily mean low fat, but just eating real food that you know the ingredients and you can enjoy because it tastes great).
.

Working out 2-3 times a week (cardio & weights)

Eating breakfast (I never have been a breakfast person-but now I drink a protein shake I really enjoy with 15+ grams of protein to jump start my day)

Losing weight (so far 22 lbs and 3, almost 4 sizes) are you curious how I did it? LOL!

Make it a family affair. Everyone in this house lives employs healthy practices.

What things do you do to stay healthy & feel great?

Gift & Tree Decorating Ideas

2011-12-13T21:58:00.000-08:00

Wow, it’s been a busy week already. How about you? Are you getting all ready? Have you finished decorating & shopping?

We decided this year to do the twelve days of Christmas with Reed to spread out the gifts so it’s not so overwhelming getting them all on Christmas morning. He is almost 2 1/2 so I think he will get excited about opening a little gift each day. I don’t know how many years we will do this as the presents get more expensive as they get older…LOL! I started scouting out books, games and toys a few months ago as I saw them at Home Goods & TJ Maxx. They have different stuff than you find in the typical toy department and for really great prices.

In one of the Holiday paper pads, there was a sheet with numbers on them. They would be cute for an advent calendar too since it was 1-25. Obviously, we just used the 1-12 for what we needed them for. It will be fun to have him search for the number of the day we are on. Wednesday, December 14th starts day 1.

I promised Jeff last year as we were wrapping presents that I wouldn’t buy any more NEW wrapping paper until we finished what we had. See, every year I would choose a “theme” in which to wrap gifts so we had collected quite a mish mash of what hadn’t been used over the years. So, I fully intended on using the paper, ribbon, bows, gift tags we had until….

I saw the ribbons at Michaels this year. Have you seen them? So stinkin cute, I was giddy picking them out. I bought so many when they were half off. Most of them were .99! Even if I had too many, I knew they would get used for other things. I think the white pom pom might be my favorite!!!

I put all the “12 Days” in the buckets so he doesn’t have to dig under the tree, plus I was looking for an excuse to use the buckets for presents. I am loving that look that I have seen in PB catalog & Pinterest this year. I added some sparkly ribbon and greens to dress the plain white metal tubs I have for summer parties. Had I bought them for filling with presents, I would of gone more aged...but it’s what I had on hand and I am not sure if I want to part with my “summer” tubs.

Here’s another way I decorated the packages with the “gift tag”. I cut out the receiver’s initial (and wrote the from on the back) from Holiday paper (I am glad I am getting good use out of those scapbook paper pads, LOL).

Ever since I had to figure out how to photograph a tree in manual mode to capture the lights, I can’t stop playing with the different settings. Wow, natural light really is a photographer’s best friend. Centsational Girl had some great photo tips last week and natural light was one of them. To illustrate the point…

Here is our family tree during the day-

vs at night-

Bear with me as I play with my camera, just thought this was a pretty shot…although it’s at night.

Even the “old girl” in our living room looks good during the day! Poor thing has lights out everywhere…

I added a couple things to this tree because it was soooo lacking and it’s right when you enter our front door, so the poor girl had to try to be pretty. First I just had the red & gold beads already and it looked better with…but then I found some feathery, glittery yarn (Martha Stewart) in a gold/champagne color and knew I could quadruple the strands up and wrap them around one another to make a thicker soft garland. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this stuff. I want to use it everywhere And I may have, well not everywhere…LOL! Do you ever get like that?

I don’t think this picture does it justice. It’s just so soft & pretty sparkling from the tree lights.

Home should be the safest place on earth…

Do you want your home to be clean yet non-toxic? Shaklee’s products do just that. They are the BEST I have ever used. Try the Shaklee Difference for yourself!!!

To find out more, please email me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Holiday Home Tour, Part I

2011-12-11T21:04:00.000-08:00

Hi, how was your weekend?

I thought I would share the little decorating touches I have done to make our home feel festive this year.

Family Room

Here is the redesigned mantel since my first idea wasn’t practical ya know with the candles burning the wreath and all....

I tucked the little battery operated lights in the greens (which I trimmed from our yard-we have 3 different evergreens, so it gave me a nice variety) and added tealights to the red votive holders to give even more glow!

This jingle bell garland at Target by Smith & Hawken…was calling my name when I was trying to figure out what do do with the mantel. I love it!

I just used some scrapbook paper I liked in a pad I bought(same pad I used on powder room “art”). This frame is from Pier One.

This is exactly why I wanted the little lights-this is how the mantel looks with only the tree lit and the battery operated lights at night. Kinda magical…

Potted pointsetta from Target, pinecones & fatwood for fire kindling and a basket full of new firewood. We are ready to have some cozy fires!

Snowflake hurricane (Slatkin & Co) with a battery-operated candle for safety on Ikea tray. This is one decoration I will leave out all winter since it isn’t “holiday”.

My favorite chair-it’s sooooo comfortable. I often blog right from this spot!

I couldn't resist the burlap ‘Celebrate’ pillow from Pottery Barn.

Kitchen

I don’t too much decorating in the kitchen because I need all the counterspace possible for cooking & baking this season. Just few little touches.

My favorite Holiday cookbooks I have been perusing to find the recipes to create this season.

A tea set that matches our “winter” dishes. I used a sterling tray with more fresh greens.

I love, love, love this wreath! I got it at PB a few years ago.

A little decor on top of the armoire. Usually we don’t have anything up there, but I think I like having something up there…

I got a couple of these fabric cornucopias at a craft show years ago. I vary where I hang them every year.

Kitchen table centerpiece. I loved the trees in a wire basket I showed here, but it wasn’t practical. It was too heavy to be removing several times a day to eat our meals.

Laundry Room

Just a little touch in our laundry room…this opens to our kitchen and we pass through this space everyday. Why not make it festive?

I hope you enjoyed the tour so far. These are the rooms we live in…

I am also working on finishing up some crafts to show you this week, too.

To see more Holiday Decorating:
Exterior
Gift & Tree

I am linking up to:

Home Stories from A to Z Tutorials & Tips Party

It's Overflowing Christmas-scapes

The Inspired Room Christmas Tour

The Shabby Creek Cottage Home Tour

Cottage & Vine Room by Room Tour

Home should be the safest place on earth…

Do you want your home to be clean yet non-toxic? Shaklee’sproducts do just that. They are the BEST I have ever used, I would love for you to experience the difference for yourself!!!

To find out more: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

2011 Holiday card

2011-12-10T14:01:00.000-08:00

Here it is…

I have gotten such a wonderful response from those that have received it. I love to create a beautiful card to send warm greetings & a smile to those that receive it. I hope you enjoy as well. I still am pinching myself he posed so good for it, LOL!

Wishing you & yours Happy Holidays!

Monday starts off a week of Holiday Link Parties for Holiday home tours, decor and crafts. I hope you will join me here for some last minute holiday inspiration.

I linked up to:

Centsational Girl's Holiday Craft Party
House of Hepworth's Holiday Crafts
Inspired Honey Bee's Pinterest-a-thon
My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia
Show Me What You Got @ Not Just a Housewife

Home should be the safest place on earth…

Do you want your home to be clean yet non-toxic? Shaklee’s products do just that. They are the BEST I have ever used!!!

To find out more: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Exterior Decorating

2011-12-08T14:15:00.000-08:00

I am a lucky woman, my husband will do whatever exterior holiday decorating I want (unless it involves getting on a steep roof…did it once, never again). However, he is even luckier, because I prefer a less is more approach and it feels like every year the magnitude of decorating outside dwindles…Not that I don’t like being festive-but I get so irritated with decorations that become more hassle than they are worth. For two years we fought with the stupid light strands on garland draped around our garage, front door and porch. I hated coming home to see yet another set of lights burnt out after we had just re-strung them. Grrrr. So, for my sanity I stick with what has been successful. Now that our shrubs are getting bigger and almost touching each other, next year might be a candidate for lighting them up. In the past, I did get some estimates on having our house decorated with lights-yikes. For what little I wanted, it was over $500. To me-I feel like that is a lot of money and could be better spent on something more important. So, DIY it is, which I frankly enjoy more.

Anyway, here are some pictures at night of our house “decorated”. Brrr, it’s getting cold in the evening, but I think for our decorations, the pictures had to be done at night to see the lights.

I have to say, a simple spotlight adds so much to our otherwise sparsely lit house.

Do you think I should add another wreath to the window under the porch? I go back & forth…my reasoning for not was would it really be visible, I say “yes” now seeing a picture. Another reason for 'not' is our living room tree is usually better seen from that window so I didn’t want them to “compete” along with competing with the wreath on the door???? This year the tree isn’t in front of the window now that we added a sofa table to the room-the tree is too big-but it’s on it’s last year anyway. I am going with something way smaller. Thoughts?

I really wanted to have the wreaths “hang” from ribbon but didn’t play around with the logistics of doing so before Jeff put the pressure on me to get it figured out since he was putting them up the day after Thanksgiving while it was still in the 50’s. Can’t blame him, I totally dropped the ball on this one putting it off until the last minute. I just couldn’t think about Christmas stuff yet, I was busy getting things ready for hosting Thanksgiving. The whole issue was if the ribbon would be enough to hold the wreath-didn’t we need wire? Ironically, I figured out how I could do it while hanging the wreath on the mirror over our mantel so now I know how I can do it on the outside wreaths next year. Yeah!

Instead of putting a screw or nail in your windows, Command Strips makes an exterior version. We used them last year with GREAT results. A friend who’s house is professionally decorated for the season had to have her wreaths put back up when they were blown off her house when we had some crazy winds last year. How ‘bout that for good ‘ole command strips?

BTW, the wreath on the door is DIY PB inspired. I had a plain wreath and lots of red, white and champagne colored ornaments in different sizes-I was determined to try and replicate the look.

The lanterns are from Ikea-big lanterns can cost a pretty penny but I think the large one was $15 (the small was $8). I so am loving Ikea these days. The problem was there was a prong in the bottom that wouldn’t work with my outdoor flameless candles. Had hubby use his wire cutters, no problem! Yeah!!! I did splurge and get the Restoration Hardware outdoor flameless because that’s all I could find in the larger size I needed. I used my 20% off friends & family holiday discount when they had that going on, though.

“Greens” are from Hobby Lobby. They are actually large wreaths that have long & short greens that you can bend and mold into shape. Twig branches I just picked up at local flower market. I like these better than the ones in the craft stores as they seem sturdier and are much longer so you can anchor them down in the dirt good and still have some great height above the greens.

See the little lights on the branches? I am in LOVE with these. This is what I ordered more of from QVC for my mantel (which by the way is totally redesigned but I still think I am going to add these lights to it, which I hope get here soon!!!). They are battery operated tiny lights on the finest wire. I used 2 strands on each planter. Restoration and Pottery Barn both carry something similar but these not only cost less but are safe for outdoor. And, most importantly they have a timer-which I am all about-especially outside-I am not going out in the cold to turn on & off! Incidentally, the wreaths are also from QVC and are battery operated with a timer or photo sensor function. I tell you, I love QVC for certain items-they really offer some great selection and really GREAT prices.

Whew, sorry if I am too chatty today! I just thought I would share some tricks I have learned. When there are ideas you would like to replicate, isn’t it nice when the info & sources are there to achieve it? It’s like looking in a magazine and seeing a paint color you LOVE…you flip to the back and everything in the room but the paint is sourced… Drives me bonkers.

See some more of my Holiday Home Tour HERE.

I linked up to:
Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge
Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest
Frugalicious Friday @ Finding Fabulous

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring
Nesting Place 2011 Christmas Tour of Homes

Home should be the safest place on earth…

Are you wanting to make your home the clean yet safe and non-toxic? Shaklee’s products do just that! They are the BEST I have ever used.

Email me : greenwaylifeandhome@ gmail.com

Our Family Tree

2011-12-07T20:48:00.000-08:00

Here is our tree this year.
It's a faux tree. I LOVE real trees but I haven't come across a real, pre-lit tree yet...LOL! I just have NO patience for stringing all the lights I want to have, like at least 1000 for a 7/8 ft tree. Every year when I am doing a little fluffing of the branches I always ask myself if doing that or stringing the lights is worse... :)
I love the smell of real trees, though. And the idea of going to a tree farm and cutting one down sounds like a great tradition to start when Reed is a little older...so I may have to like stringing lights.
We put it up last weekend as a family and keep it up until after the first of the year. I love to have it on whenever we are home, it just makes the home feel so festive!

In our family room we do a mish mash of all types of ornaments that we have collected over time or have received as gifts.
No presents wrapped yet…it looks so bare :(

I made the tree topper after trying zillions of ones from the store-they were all too heavy

I still love these candle lights I got at Restoration Hardware about 8 years ago.

I love how the cranberry bead garland adds the festive red

So, have you put your tree up yet? When do you do it? Do you do a "themed" tree or a collection of all your ornaments?

Last night I finally took the time and got out my camera manual to figure out how to take better pictures of Christmas tree lights. I took so many other pictures of other things to play with the settings to see what effects I could get!

Here is a little bit of bokeh:

I will be linking up to:

Home should be the safest place on earth…

Are you wanting to make your home the safe and non-toxic? I would love to help.

Email me : greenwaylifeandhome@ gmail.com

Cookies & Hot Cocoa

2011-12-05T21:34:00.000-08:00

How was your weekend? Have your finished decorating & shopping for gifts?

I am pretty much done decorating, there are a couple spots that I feel need tweaking...that’s just how I am. Holiday cards are going in the mail tomorrow (I will be posting it VERY soon-I am excited to share it with you), now I can work on some holiday crafts that I have “Pinned” and get ready for the Holidays we are hosting!

Sat night we decorated our family Christmas tree. It is a complete mish mash of ornaments we have received as gifts or have bought along the way. It’s fun to unwrap each one every year and get excited about how much we love that particular one or the special story attached to it. When we travel we always get an ornament as a souvenir so it’s neat to remember where we have been. This year I wanted to start a tradition for Reed to pick out an ornament each year and then we would write the year on it and be able to look back years from now. I am so bummed I didn’t think of it last year-he would of certainly been old enough to pick something out. Oh well…

Now that he is almost 2 1/2, I thought it would be fun to make it a tradition to have cookies & hot cocoa while we decorated the tree.

Here’s that big, round bread board again. You will probably be seeing a lot of it…I tell you I LOVE this thing! I am getting my $’s worth, right?

Mini marshmallows…not sure if Reed liked the snickerdoodles or the marshmallows better

Notice the cookie in his hand…there was no way he was putting that cookie down to decorate.

Also, here’s our mantel so far…this is one area I am still feeling needs a little somethin somethin. I went to light the candles for the picture and the wreath started smoking!!! YIKES. So, of course flameless candles would be great here, but my favorite source for great, inexpensive flameless candles (QVC ‘candle impressions’) are out of what I would need so I did order some tiny battery operated lights that I have used elsewhere to give me some glow. I am also working on draping something on the undermantel. I will show you what I come up with when it’s all completed.

I am sharing what I have so far so I can at least join the mantel parties that are going on this week! I guess I am a little slow on getting it decorated.

Join me at these Mantel Parties for more inspiration:

My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Ten June (Tuesday)

Southern Hospitality (Wednesday)
Home Stories from A to Z (Thursday)

Also, I linked up to:

The Mustard Ceiling Holiday Traditions

Home should be the safest place on earth…

Do you want to make your home the safe? I would love to help.

Email me : greenwaylifeandhome@ gmail.com

My Favorite thing in the Kitchen

2011-12-01T20:01:00.000-08:00

33 Shades of Green is having a Kitchen Faves Party where you share your favorite thing in the kitchen. Although I have discovered many ingredients & tools that make cooking & baking so enjoyable, truly my favorite thing is our kitchen table! Not because I love the table so much, but because of what goes on there. Almost every night the three of us gather here for dinner. No tv allowed, maybe just some music in the background. Holiday music plays currently. This is where we share our days and engage with one another. Afterwards we do some activity as a family. These days we usually head right to the basement for Reed to burn some energy in the bounce house and then do something a little more mellow to wind down like playing choo choos, building with mega bloks or puzzles. This is such a special time of the day for us to all be together. We hope that Reed will continue to enjoy this time together as he gets older and our hope is to always share openly with one another!

Are you wanting to make positive changes in your life, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for your family, getting healthier, losing weight and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as you can?

Shaklee can help you with all of that. Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a TREMENDOUS difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Some Holiday Decorating that is DONE!

2011-12-01T06:09:00.000-08:00

I thought I would share how I decorated the sofa table in our living room. The room is mostly browns and rust and I have tried to bring in some red with brown and gold to give it more “festive” color. I just feel like something is missing if I don’t include red in my Holiday decorating throughout the house. The Christmas tree in our living room is missing the red since all my decorations have always just stayed with the brown, bronze, and gold décor on the tree. I am trying a couple different ways to incorporate it in using what I have. We’ll see how it goes.

Everything I used is from my stash of holiday décor-I love “free” decorating. It really forces you to be more creative! My husband wonders why it takes me sooooo long to decorate. I try to do things a little different each year that I have gotten from inpiration. It takes me time to take stock of what I have and try things out. Sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn’t.

This table was my Grandmother’s. She always had it covered in zillions of family photos-she had eight Grandkids and 10 Great-Grandkids to “show off”.

How is your Holiday decorating coming along? Do you try to use stuff you already have but in new ways?

Join me over at:

A Thoughtful Place’s ‘Holiday Vignette’ Party for some more inspiration

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! I can help you with any of that. Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Just a Few of my Favorite Things

2011-11-30T20:55:00.000-08:00

…from Anthropologie and $30 or under.

The Nester is hosting a fun link party where she wants to see our favorite things under $30.

Here are some of mine that I love and that I may give as gifts!

Record Cherished Recipes ‘Piecrust’ Dishes Juice just tastes better

Pretty Potholders Love Everything bout it ‘Wish’ Hand cream

Delicious little soaps A Must for home decorator Just plain gorgeous

What finds have you discovered this year that you love to share?

And, of course I LOVE Shaklee’s products for keeping me healthy!

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! I can help you with any of that. Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

EASY Holiday Art

2011-11-30T14:32:00.000-08:00

Grumble…do you ever have those days where you just feel like your creative mind is blocked? I just can’t think today. Maybe because I have been taxing it too much the last couple weeks, but I am at a standstill with Christmas decorating. I think frankly I decorate too much and have TOO MUCH STUFF, but this is one area where I just can’t help myself.

So, to feel like I at least accomplished something, I threw together and I mean “threw” in like 10-15 minutes including taking the pictures, some Holiday Art. Remember those botanical pictures I did for my powder room? Well, with all the red I am bringing in, the spring/summer-ness of them looked ‘not good’. I am no scrapbook-er…but I am a sucker for pretty papers and can always find something to use them for. I had some sheets that I loved, but the pattern was too big for the projects I had initially bought the pads of paper for. So, I thought, “let’s just frame them”. Not original I know, but I still like the look nonetheless.

To do the original botanical art, I had new mats cut to accommodate the larger prints. I saved the original ones that came with the Ikea Ribba frame-I just knew I would need them sometime.

Ta Da…

I linked up to:

Frugal Friday @ The Shabby Nest

Flaunt it Friday @ Chic on a Shoestring

Motivate Me Mondays @ Keeping it Simple

The Thrifty Home 115th Penny Pinching Party

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! I can help you with any of that. Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Holiday Cards in the making

2011-11-28T19:44:00.000-08:00

So, I started my annual Holiday card making…I have been creating them the last several years on my own. I really enjoy coming up with new ideas every year. Yet, each November I start wondering how could I possibly be inspired for another card idea and just when time starts to run out…something just comes to me. This year is no exception. I had an idea for months and months and then realized without having a certain camera lens, I just couldn’t make it happen the way I was invisioning it. Maybe next year… But, I think I like my new idea even better. And what has me even more excited is that my "idea" actually came to fruition! When it involves a toddler posing just a certain way, you never know what you will get. I did bribe him a little though…I told him if he posed and smiled good for the camera he could have french fries (really they are baked potato wedges with Wildtree’s Rancher seasoning-but they are yummy nonetheless)with his lunch. He was VERY excited!!! Maybe that’s what did it, or he just likes to pose-but I took 10 shots right before lunch(I am a crazy Mom, I know) and I had 2 that turned out really good. I can’t even believe my luck!!! I am a little delirious about it actually turning out. Now, I am playing around with the logistics of the card.

I will share it with you once it’s sent out.

Here are the last two years’ cards

2010

2009

Can you tell I like glitter? Hmm, do I need to add glitter to this year’s card???? he he

Do you send out Holiday cards? Do you like to make them? What inspires you?

I linked up to:

Christmas Cheer Link Party-Holiday Craft @ Hi Sugarplum!

Tuesday's Treasures @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

Show Me What Ya Got #51 @ Not Just a Housewife

Get Your Craft On-Winter Crafts @ Today's Creative Blog

The Thifty Home's 114th Penny Pinching Party

Let Birds Fly Creative Party #13

Feature Yourself Friday @ Fingerprints on the Fridge

A Girl and a Glue Gun-Glitter/Sparkle

36th Avenue Christmas Cards

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! I can help you with any of that. Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Homemade Gift Part II

2011-11-27T19:20:00.000-08:00

Hi, how was your weekend? Have you started holiday shopping?

Friday it was in the 50's here so we did some outside decorating and Saturday I took all the fall decorations down inside and started on the Christmas decorating. I finished our more "formal" living room tree and am almost done with the exterior decorations. I will share pictures soon! Today, I did venture out to the stores to pick up a few more decorations and some craft supplies. I have a few craft projects I am wanting to make this year. I think we are going to put up our "family" tree up next weekend. We like to make an event out of it while the 3 of us decorate it. I think I am going to make cookies & hot cocoa for a treat while we are listening to Christmas music as we decorate.

When do you put up your tree?

This morning we "installed" the rest of my mom's birthday present I posted about a couple weeks ago. To go along with the pillows, I was able to finish the curtains the week before Thanksgiving. Since I was hosting the holiday, today was the first time I could get over there to hang them and make sure everything looked okay, plus I needed to take pictures to show you. :)

My mom has been itching to make some changes to her home so I offered to make her some new pillows & curtains to "spruce up" the living room for her birthday.

Here are some pictures:

I'm Linking up to:

Making the World Cuter Monday

Motivate Me Mondays' @ Keeping it Simple

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight, and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! I can help you with any of that. Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Our Thanksgiving

2011-11-25T18:32:00.000-08:00

Hope you had a wonderful Thanksgiving with your loved ones! We sure did. We truly are so grateful for all we have been blessed with. We shared it with my mom, good friends and their kids. I was much more prepared than at Reed's birthday party so I was able to actually able to enjoy our guests instead of being tied to the kitchen cooking. It was so much more enjoyable. It only has taken me 37 years to figure it out how to plan better....

Thanks to Pinterest, I was able to get my ideas in one place and plan out how I was going to decorate the table and what I was making all in one spot about a week ahead of time I made a game plan. While I was digging for what napkins I was going to use on Thanksgiving, I ended up organizing my china cabinet and was inspired by all the slightly tarnished silver pieces I had and the warm wood of the bread board to create this year's tablescape. I just loved the juxtaposition of the combination to create a warm and welcoming feel. Isn't that what we all want to create in our home, especially this time of year?

When the guests arrived, we had crackers, cheese, meats, nuts and dried fruit displayed on my new bread board while we dinner was finishing up. I had it on the center of the kitchen table, but it was making us too nervous with Reed's dairy allergies so we had to put it up on the breakfast bar so he couldn't get into anything. Jeff moved it before I realized I still needed a picture. Not ideal to have it hanging off the counter, but have to be safe, right?

I created the tablescape with items I already had and just added burlap I bought to make into a runner...I was going to make this one, HERE for Thanksgiving, but realized that since we were using both leaves in the table for the holiday-it would be too long for an everyday runner which I wanted it to be so I will sew it to the right length after the holidays. I think it will give a nice clean freshness come January when I crave things simple, simple, simple.

I made the napkin holder & placecard all in one using Faux Bois Paper to contrast with the more elegant china and then used these oil rubbed bronze metal chargers I found at Target 5 years ago to ground each placesetting. I still love them!

For the kids, I wanted to give them something to get a little excited about as we were all getting our food together and to occupy them at a lengthy meal. I saw this template in Martha Stewart's Living November issue to print out online and printed it on rustic paper and tied up a few crayons with raffia. It was a HIT!

I made a menu and sentiment sign for the food buffet.

I had hoped to get a picture of all the food displayed, but it all happened so quickly and everyone just started digging in. It was all yummy. I love when it's a group effort.

Here's a family picture we were able to capture...turns out 2 year olds don't like to sit still too long...he he

I linked up to:

Centsational Girl's Tablescape Party

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Handmade Gift

2011-11-17T07:40:00.000-08:00

Hi. Sorry for the lack of posts...I have been busy sewing trying to finish up my mom's birthday gift before I get wrapped up in the holidays.

Here is a sneak peak of part of the gift....

What do you think?

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Dining Room

2011-11-14T13:28:00.000-08:00

Hi! Hope you had a great weekend. We were busy still working on making our basement "habitable" for an indoor playground for the winter months for Reed to burn some energy. We aren't finishing it or anything, but cleaned it up, and hung white drapes from Ikea on cable rods to hide the storage/furnace areas. That alone brightens it up down there.

With Thanksgiving fast approaching...I thought I would share our dining room with you where we will be giving thanks with family & friends this year.

I would like to make some changes to it this year...my style has definitely evolved since I bought the "set" 8 years ago so I am thinking about what inexpensive, high impact changes in 2012 I can make to it to reflect my style now and to "mix" things up. :)

Join me for more dining room inspiration at:

Cottage & Vine's Room by Room: Dining Rooms

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Gallery Wall

2011-11-09T13:15:00.000-08:00

Hi-it is sooooooooo disgusting out today! When I left the house it was about 50 degrees and 2 hours later it dropped to upper 30’s, windy and rainy. Brrrrr…when we got home, Reed ran into the house and climbed up on a chair in the family room to snuggle in the down throw(this kid is a human furnace like his dad-so if he’s cold…).

Remember I showed you the yarn letter I made, HERE. Well, it is part of a gallery wall I have been wanting to do FOREVER….

Here it is, I am pretty pleased, not to say I won’t tweak it…that’s just what I do, but for my first attempt, I am happy. I am always my hardest critic.

Please ignore the paint mis-match spot….ugh(so much for computerized paint matching-don’t get me started)!!!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

It's what's for dinner...

2011-11-03T15:04:00.000-07:00

Today's weather is just soooo cold....it was in the 40's but rainy and soooo windy so it felt like it was in the 30's. After running a few errands this morning, I though nothing would be better than some hot soup and homemade bread for dinner. I can't wait to surprise Jeff with such a comforting dinner after coming in from the cold. :)

Here's the recipe...I think I am going to add some strips of parmesan cheese on top of each bowl. YUM!

http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/white-bean-sausage-stew-10000001875451/

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

My favorite mail day!!!!

2011-11-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

Last night Jeff tossed the mail on the table when he got home from work as I was preparing dinner and I couldn't almost contain myself when I saw the new Pottery Barn Holiday catalog peaking out of the stack. I get so stupid excited when the season's new issue comes out, especially the holiday one. I took a couple quick peaks before dinner and as soon as Reed was in bed, I made myself a cup of coffee, grabbed my down throw, the PB catalog and cozied up in a chair to pour over every detail and dog ear pages that I wanted to go back to. I can't be the only one this crazy for this darn store, right???? I love to shop there and I try to get as much as I can on sale or use a MyPoints giftcard or PB rewards, but these days, I am really finding I get soooo much inspiration to create something similar from them. I guess I am in a MAJOR crafting mode these days! Maybe this past year of living more frugally has changed me to be more creative.

As much as I love looking at the catalog and online images, to me nothing beats going to the store-I think you get so much more from seeing their product and displays in person.

Reed's nose has still been runny (not sure if it's a cold or allergies) so I thought I should keep him out of the childcare center where I work out one more day just to make sure he isn't sick (oh darn, wink wink).

It was a beautiful fall day so why not head over to the Commons where the local PB is and walk around and get some much needed exercise since I was ditching the gym and check out all the new stuff in person. So, this morning we got ourselves ready, drove through Starbucks for an Eggnogg Latte and an apple juice box for a treat to start us off this morning. Ohhhhh we had so much fun; I got so many ideas and added so many things to my 'wish list'. Thankfully, Reed is VERY well behaved 99% of the time and loves to "shop" so it makes it an enjoyable experience to take him shopping. I think it helps that I involve him with seeing stuff in the store. It's exciting for him too.

This was his favorite:

He wanted to look at each of them as if they were different. It was too cute.

Enough with my rambling, right...here are some of my favorites:

This was my find today! I have loved this round bread board since I first saw it this fall, and I was finally leaning toward just getting it and much to my surprise, it was ON SALE. I snatched it up so FAST! Can't wait to use it on Thanksgiving to display a hot dip with a cut up baquette for dipping. YUM.

Pretty much love anything in the Pollie Bird collection

These are much more scrumptious in person(see why it's ~~bad~~ good to go to the store to see in person)

It's nice to something besides a wreath on the front door. Not sure I will spring for it, but I sure do LOVE it!

Leaning toward the round lamp. I hope Santa is reading this post...

Mercury "Glass" Candles-they are beautiful in person

Icy Trees-not new this year, but I still covet them. Maybe I will get lucky this year and get them on sale.

Here are a couple pillow inspirations I saw for interpreting myself:

Burlap & Stencil???? It wouldn't be this elaborate...

"Life is but a dream"

Colors are all wrong for my bedroom, so I would just tweak the colors and I know a fantastic embroider (Kelly @ Tidbits) that I could hire :), but I just love the saying. I really feel like I am living a wonderful dream and this would remind me how blessed I am each and every day!

So, do you love PB as much as me? What have they inspired you to make? Where else do you get inspiration from?

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight, and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!
Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Day 31 Finale: easy green

2011-11-01T08:54:00.000-07:00

Thanks for joining me the last 31 days....

I hope you have enjoyed these 31 posts about Green Living and are inspired to implement some into your day to day life. I am sooooo passionate about making choices to live greener and my hope for all of you is to live safer, healthier and be mindful of our environment too. :)

I would love to hear what changes you have made so far or what you hope to do in the future!

For the Finale...just a few more EASY tips that can make a BIG difference.

Bring Your Own

mug or thermos to your favorite coffee spot

Lose Your Shoes

Wiping your feet on a doormat before you step inside is good, but removing your shoes all together is even better. Studies show that we bring dangerous pesticides and chemicals into our homes on our feet. Taking off your shoes is one of the simplest and most important things anyone can do.

Focus on the Details

Redecorate sustainably. Replacing accessories can make as big a visual impact as new furniture.

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight, and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can make a difference in your life!
Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

It's a Bird...It's a Plane...It's SUPER REED

2011-10-31T19:06:00.000-07:00

Reed had an absolute BLAST trick or treating for the first time this year! I wasn't sure he was even going to put on his costume since he seems to have come down with a little cold and woke up in the middle of his nap not feeling well. But, after a good nap, he was ready to dress up and then his friends stopped by and we all went trick or treating for a little while.

I decide to make him his costume this year, a new Super Hero, "SUPER REED".

I got the idea from HERE, but surprisingly felt it needed a little more embellishment on the shirt & cape. :)

Join me at these Link Parties:

'Get Your Craft On' @ Today's Creative Blog

'Show Me What Ya Got' @ Not Just A Housewife

'Tuesday's Treasures' @ My Uncommon Slice of Suburbia

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can help you.

Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Day 30: green kids

2011-10-31T11:21:00.000-07:00

Happy Halloween!!!

As a continuation of yesterday's post on keeping our children's environments healthy, let's talk about ways to make our kids' environments Green.

Pass Up Toxic Toys

These toy brands have a track record for safety:

Sprig Toys

Holgate Toys

LEGO

Melissa & Doug

North Star Toys

Play Green

I am seeing more and more "living green" inspired toys these days. For example, Reed has a Recycling truck...that sure wasn't around when we were growing up. Also, how cute is this dollhouse?
It has a windmill, solar panels, a rain barrel, and recycling bins starts eco-habits early.

Green dollhouse, $240; plantoysusa.com

Here’s an online “green” toy store:

planethappytoys.com

Pack Waste-Free Lunches

Everything in Kids Konserve's kit -- from cloth napkin to sandwich wrap to stainless-steel containers -- can be used again and again.

kidskonserve.com

Be a Green example

Kids learn more from what we do than what we say. If you incorporate green practices into everyday living, they will think this is just what should be done and develop these important habits for themselves.
Children are like looking into a mirror...do you like what you see?

Wishing you a safe and Happy Halloween!

If you want to provide a safe and healthy home for your family, I'd love to speak with you.

Email me:greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Day 29: green babies

2011-10-30T09:29:00.000-07:00

Our children...we want to provide them the best, safest world we can. Healthy Child Healthy World-a national nonprofit that educates consumers on how to create healthful environments.

When you are setting up your child's nursery (or re-doing their room), use no VOC paint, non-toxic furniture and natural rugs that won't off-gas. Use only non-toxic cleaners in their rooms and wash or at least put stuffed animals in the dryer once a month to rid them of dust mites.

Here are some ideas for making your baby's environment as safe and green as possible:

Glass Bottles

I decided to go with good old-fashioned glass bottles even though BPA free is supposed to be safe. I like to take as much plastic out of the equation, then there is never a question.

Cloth Diapers

It's expected that a baby will go through 5000-6000 diapers in their first 2 years of life. That's horrifying to think about the amount of diapers going into the landfill!!!

As a typical mom to be, I was overzealous about doing everything "right". We did use cloth diapers in the beginning while we were at home and did the disposable when out and about. As Reed got older, they seemed to be too small even though they were on the largest size and he fussed when they were on. Oh well...at least I saved some diapers from going into the landfill.

Here are some popular brands of cloth diapers:

You can find them at diapers.com

gdiapers

FuzziBunz

BumGenius

Baby Care

Look for bath wash, lotion and diaper cream with safe ingredients, especially no parabens & phthalates.

Try Shaklee's Baby Care line

Make Baby Food

This can sound daunting...but I assure you, after a few times, you will have it down pat and be so glad you are giving your baby the healthiest food. We felt so strongly about this-and wanted Reed to be familiar with what good food tastes like.

They have fun baby food makers out now:

I must admit though, we did it the "old-fashioned" way with a pot, blender and strainer. At the time, the Beaba Baby Cook wasn't BPA free and for almost $150, I couldn't justify the cost. And I will tell you, I was able to make baby food just fine with my method, I just had more dirty dishes. But, I would just pick an afternoon and blitz out a baby food making session and freeze it all to last weeks. I did buy several storage containers such as these and a cookbook to give me recipes for pureeing for each stage of eating.

For your overall baby needs:

I love this site!

giggle.com

If you want to provide a safe and healthy home for your family, email me:

greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Day 28: Viva Terra

2011-10-29T07:01:00.000-07:00

Have you heard about the online store Viva Terra?

It's just recently been brought to my attention again and I realized it's all about Inspired Green Living with eco sensitivities, purest ingredients, sustainable resources and quite frankly some GORGEOUS products!!!!

Here are just a few that I am loving...

Go check them out and start your holiday shopping!

http://www.vivaterra.com/

All of us are trying to make positive changes in our lives, whether it is creating a cleaner, safer home for our families, getting healthier, losing weight, and/or staying as youthful and vibrant as we can! Shaklee provides a HEALTHIER LIFE for everyone and a BETTER LIFE for anyone!

I would love to speak with you on how Shaklee's products can help you.
Email Me: greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Day 27: recycling electronics

2011-10-28T11:58:00.000-07:00

Soon, the holidays will be here and you may be taking advantage of all the great electronic sales available.

Our laptop is on it's way out, so I was glad to discover we don't just have to throw it in the garbage.

Here are some simple ways to recycle your unwanted electronics:

Computers

If your computer is less than five years old and in working condition, consider donating it to a nonprofit organization such as the National Cristina Foundation, which refurbishes computers for disadvantaged or disabled individuals.

If your computer -- or another personal electronic device -- is not in working condition, Staples offers an in-store recycling program. Staples will recycle used computers, printers, monitors, and laptops for a $10 fee. Small electronics, computer accessories, such as mice and keyboards, PDAs, rechargeable batteries, and all Dell-branded computers and printers can be recycled at Staples stores for free.

Cell Phones

Old cell phones, working or broken, can be donated along with chargers to the Wireless Foundation Call to Protect Program, which refurbishes phones for survivors of domestic violence.

GreenPhone will give consumers and businesses cash or instant credit toward another device in exchange for unwanted, intact cell phones.

Do you want…

Healthy Home?
Healthy Nutrition?
Healthy Weight?
Healthy Beauty?

If so, I’d love to speak with you and share with you how Shaklee can make a difference in your life!
Email Me @greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

Day 26: green carpet

2011-10-27T12:18:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh, carpet. As much as I love wood floors, I do love the coziness of carpet, especially as we head into the colder months. We have lived in our current home for about 5 1/2 years already...wow how time flies and some carpet areas are not looking so good. We went with the popular frieze in a polyester fiber. We have been so disappointed with how it has held up- but now I know that polyester is NOT good for high traffic areas. That's exactly where our carpet is so matted down. I guess it pays to do your research. Someday in the next couple years I know we are going to have to replace it. I have been wondering what our options are to replace without all the off-gassing? (VOC's have made me literally ill twice recently so I clearly have become extremely sensitive to them) I am so pleased to see that we do have safe choices.

Of course, natural fibers are the ideal choice for no off gassing. Wool carpeting is the Be All, End All of carpeting. That's what was put into homes once upon a time. Then enter the synthetic fibers to mimic wool and be less cost prohibitive. Wool is naturally stain resistant and durable so we would not have to replace it for a long, long, long time (I won't be going for anything trendy, here). The downside is the initial cost although I think it would save money in the long run. I do wonder about it's softness, however. I notice even 5% wool in a sweater, these days.

On the other hand, I am pleased to see that there are finally some green options for synthetic carpets. Many carpet manufacturers are using recycled carpet to make "new" carpeting so this is helping keeping carpet waste out of landfills tremendously. What's recently come to my attention is the Green Label Plus Indoor Air Quality symbol that verifies the carpet you are considering is low-VOC and won't emit harmful gases into you home's air.

If you are considering new carpet, you can go to the Carpet & Rug Institute's website to see what brands/styles have this label:

http://www.carpet-rug.org/commercial-customers/green-building-and-the-environment/green-label-plus/index.cfm

Do you want…

Healthy Home?
Healthy Nutrition?
Healthy Weight?
Healthy Beauty?

If so, I’d love to speak with you and share with you how Shaklee can make a difference in your life!
Email Me @greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

31 Days to Green Living day 25: green yarn

2011-10-26T13:26:00.000-07:00

Sorry I am a day behind...something came up that I was unable to post yesterday, but I will give you all 31 days. :)

Knitting and yarn projects are soooo popular these days. One of these days I hope to actually take a knitting class. There is a store near me that has such scrumptious yarns that they make me want to learn to knit...I am imagining knitted scarves as Christmas presents. Hmmm, maybe next year.

How can you be sure you are purchasing "kinder knits"?

A certified humane or USDA organic raw wool label means the sheep were raised sustainably and humanely, but it doesn't cover the processing of the wool. If the yarn itself is labeled GOTS (Global Organic Textile Standard), then it was processed with low-impact chemicals. Look for one of three types of dyes: Oeko-Tex certified are free of lead; fiber- reactive won't run off in wastewater; and cold patch dyes use less energy, water, and chemicals. Purchase organic yarns from O-woo l or the Green Mountain Spinnery, or find local shops through knitmap.com.

Do you want…

Healthy Home?
Healthy Nutrition?
Healthy Weight?
Healthy Beauty?

If so, I’d love to speak with you and share with you how Shaklee can make a difference in your life!
Email Me @greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

31 Days of Green Living day 24: non-toxic nail polish

2011-10-24T17:21:00.000-07:00

I love a great nail polish. I am always a sucker for the newest colors of the season. Power Clutch by Essie is my new fave for Fall. These days, I mostly get pedicures by yours truly and I want to make sure I am using a safer polish.

Most of the major polish brands are going "big three free," meaning they've taken the most well known toxic ingredients--formaldehyde, toluene and dibutyl phthalate (DBP)--out of their formulas.

The 2 brands I tend to use are Essie & Nars for both a “safer” alternative and the durability I get with them.

I have heard a lot of press about Piggy Paint being safe as well and it’s water-based. Would be great for little girls, too.

Do you want…

Healthy Home?
Healthy Nutrition?
Healthy Weight?
Healthy Beauty?

If so, I’d love to speak with you and share with you how Shaklee can make a difference in your life!
Email Me @greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com

31 Days to Green Living day 23: recycled bows

2011-10-23T18:43:00.000-07:00

VIA

With the holidays upon us…give some thought to doing some creative “green” giftwrap of things you already have around the house, paper bags, newspapers, fabric scraps to name a few. Feeling crafty? I found a clever idea from who else, Martha for recycled magazine page bows. I think these are way prettier than the standard ones you buy at the stores!

You can find the full tutorial HERE.

I linked up to:
Motivate Me Monday @ Keeping it Simple Blo g

Do you want…
Healthy Home?
Healthy Nutrition?
Healthy Weight?
Healthy Beauty?

If so, I’d love to speak with you and share with you how Shaklee can make a difference in your life!
Email Me @greenwaylifeandhome@gmail.com