detox day two

 just in one day of cutting out sugars and grains my jeans aren't as skinny. i'm feeling a little less puffy and i'm craving chocolate. all in that order. i haven't kicked coffee yet but it's on the horizon. i want to be at the very least a casual coffee drinker. you know, the kind that doesn't need it. the time that i enjoy it the most is in the morning during my quiet time. is God challenging me in this area? yes. i'm working on being obedient. tear. speaking of challenges: gossiping (ugh why is it so hard not to vent) and a child that was full tilt no nap. makes not sneaking in a little cupcake/cheat meal hard. here's to small victories!

i woke up and drank a lot of water which is the best way for your body to start the day. we had a similar breakfast as yesterday and headed to the park. the weather has been rockin'.

for lunch i made this. it is a go-to and matilda loves it too. i left out the potatoes and threw in kale, peppers, etc. i also used just a tiny bit of turkey bacon and goat feta. have you tried goat feta? i suggest you do.

because i did yoga last night i wanted a light dinner so i made the green smoothie.

i also want to stress the importance of working exercise in to your daily routine. this is an area that i definitely struggle in. my mom is a great example and inspires me to do yoga. i am very proud of her, she's going to school to be a yoga instructor in the fall!

just ease in. even a ten minute walk can work wonders for your body and mind.

tips for motivation
when sam and i detoxed the first time i found it really motivating and rewarding to buy myself cute workout clothes. may sound silly but i wanted to feel cute and spending that extra cash motivated me to make sure those clothes got sweaty. my favorite splurge is lululemon but i realize it's expensive. target actually has super cute workout gear. how cute is this?

in terms of exercise, moderate walking or a slower paced yoga is great during a detox. you'll have plenty of time to kick that in to gear once you reintroduce healthy grains.

read healthy magazines and books. i love yoga journal and whole living and i'm currently reading born to run. i get inspired by watching other people live healthy lives. i also typically avoid all things food network and/or baking related for these two weeks.

* photo

detox day one

my new roots tarragon green bean salad for whole living

people always ask me how it feels to cut out grains and sugar. i thought i'd give you a play by play. keep in mind that i've been eating mostly this way for a year but have been off the wagon for a few weeks so your experience may be slightly different.

here is how my first day went:

for breakfast i had greek yogurt with my montana huckleberry jam (from my brother jake) and almond butter. i used a tiny amount of jam. i work on mondays and usually don't have a chance to eat until later in the day so i tend to grab a handful of nuts which tides me over. i definitely don't hold back when it comes to nuts. i eat a lot.

sunday night we made the green bean salad and bbq chicken because my beans were going bad. it rocked! seriously. loved it and it made for fabulous leftovers the next day. it was perfect to take to work. i ate it cold and it was heavenly. after lunch i wanted a little pick-me-up. i had a cup of english breakfast tea and it was perfect (albeit i was craving this).

after work i was feeling pretty beat and my dogs were barking not to mention that i got a friendly little visitor (if you know what i mean) leaving me feeling more exhausted than normal. i decided to skip my run and prop my feet up instead.

for dinner we made our favorite tacos which i put over baby kale and it was awesome! the black beans and guacamole were so satisfying. seriously great.

did i want a glass of wine? yes. did i have one? no.

ps this is a great recipe website i found via lovely morning. please feel free to share any great healthy recipes that you have and/or non-orthopedic comfortable cute shoe recommendations. thanks! i would love to create a support system here for anyone else attempting a lifestyle change.

how to: nutritional detox

power foods. on my wish list.

let me start by saying that i am not a nutritionist. ok, that said, this is my guide on how we do a nutritional detox. sam and i have been gorging on donuts and ice cream and pizza lots of pizza. whenever we can see that we are sort of  falling off the wagon we tighten the reigns (better than tight pants i always say) and do a detox. perfect for a jump start to a healthier lifestyle, to cut a sugar addiction, or as a post-vacation rx. even if you cut out sugar and grains for a week you'll feel so much better. perfect for leading up to labor day!

i'm also going to start over on my couch to 5k plan. done.

ok, that is enough talk (said in my best jillian michaels voice). here is my detox plan for this week:

monday
breakfast- egg muffins
snacks- raw organic walnuts
lunch- baby kale salad with cherry tomatoes, balsamic vinegar dressing, and red onions
dinner- turkey tacos with raw salsa and raw cheddar cheese plus black beans

tuesday
breakfast- greek yogurt with almond butter and a little bit of homemade jam
snacks- raw nuts
lunch- leftover taco salad
dinner- organic bbq (make sure you check the bottle for NO high fructose syrup) chicken with green bean salad

wednesday
breakfast- green smoothie
snacks- celery dipped in almond butter or hummus
lunch- leftover green bean salad
dinner- grass-fed beef burgers with grilled vegetables

thursday
breakfast- baby kale and onion fritatta
snacks- small plain greek yogurt with cinnamon and a little honey
lunch- mixed greens with leftover grilled veggies and italian dressing
dinner- sweet bison chili

friday
breakfast- fried egg and turkey bacon (nitrate free)
snacks- raw nuts
lunch- leftover chili
dinner- warm endive and fennel salad

saturday
breakfast- green smoothie
snacks- celery dipped in hummus
lunch- grilled zucchini pizza
dinner- coconut chicken (season unsweetened shredded coconut, dip chicken first in egg then coat in coconut, lightly saute in coconut oil) served with with peanut sauce and broccoli

sunday
breakfast- scrambled eggs with herbs and gorgonzola cheese
snacks- raw nuts
lunch- leftover chicken and peanut sauce with broccoli
dinner- leftover zucchini pizza

other important notes:
just say no to alcohol (even red wine) for two weeks or longer...
drinks lots of water
if you need a sweet fix, eat a handful of strawberries
reheat food in oven or on stove (not in microwave)
before you make a grocery list, plan your menu. i also clean out my refrigerator before a detox.

ps if you play along, i'd love to hear from you. feel free to ask any questions in the comment section.

rachel's birthday fiesta!

matt threw the most insanely perfect fiesta for rachel on friday night. the food was outofcontrol: stuffed peppers, grilled marinated pork, grilled cream of corn (cream of grilled corn?), spicy beans, etc. my mom made the best chocolate cake you've ever tasted PLUS matt got sublime to make rachel birthday donuts. my super crafty sister made the incredible fringe banners and lantern out of tissue paper. it was so pretty!

cuban records were spinning, the pinata was busted, and margaritas were surely consumed. i loved seeing rachel so happy and surrounded by so many people that love her. it was a fantastic party!

stay tuned tomorrow for how i plan on to get back on track to eating healthy. the birthday month has made me wild.

friday senses

seeing matilda grow up before my eyes. "matilda, how old are you?" "i'll be three on my birthday."
tasting black bean and corn salad (for tonight's fiesta) that i snuck a few bites of.
smelling the dog days of summer + cut grass.
hearing the tea kettle whistle. day two of no coffee. more on that later.
feeling excited about my sister's birthday party tonight. happy birthday rachel!!
reading prayer by richard foster.
loving this homemade pinata from oh happy day.


that fantastic fiesta flyer was designed by rachel's talented boyfriend matt. how cute is that?
see other friday senses here and here.

diy kindle or nook case

wednesday was a really great day. i had dinner here with my dad and rach and i got to check something off my bucket list: see stevie nicks in concert.

she was other worldly. so beautiful and i teared up twice during the concert. it was such a special, wonderful experience to share with my sister. that same day sam came home with a kindle! he works for a seriously generous company who gifted him with one and i always say, "what's mine is mine and what's yours is mine." isn't that the definition of marriage? if i had a gazillion dollars i would have bought this case, but instead i thought of the perfect excuse to use my glorious new fabric. i downloaded my first "book." it's already making me re-think so many things...

for now, make your own kindle cover! for this tutorial you will need:

2 pieces of outer fabric (9.5" x 6.25")

2 pieces of inner fabric (9.5" x 6.25")

2 pieces of lightweight interfacing or fusible fleece (9.5" x 6.25")

cord or elastic cording (3")
a button of your choice
embroidery floss




i started out by measuring my fabric, leaving an inch around the kindle. this is a great way to get this tutorial to work for a nook or ipad. once i got the dimensions i cut out the pieces. because i've already pre-measured this step will not be necessary for the kindle.



start out by cutting out six pieces: 2 outer fabrics, 2 liner fabrics, and 2 pieces of interface. i used fleece as the liner so i used a lightweight interfacing and followed the manufacturers instructions by ironing it to the exterior fabric. if you weren't using a soft fabric like fleece or felt on the inside, i would recommend using fusible fleece as the padding and then following the instructions.


then i took the piece that would be the "back" of the cover and folded it in half. i made a mark and then placed the elastic cord evenly on either side. sew 1/4" from the edge and then trim excess elastic.



next sew the outer fabrics right sides together. sew down three sides (start 1/4" from the top and work your way down all sides minus the top). repeat with the liner fabric but leave a 3" gap at the bottom for turning out. clip bottom corners.



then turn liner fabric right side out and place it inside the outer fabric (still inside out) pin all along the top and then sew outer and inner fabrics together at the top.


 then turn inside out through hole in bottom of liner fabric. use a point turner or chop stick to make bottom corners nice and sharp. once all corners are poked out, sew by hand or machine the bottom hole closed in the liner. then place liner inside the pouch and press.


then top stitch the top all the way around to keep liner and outer fabrics together.



the last step is to place your button where the elastic will fit snugly around it and the folded over fabric won't cover it. i made marks with a fading marker and then sewed the button on with a bright embroidery floss.



that's it! if you have any questions, feel free to ask them in the comments.






ps LOVING your responses to "the pledge." let's start a revolution. imagine what would happen?!

gossip.

so, writing this post makes me a tinge uncomfortable. i'm nervous of where to even begin so i'm just gonna jump right in. the other day when i was reading the celebration of discipline i came to the chapter on service. typically when i think of "service" i think of missions or casseroles. right? one of the things that richard foster says that stood out to me the most was "the service of guarding the reputation of others" and that "there is a discipline in holding one's tongue that works wonders within us."

i confess that i have gossiped plenty. i am no saint in this regard. when i told sam i was feeling compelled to write a post on gossip he said, "that's right up your alley." ouch. people get on my nerves and then naturally i want to "vent." venting isn't gossiping, right? it is so easy for me to justify talking about other people. there are some rude people in this world, but i'm called to be "the bigger person." it's essential i take the high road and that i pray for my enemies.

i have also been gossiped about. that's a fun little treat. i've fallen victim to several "friends" both christian and otherwise. i think that one of the biggest challenges in the christian community is keeping things in confidence. gossiping is shown as "concern" when in reality it's a slippery slope folks. no judgements, just sayin'.

i've worked in customer service in one way or another for 15 years now. gulp. i've worked mostly with women, waiting on women. as beth moore says in esther: it's tough being a woman, "so many of our problems as women are... other women". sisters! why are we so mean to each other? i know that the majority of negative things that i've said about other people stem from my own insecurities: i want to be liked, i'm not as pretty as they are, they dress cuter than i do, they're smarter than me, they hurt my feelings, ad nauseum. the biggest and most frequent cause of my trash talking comes from mind-reading. oh yea totally guilty. i make assumptions of why people do things and go from there.

so today i am making a pledge to shut.up.

leave a comment if you want to join me. it won't be easy. i'm sure i'll screw up, but each time we bite our tongue we will be growing. we've been given so much grace, it's time to pass it on.

*photo

introducing: what til wore

{top: oeuf, belt: magnolia leather works, skinny jeans: gap, shoes: livie and luca}

on instagram (i'm homemadegrits in case you are so inclined) i tend to post these daily pictures of matilda on the stairs. i love that last image of her before i head off to a busy day at work. she always takes her sweet time getting down the stairs so i can usually snag some cute shots. she talks to the bugs, looks at the flowers. we should all appreciate such things.

a few awesome girls like hannah, natalie and christy suggested i start a blog column featuring matilda's fashion of the day. i think natalie called it "what matilda wore." i liked that so i copied her. i love fashion, especially kids fashion. because i like to take and post pictures of my offspring, i loved the idea of matilda having her own column. so that's that.

yesterday we went and met our friends at the park. the playground can be an overwhelming place for me. there are a million ways for kids to hurt themselves (deep breath). since matilda already has a busted lip i really didn't want to add to the growing collection of wounds. she was all over the highest slide and the very scary ladder. take a chill pill you say?

the weather has been phenomenal lately and i jump at any chance i get to hang with our friends. jen and katie have been such great friends and motherhood allies to me. i love and respect them both as people so much. they have great kids too and i'm thankful they're matilda's friends.

i've learned something recently when it comes to the meltdowns. my new thing is that when the screaming begins or matilda seems to be over stimulated- we are out of there. i hate missing out and i don't want her to miss out, but this approach seems to be working. like when she grabbed some kid's chips and was furious i wouldn't let her carry them (half opened) across the playground so she could give them to the kid. snatch, grab and go.

gratitudes

because i have a major case of the mondays... i'm going to list things i am grateful for in no particular order:

i am grateful:

that i managed to finish this little flower girl dress.

for my adorable matilda. she got her first busted lip last night and was over it in less than a minute. tough.

for dinner with great friends.

for a date with my sister on wednesday to see one of my heroes from the sixth row!!! thanks daddy!

that we're pre-gaming here.

that i was sent pictures of two of my favorite little people with green mustaches after they drank this.

that i had such an awesome mail day (replacement part to my trash can-don't judge, september's whole living and this print)!

that it's my oldest friend's birthday. send her some love!

for phone calls with my big hearted brother.

for a husband that has dinner and wine waiting for me when i get home from a long day. he really is the best.

that i'm feeling better already.

ps the bachelor pad is total trash and i watched it. shameful. with that said... team ames.

simple pleasures

speaking of simplicity, these are some recent simple pleasures that i have been LOVING:

1. date night. we went to the chicken and the egg which felt completely out of body. we are so not spoiled when it comes to dining out in marietta, so this place was the jam! we tried several cocktails including the debutant ball (as shown above). they were all the bomb. i would go there just for drinks, but lucky for us the food was good too. i had the burger but look forward to trying their cobb salad. the banana pudding was also pretty tasty. hello bananas that have been soaked in bourbon. yeah, i'm down with you. we finished our date night with this epic ending. tear. so great. i literally fist pumped (bumped?) at the end.

2. shelling pistachios. who knew that the simple act of shelling would make me feel totally at peace. matilda was tearin' the house up, but i didn't care. just sat there shelling. i made this for dinner. i loved it. didn't get a huge round of applause from the carnivore.

3. standing on the hot porch barefoot, drinking ice water with lemon. so simple yet totally refreshing. working in retail, my feet take a beating. this always feels so good.

4. supporting the handmade community. i went to this fun event thrown by west elm + my girl ginny. i bought the most amazing handprinted fabric from the nicest girl.

5. the most wonderful pleasure i've been experiencing recently is my morning coffee, outdoors with this book and my heavenly father. really can't say enough about it.

6. hanging with the cutest little girl i know. tantrums and all. recently everything is "or something." "mama, is your hair wet or something" "mama, is that guinness or something." crack me up. i got her the raddest sweater ever from h+m. i might have swung in there post etsy event. whoops!

7. yoga. went to the most amazing mixed anusara class. i'm still sore! it felt ridiculously good.

hope your weekend is full of simple pleasures. what are yours? talking about them makes me happy. i have grilling out fajitas to look forward to, some much needed family time, church and soaking up the last bits of summer goodness. who am i kidding? we have at least two more months...

simplicity

1/2 (recent pins)

i've been reading this book over the last week and i have to tell you that although i've had it for years i just now got around to reading it and that is a crying shame. each chapter offers so much information on growing stronger in your faith. the chapter that i've found to be most challenging (other than fasting) has been simplicity. i would classify myself as a maximalist (different than a hoarder people) so simplifying doesn't necessarily come easily. after reading this great quote from coco chanel: "when accessorizing always take off the last thing you put on," i've toned down my outfit choices but the other areas of my life could still use some work.

specifically i've been trying to home in (always thought it was hone didn't you) on my inward and outward compulsions. inward: checking email & social network sites more often than i'd like to admit (can i only check them once a day?). outward: getting new clothing to keep up with fashion instead of having a classic, simple wardrobe (the older i get the more i appreciate a simple pair of jeans with a striped shirt for instance).

this is where i'm at.

i'm going to take major strides to simplify because clutter makes me feel crazy and really that's not helpful. speaking of crazy... i'll be watching three kids under three today. wish me luck!

ps the adorable shop i work with is giving away $50 towards my favorite kids line: tea! tell them i sent you...

tomato salad with mozzarella

first of all let me please say that i am beyond grateful for all of the kind emails, comments, texts, phone calls, etc that i received after writing this post. i feel eternally grateful to have an incredible outlet/ support system here and in real life. how could i not be cheered up after reading comments like, "hi my name is heather and i have a screamer too" and "like my Grandmother used to say - 'there's not much a good cry, and honest prayer, and a stiff drink can't help'?" i hope that i can lift your spirits one day too. i am so happy to report that the next fews days (ones that didn't involve celebrating past her bedtime) were much smoother and yesterday morning at church was a breeze! she was happy as a lark. no screaming!

as a thank you for all of your encouragement i wanted to share a recipe that i created for my mom's birthday dinner. this is a super easy tomato salad that i've enjoyed over mixed greens at work as well! makes a great side dish or main meal (if you're not my husband who only thinks it's a meal if there's meat). i was inspired after a trip to whole foods (great source of food inspiration) when i saw that the loose cherry tomato medleys were on sale.

tomato salad with fresh mozzarella
1-1.5 lbs of mixed cherry tomatoes

handful of fresh basil

1 T of herbs de provence

one container of fresh mozzarella balls

1/4 c olive oil

juice of 1/2 a lemon

1/4 t of raw honey

1 clove of garlic, minced

pinch of good sea salt + fresh ground pepper

in a separate bowl whisk together spices, olive oil, honey, lemon and garlic. in a large bowl add tomatoes, julienned basil, and mozzarella balls (i cut mine in half). cover with dressing and gently toss. allow the flavors to marry in the refrigerator for a few hours prior to serving. this salad screams summer and is a great way to use up the basil and tomatoes from your garden!

ps i am guest posting over on bridget's blog today. if you don't read her blog you are really missing out.

fail.

this week i made my daughter a dress. i spent hours looking through my fabric to find just the right combination. i spent more time laboring over making a new pattern, redid the pattern, made 123048574896583 mistakes, worked with teeny tiny bias tape, and this is how it turned out. huge, full of errors. i could not wait to get the dress on matilda. she cried hysterically. she didn't like it either. it will fit her when she's 12. for now it's a maxi dress.

this dress pretty much sums up my internal life right now: nothing's good enough. i can't seem to please anyone, including myself. praying big time for clarity in my life. also praying that God would do a work on my heart. that when squeezed i would produce the fruits of the spirit and not bitterness and frustration.

get the print here.

also, it has been anything but cake raising an almost three year old lately and everyone seems to have the solution and wants to tell me what i'm doing wrong. it's exhausting. throw your hands in the air exhausting. matilda has always been a screamer. i don't know when or how it started but it has been at least since she was 18 months old. it's so embarrassing and people make these judgy faces and she did it on sunday when we dropped her off at the nursery at church and everyone was like, "wow, that's intense"!

i have tried everything and i'm just coming to terms with the fact that it's most likely a phase. i just love her so much and she's the sweetest girl. i think she is having major toddler power struggles. we're also potty training so when i put her in her bed for time out she pees. on purpose. all over the bed. pray for me please, that i would be able to guide her and help her to use all of that energy and might for good. i am just terrified that i'm going to screw up.

-sincerely crazed mother

birthdays! partay!

yesterday my entire family went to eat at this little columbian restaurant on the square. my dad was there too but i was too distracted by matilda acting crazy to get a good picture of him. we ate a lot of fried food: plaintains, yukka, pork rinds. so. good. we were celebrating jake's birthday. i'm so happy to have him home. he's been away for months working on organic farms in montana. i love my brother so much. baby bro.

for dinner i had the half roasted chicken which was slow cooked and then flash fried. shut up. i have to say though that my favorite parts of the meal were the chickpea salad and the lentil soup. divinity. then because it was jake's birthday they sent over some cheesecake from their sister bakery next store. can't.even.talk.about.it. go there now.


after talking to matt about his juice fast, i'm thinking i need to get on that train. we were both so inspired by this movie. can you believe that a year ago today sam and i embarked on changing our lives by eating organic, healthy food (99% of the time)? i'm going to do a victory post specifically dedicated to that if i can get a chance this week. busy, busy.


for now i will leave you with what i allow matilda to do in restaurants to keep her happy:




and a very happy birthday to my mama! yes, their birthdays are a day apart. lots of celebrating this week...

sew!

good morning! how was your weekend? we had the best sunday. it included church (kris is back hooray), sewing, ice cream with my dad and a lovely grilled dinner courtesy of my fine husband. we have been consuming far too much sugar so no mas until next weekend at least.

this tiny fete dress was created for one of my favorite little girls, willow. thus, i have dubbed it the willow dress (the creativity just doesn't stop around here). i want to name my dresses after babes they were created for. fun, no? willow loves pirates so it was imperative that the pirate ship be represented. because the body fabric has so much shazam we opted for pockets to keep the fabrics from competing too much. i also lined the pockets with a fuchsia and white striped fabric. they are curved and deep to hold whatever trinkets are necessary for the day. whatcha think?

i want to sew, sew, sew this week. also, my brother will be in town straight from a montana farm. can't wait to see him!

if you live in marietta you are probably as excited as i am that this restaurant is opening today. let's go out and support good food.

ps it's august (say what) aka the month of family birthdays... starting tomorrow!