Navy + Gold Chevron and Arrow Wedding Invitations

You remember Katie’s gorgeous bridal shower invites, right?  Well today I’m sharing her amazing wedding invitations and I’m drooling over here!

Navy and gold is a classic combo, then paired with chevron and arrows, you’ve got quite the masterpiece.  Katie is so in tune with the details in her design style, she didn’t miss a beat.  Thick cardstock and letterpress bring the whole package together just right.

Don’t you just love them?

How Are You Commemorating Earth Day?

Yep, it’s that time of year again.  Next Monday is Earth Day and can I just say that it is truly amazing how quickly time flies.  We’re already three quarters through April people!

Last year for Earth Day I touched on my most recent (at the time) decision to clean out our toxic cleaning supplies (pun intended) and start using products that are safe for the environment and my family.

Something to keep in mind is that Earth Day is not just about the way we treat nature and our environment directly.  The way we live our lives and treat our own bodies have a huge effect on the outcome in this beautiful world we’ve been blessed to occupy.  Another good point to touch on is that Earth Day should not be the only day we take the time to consider making healthier choices, but it is a great time to reflect and recharge.

Looking back, it’s nice to say I’ve upped my game this past year, working my way to a healthier home, in turn paving a way to a healthier place for our children and the next generations to come.

The ways I currently reduce my toxic fingerprint (for my family and the environment) are all over the map (and growing):

Cooking with organic and local ingredients when possible (we joined a CSA – that I also worked for a few months last year): reducing toxic chemical infiltration in our produce and the soil, reducing fuel consumption, and eating fresher/more nutritious foods.

Purchasing bulk ingredient items to make wholesome foods from scratch: reducing our intake of nasty food additives and reducing product packaging.

Cleaning with natural, non-toxic cleaners: reducing the chemical effects on our bodies and the environment.

Planning my errands logistically: reducing fuel consumption.

Using natural beauty products (almond, coconut and olive oils as moisturizers, etc.): reducing toxic chemicals absorbed by my skin.

Making my own beauty products (deodorant and face wash for now – shampoo/conditioner to come): reducing product packaging, driving time for errands, consumption of toxic ingredients and more!

One (of the many) great benefits to all of this, besides being and feeling healthier, is that these things almost always save money too, and who doesn’t want a little more moolah in that bank account!  A secondary, but no lesser, benefit is that all of this means voting with your dollars.  You’re instantly and directly supporting the whole living lifestyle, taking a stance without saying a word.

Like I have said before and I’ll say it again, none of this happens instantaneously, it’s a process.  It’s a mindset and a lifestyle.  While I of course encourage each and every one of you (and remind myself) to take healthy steps each day, don’t push too hard and go cold turkey on me!  It doesn’t work that way.  Change one thing (or two or three) and once that becomes normal/routine, change something else.  Soon enough you and your family will be living a healthy, wholesome life and I promise, you’ll feel the difference.

I’d would love to hear your stories and what you are doing in your lives right now.  Do you have any great healthy recipes: food, cleaning or otherwise?

I’m no expert and I’m not claiming to be.  Just a wife and animal lover trying her best to be, stay and live healthfully.  If you ever have questions or have anything to say, I’d love to chat.  Leave a comment or send me an email.

Doggy Diaries (Encore): Ruger’s One Year Update

If you’re new to Doggy Diaries, catch up here!

My oh my, how time flies. My little guy turned one last month and he’s filled out into such a handsome boy, can’t you tell?

Here he is at 4 months, the night he came home:

He’s been such a blessing (despite his often craziness) and he’s definitely become quite the companion.  Loyal, sweet, loving, cuddly, playful, adorable.  Just adorable.

In case you were wondering, he still squats. That’s my boy!

And just for the heck of it, since I know you want some more cuteness:

Recipe: My Favorite Smoothies

I absolutely love smoothies and the weather is definitely warm enough here in SoCal for plenty of them.  They’re my go to snack after a good workout; great for breakfast and dessert too.  Here are a few of my favorite variations.  The beauty of smoothies is that they can easily be altered depending on what you’ve got on hand, plus they make for great freezer pops too!

A note about my smoothies.  I like to keep all the nutrients I can, so I always leave skins on apples, etc.  I do remove peels from bananas and citrus, but whenever I use citrus, I grate and add the zest to the smoothie too.  When using oranges and other citrus, I use it whole, not just the juice, for all the fiber.  I also use all organic ingredients (in all my recipes) whenever possible and as far as the dairy and dairy alternatives go, I use whole products (no low fat or fat free in our house).

BANANA BERRY SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen – if frozen, add more milk)

1 cup berries (fresh or frozen)

1/4 cup yogurt (greek or standard)

1/4 cup milk (of your choice)

 

Note: you could use all yogurt or all milk depending on your desired thickness.

 

BANANA DATE SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

2 ripe bananas (fresh or frozen – if frozen, add more milk)

1/2 cup dates, pitted

1/4 cup milk (of your choice)

 

Note: this one would be yummy with a little cinnamon and/or nutmeg too.

APPLE (OR PEAR) FIZZ SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

2 cups apple slices, frozen (pear would work great)

1 cup apple juice (or other mild juice – pear would work great)

ORANGE CREAM SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen – if frozen, add more milk)

1 orange, zested then peel removed

1/4 cup milk (of your choice)

1 tsp vanilla extract

BERRY YOGURT SMOOTHIE (pictured)

Ingredients

2 cups berries (fresh or frozen)

3/4 cup greek yogurt

3/4 cup soy milk

3 tbsp honey or agave syrup (more or less to taste, tart berries need a little more)

 

FRUIT ONLY (DAIRY FREE) SMOOTHIE

Ingredients

1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen – if frozen, add juice)

1 cup berries (fresh or frozen)

1 orange, zested then peel removed

1 apple or pear

 

GREEN SMOOTHIE (IMMUNE BOOSTER)

 

Ingredients

1 ripe banana (fresh or frozen – if frozen, add juice)

1 apple or pear

1-2 cups raw spinach and/or kale (to taste)

1/2 medium lemon, zested then peel removed

1 tbsp ginger (freshly grated or ground)

1 tbsp honey

 

 

For Freezer Pops:

Blend all ingredients and pour into freezer molds or ice cube trays (with toothpicks).  Freeze for 2-3 hours or overnight.  If you use some other container besides popsicle molds, like ice cube trays, freeze for 1 hour until they just begin to set, then insert toothpicks or popsicle sticks and return to freezer for the remaining 1-2 hours.

Outdoor Adventure: Hike to the Waterfall

I was getting ancy.  I really wanted to just take a break and enjoy the outdoors.  So we set out on an adventure one Saturday with another couple, J and A – and it kicked our butts!

What a relief it was to hear about this hike from some friends of ours.  We’re constantly trying to find great hikes local to Orange County, but they are few and far between if you want one that’s off the beaten path (and that we haven’t already conquered).  We were told it’s long and not for the faint of heart. Perfect!

The first quarter mile or so of the trek follows a well maintained trail, then you cut off onto a smaller, less maintained trail down to a very wide stream bed.  In April, which is when we hiked (a couple years ago), this part of the stream was dry, but just a quarter mile upstream you encounter the remains of the water supply.  As the hike continues, more and stronger flowing waters fill the stream bed, the boulders get larger and the overgrowth more impeding.

There is no trail. You hike up the stream until you hit the waterfall.  Most of the hike was spent climbing (trees and boulders), dodging (branches), jumping (rocks), maneuvering (around obstacles), and slipping (into the water). Yes, each of us had our turn water logging our shoes and J even soaked her pants! This hike is a full body workout, but let’s put the emphasis on cardio and quads!

[enjoying nature and good company]

[after a short lunch we soon came to the first pool]

[we hiked some more along the gorgeous stream and enjoyed beautiful scenery]

[a while later we encountered the second pool]

[came across these beautiful rock plants/flowers]

[and just as I was preparing myself for another hour or so 'til the end, we were there!]

[the boys scaled the side wall and made it to the top!]

[on the way back, R talked A into taking a cold swim]

While we’re not quite sure the exact mileage of this hike, based upon our estimated average hiking speed and the time it took us to get there (minus our stops of course), we think it’s about 7.5 to 8 miles, round trip.  It took us a little longer to get there going upstream, about 3 hours (including a few of breaks), and about 2.5 hours back (with a swim break for the boys in the first pool). All in all, with rest stops, we hiked from noon and arrived back at the car by 6.  We are pretty swift hikers, though, so if you decide to accept the challenge, plan accordingly – I wouldn’t suggest starting at noon, we wouldn’t if we did it again.

This hike is totally worth it if your up for boulder climbing, tons of stream crossings (at least 15 each way) and maneuvering under and through trees and branches. But keep in mind, this hike is definitely not recommended for hot summer days as much of the hike is in direct sunlight, and it’s questionable how much water will be in the stream at that time of year (we hiked in early Spring).

GETTING THERE

The trailhead is located at the end of Modjeska Canyon.  From the 5, take El Toro Road inland which then turns into Santiago Canyon road right around the time you hit Cook’s Corner. Continue on Santiago Canyon road, turn right onto Modjeska Canyon road and follow the signs to the Tucker Wildlife Sanctuary where you can park.  If that lot is full, you can find parking on the street before the Sanctuary.

Find the trailhead just to the right of the Sanctuary main office.  Take the well maintained trail about 1/4 mile until you find a smaller trail off to the left at (almost) the top of the hill. Take that trail down and turn right at the bottom into the stream bed. Hike all the way up the stream until you reach the waterfall.  It’s out and back.

WARNING – encounters with poison ivy and several stream crossings. I highly recommend wearing long pants and waterproof shoes.

What are your favorite hikes, local or otherwise?  Let me know if you conquer this trail and tell your story in the comments section below!

Nature’s Perfect Treat: Bananas 10 Ways

If you recall, bananas made it to my top 5 favorite foods list I posted recently.  And I’m going to just say it: bananas are by far my most favorite food.    

My counter top alone says it all.  You know how most families buy one bunch at a time.  Well that just won’t fly in our house.  I buy three at a time (mind you there are just two people living in our house) and will go to the store just for bananas when we run out.  The hubby claims I’m addicted.  That’s probably not far from the truth.

So I had this conversation with hubby the other day.  I argued that bananas are nature’s perfect treat.  They’re sweet, healthy and oh so delicious.  Great for breakfast, as a snack and for dessert.  They are delicious all on their own, but pair wonderfully with so many other foods and preparations too!  You don’t need any utensils or have to cook them before eating and their peels keep them safe and sturdy for on the go travels.  Perfect.

Here are my top 10 favorite ways to eat bananas, in no particular order, since they all rock.

Straight up:

Photo Courtesy of Putting Up With The Turnbulls

In cereal/granola:

Photo Courtesy of Maple Spice Eats

In bread/muffins:

Whole Wheat Banana Bread via 100 Days of Real Food

Banana yogurt/pudding (I like to mash very ripe bananas in a bowl, then add plain yogurt and a little honey to taste):

Photo Courtesy of Anasa Naturals

As ice cream:

One Ingredient Banana Ice Cream via Taste Spotting

In a sandwich/On Toast:

Banana Peanut Butter & Honey Sandwich via Cest La Vegan

Dipped in chocolate:

Chocolate Dipped Banana Pops via Happy Pretty Little Things

On and in pancakes:

Roasted Banana Whole Wheat Pancakes via Naturally Ella

In smoothies:

Coconut Water Smoothie via Bobby Flay

With honey:

Slow Cooker Honey Bananas via Skinny Ms.

How do you love to eat bananas?

Recipes: Whole Wheat Toaster Pastries + Date Caramel Tart

I loved pop tarts as a kid.  So many other kids did and still do too.  It doesn’t take much to realize pop tarts aren’t really a wholesome breakfast.  Nor do they even make a slightly decent dessert.  They’re pretty bad from a health standpoint, with too much sugar and too many ingredients I would never have in my pantry.

The alternative? A whole wheat toaster pastry, sweetened with just a bit of honey and natural sugars from your homemade fruit jam.  Now that sounds like a breakfast (and snack and dessert) I want to eat!

Thanks to 100 Days of Real Food for yet again, a wonderful, homemade alternative to those pesky processed foods.  Head over to Lisa’s blog for the full recipe (and stick around, it’s a great resource).  Note: I added a touch of honey to the dough and also substituted half of the butter for room temperature coconut oil.  My strawberry jam is simply frozen strawberries and honey to taste, and the best part is that it’s hubs approved, so you know it’s yummy!

Moving onto my spur of the moment date caramel tart.  It’s delicious.  You should definitely not wait to make this.

It came about because I tend to make a day of baking and creating yummy treats.  The day I made the toaster pastries and strawberry jam, I also made Almond Date Truffles (which I really just made into bars and nixed the almonds, totally awesome, and also hubs approved!) and this date caramel.  Again, totally awesome and hubs approved.  I have to say it was a very successful treat making day!

Well, I had a little extra dough from the pastries and I had just made the caramel, what better idea than to combine the two?

Simply form rustic tart shapes about 3-4 inches in diameter and bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 18-24 minutes, until the top is golden.  I baked just one on the same baking sheet as the toaster pastries.

What are your favorite wholesome treats?