Years & an Ocean

I made a book pic for our novel Years & an Ocean. What do you think?

Heavy Metal Detox

There are heavy metals all around us :

• Mercury from our water, thermometers, thermostats and teeth amalgams
• Lead from pipes, drains and smoldering materials
• Arsenic is released into the environment in the making of chemicals and glasses, and by the smelting process of copper, zinc and lead
• Countless more heavy metals enter your body via exposure to pesticides, batteries, steel, alloys, dyes, and steel.

Having large amounts of these, accumulating over time, can lead to fatigue, headaches or in extreme cases, a serious disease. To eliminate these from our systems there are a few simple thing you can do. 

1-Eat a highly alkaline, organic diet.  A lot of greens, raw soups and smoothies help draw the toxin out of your system. 

2-Do an essential oil cleanse. Using doTERRA's CPTG oils, you can do a cleanse at home. 

The protocol is:

2 drops cilantro essential oil
2 drops cinnamon essential oil
2 drops clove essential oil
2 drops oregano essential oil

Take these essential oils 2x a day in an empty veggie capsule for one week.

 I am NOT a doctor.  Please consult with your doctor prior to beginning a cleanse.

Keeping Fit

Life as an adult is BUSY! It's hard some days to fit in all the things on my must do list let alone the things I'd like to do. Some times dishes go un-done, laundry un-rotated, and the floor un-swept. I'm sure I'm not the only one. :)

So how can you fit in your busy lives time to work out? Do you have a spare hour to go to the gym? I'd love one, but right now in my life, it's not happening. The extra 15 mins each way I spend driving isn't worth my confusion on what to do with all the machines when I get there! Someday I'll get a personal trainer to really show me the ropes, but until then, I do work out videos at home.

I've tried a few and I've really enjoyed them, my favorites have been made by Beachbody. I have done quite a few. P90X, 21 Day Fix, Brazilian Butt Lift, and T25. My favorite is the 10 Min Trainer. It's the perfect way for me to customize the workout to how long I have each day. 10 mins today? No problem I'll work out--all out for those 10 mins and be sore the next day. (My sign of a workout that's working) The next time 30 mins etc... you get the idea. The cool part is the trainer is Tony Horton, from P90X. He is really funny and it helps you stay focused and motivated.

My Coach--the person you buy from-- is Missy Reber, @RockitMomFitness. She's the best and her challenge groups are always really motivating and engaging. You can tell she really knows her stuff and is there for you when you hit a rough patch. 

So tell me friends, what do you do to stay in shape? Do you have a favorite workout, gym or are you a running superstar? I'd love to hear about it! :)

Cleaning Naturally

I love spring cleaning! No not the long day of scrubbing or the constant whine from my children of "Are we done yet?" But when everything has been de-junked, and polished and scrubbed, the house not only smells fantastic, it feels pretty darn good too!

I used to have a whole closet dedicated to all my cleaning supplies. A bottle of something for windows, another for showers, one for stove tops, and another for the floors. And I was always nervous that one of my kids would get into it and ruin the carpet with the bleach or worse ingest it. Now, I'm almost 100% natural/ green cleaners. 

Since joining doTERRA, I've learned about how powerful essential oils are and recognized not only the medicinal uses but also their practical around-the- house uses as well. I also use vinegar and backing soda as handy cleaners as well. 

One of my favorite products to use is the On Guard Cleaner Concentrate. It's a small bottle that packs a real punch.

Here's the product info: On Guard Cleaner Concentrate is designed to be the ideal natural cleaner. It is fortified with dōTERRA’s proprietary On Guard Protective Blend of Wild Orange, Clove Bud, Cinnamon, Eucalyptus, and Rosemary CPTG essential oils that provide natural protection against certain environmental factors. This powerful essential oil blend is combined with plant based derivatives that provide a non-toxic and biodegradable way to clean and eliminate odors so it is safe for loved ones as well as the environment. The multi-purpose capabilities of On Guard Cleaner Concentrate make it perfect to expertly clean hard surfaces in  the kitchen, bathroom, or any room leaving behind a clean and invigorating scent.

No harsh chemically smell, fans on and windows down. It's safe to use around children, pets and those with asthma. 

**This post isn't sponsored. Just sharing golden nuggets as I find ‘em. 

Walking by Beauty

A while ago there was a social experiment where Josua Bell, the violinist played at the L’ENFANT PLAZA STATION in Washington D.C.

The Washington Post said this: It was 7:51 a.m. on Friday, January 12, the middle of the morning rush hour. In the next 43 minutes, as the violinist performed six classical pieces, 1,097 people passed by. ... No one knew it, but the fiddler standing against a bare wall outside the Metro in an indoor arcade at the top of the escalators was one of the finest classical musicians in the world, playing some of the most elegant music ever written on one of the most valuable violins ever made. 

So What happens? Do you stop and listen? Rush by, drop a dollar?

What if you knew this: A onetime child prodigy, at 39 Joshua Bell has arrived as an internationally acclaimed virtuoso. Three days before he appeared at the Metro station, Bell had filled the house at Boston’s stately Symphony Hall, where merely pretty good seats went for $100. Two weeks later, at the Music Center at Strathmore, in North Bethesda, he would play to a standing-room-only audience so respectful of his artistry that they stifled their coughs until the silence between movements.

Did that change your mind?

Here's what happened as reported from the Washington Post:

Three minutes went by before something happened. Sixty-three people had already passed when, finally, there was a breakthrough of sorts. A middle-age man altered his gait for a split second, turning his head to notice that there seemed to be some guy playing music. Yes, the man kept walking, but it was something.

A half-minute later, Bell got his first donation. A woman threw in a buck and scooted off. It was not until six minutes into the performance that someone actually stood against a wall, and listened.

Things never got much better. In the three-quarters of an hour that Joshua Bell played, seven people stopped what they were doing to hang around and take in the performance, at least for a minute. Twenty-seven gave money, most of them on the run -- for a total of $32 and change. That leaves the 1,070 people who hurried by, oblivious, many only three feet away, few even turning to look.

There was never a crowd, not even for a second.

What is this life if, full of care,

We have no time to stand and stare.

-- from “Leisure,” by W.H. Davies

What things do we miss in our hurry?  Those a the station that day missed out on a free performance of a master musician, sharing some of the greatest classical works ever written, using a instrument worth nearly 4 million from the 18th century.  An opportunity of a lifetime. 

Diamond Rio recorded a song with Joshua Bell about this experience.

Taking the time to look around and see all the beauty that is ALWAYS there. The kids sleepy faces, a garden full of flowers, clouds rolling across the sky, laughter coming through the windows. It's always there, just take a moment to SEE.  

Architectural Swoon--Modern

One of my favorite thing to do to kill time is look through architectural files, finding my favorites and imagining that it's mine. How would the inside look and what would I plant in the garden, etc... you get the idea. It's window shopping homes. Here are a few of my favorite modern homes, apparently I'm really loving windows right now. :) Which do you like best?

Lush Garden Spaces

It's spring!! I am so excited! I love getting out in the yard and making it better, prettier, more functional and enjoyable. We've already tackled step one of the back deck remodel and torn down the fence that was falling (pics on those projects in a later post)  and now I'm looking for inspiration to make the yard feel lush. 

Here are some of the photos that I think are inspiring.

 I'm loving the trained lattice of this, could be great along an ugly fence line.

The idea of a  living fence is appealing, if only I had years to wait for it to grow...

 though I do love the spaced trees and planting strip. 

 The transitions here are beautiful. I'm feeling like I need more 

shady spots to make soothing like this in our yard.

Beautiful pathway, I wish I had the room to do something like this.

 I really like the crushed gravel pathways, so much more organic than cement

 and won't breakdown over time like wood chips. I think this is perfect for our side yard!

Do you like to spruce up the garden in spring? Where do you find your inspiration?