Hey Gorgeous, Some Like it Raw!

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Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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Enzymes, life force and the power of healing the body are found in food just as it is harvested. You may have heard of the raw food movement going on, people ditching their stoves and pots and pans for dehydrators, blenders and spiral slicers. The transition into lasagna made from zucchini slices and cashew cheese might sound like a wild ride you never want to be part of, but I'm going to show you how to embrace the raw without intimidation.

You can't separate gorgeous from life force so let's look at why we must like it raw. Our body has it's own enzymes that help us digest food, heal our body and stay oh-so-young looking. They are our gorgeous. When we eat food that is cooked it no longer contains its own enzymes, which means that our body must contribute its own. It is like a withdrawal from the bank, you can keep spending but if you don't put more in, you are going to go into debt. Our enzyme debt is dis-ease, old skin, gaining weight, feeling tired and just plain old blah.

The best time to make a deposit is during the spring and summer when sprouts are popping up and gardens are filling up with raw bounty. You feel hot and sweaty, you don't want to turn on your oven. Time for the raw. Let's start simple and then you can move into the lasagna.

Ready to add some raw into your life? Time to feel the gorgeous and maybe even break up with your microwave, because you are just too hot for that appliance.

Hey Gorgeous, Feed Your Spirit

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Want to move into the gorgeous life and have a little raw kale, butterflies fluttering on your head kind of fun? Of course you do!

Each Sunday I will be posting a new Hey Gorgeous tip that is simple and fun. I am a believer that what we put out we attract and I am looking for some simple and some fun. I want my tribe to feel sexy and gorgeous and inspired. I want you to pay-it-forward when you feel inspired by a tid-bit and create the ripple that the joy of loving yourself up, healthy style brings. Yes, that means we might have to share this with the guys (*wink* at the guys who are here already)!

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You like simple recipes don't you? Complicated doesn't work when you are moving into the gorgeous life. Like a perfect green smoothie is a combination of just three or four things.

  • fruit
  • dark greens
  • water or other liquid

How about a simple recipe for feeding your spirit? Let's make it just as fresh, with an ingredient list that lights our fire, yes!

  • joyful connections
  • laughter
  • body moving and grooving
  • rest and relaxation
  • truthful communication
  • sizzling passion
  • fresh food
  • guiding word
  • good vibration thoughts
  • beauty and gratitude

Let's put on the music and start a kitchen dance party. It is time to rediscover the joy in a new box of crayons. It's easier to feed our body when we are paying attention to it's spirit. I want joy gorgeous. I want joy for you. Go discover your recipe, play, cook, create.

Hmm, my spirit is feeling full.

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Want to add an ingredient to the recipe? Leave us one below.

 

 

Give Me a Choice

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You are at the homemade ice cream stand after being on the beach all day. The kids are sandy and glowing, and the menu stretches over the entire front side of the building. The kids start screaming requests and quite unrealistic ones at that. Three scoops all different flavors, rainbow sprinkles, root beer floats, yeah - no! So you say calmly, you can have one scoop in a cone or cup. Or you might even try something really brave like this, blackberry chocolate chunk in a cone or cup? You have just taken 50 choices off the table and given two perfectly reasonable ones. And the choice of just which flavor is enough to make anyone feel the pressure of a decision.

When Lucas was fighting nap time we started to play a little choice game. First it was, 3 books or 2? Then he could pick the order of the books. Once the lure of the book picking ran dry, we started what is now our nap time ritual.

~Are you picking books or me? His answer always varies depending on his level of crabbiness.

~After books, lamp on or off? Always on.

~Snuggles or no snuggles? Always snuggles.

~Song or no song? Hush little baby the most common request, sung together.

Inside of those choices the choice of a nap was not in question. He was able to feel control over his mid-day siesta, which for a two year old is golden.The power of a choice can be intoxicating. When the choices are tucked neatly inside what must happen, our feelings of participation are increased and it eliminates some of the fear of unknown.

I was making green smoothies yesterday for a group of over 100 men and women who worked in a big corporation. Green smoothies were not their every day drink. I make a mean green smoothie and I was thrilled, but not surprised, that everyone loved them. When we talked about making smoothies, I told them they had so many choices - kale, collards, parsley, cucumber, romaine and baby spinach. The choice was not whether or not to put green in the blender, but what green it would be.

When Chloe was little and wouldn't get in the car, my mom suggested we say to her, "You can get in the car with a hat on or off."

It's been magical decision making ever since.

http://vimeo.com/21764735

Just to add some cuteness to the topic!

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Try this choice making with your kids, or if you are a coach with your clients.

How do you make choices? Share some of your wisdom with us.

 

 

 

Happy Friday!

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Fridays always make me smile. It's my day that Lucas is with our babysitter and I have the entire day, yes - to work. I am taking a moment today to feel blessed to able to work with the women who come into my life, those of you who take time to leave your voice on the blog in the comments and for all the amazing new adventures that are coming up. We managed to have a calm breakfast this morning (not a calm morning however), with yogurt for the boys and soup for the girls. Tea helps us ease into these cold winter mornings.

Some fun stuff to share with you on Happy Friday.

A new {Living It} Interview with the gorgeous Kate Northrup. Hop over and listen while you enjoy your tea today.

The Fill Your Bucket Retreat tickets are on sale until Feb 1st so grab yours. There are limited tickets and what a perfect Valentine's gift, focus on YOU. I also added a much shorter video on there, drinking a smoothie in my car. Collards, mango and almond milk! The amazing Dyana Valentine who makes the most wonderful videos, gave me some web-cam tips! Thanks D!

I have archived all my past  newsletters onto a page for you to see. Check them out and make sure you sign up for the newsletter list if you aren't. That cute little arrow to the right shows you where. If you like the blog and the newsletter, suggest it to a friend who could use some energy and positive words in their day.

Believe in the power of YOU today. Your energy, your body, your cells, your ability to love. Happy Friday!

My Favorite Things - Sunday

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As the week of my favorite things comes to a close, my mind goes to the things that I didn't add. Like Larabars. I love them and am happy to have one hanging out in my bag in those moments of must-eat-now. I wanted to write about all my favorite books, like Simplicity Parenting, The Glass Castle and The Art of Non-Conformity but I thought I would save the books for another time. Today's favorite goes to thoughtful investments that make your life more enjoyable and easier. I am a bargain shopper at heart, breaking myself out of settling for the item that is on sale instead of paying a bit more for the one that is more special, better made. As I am moving away from this habit I have a few things that have been amazing investments for me. My mini van for one, can't believe I drive one, I love it. We bought it used, gently loved and are loving it up even more. Getting a laptop was life changing, I can work from any coffee shop in Rhode Island or from the comfort of my snugly couch (I'm there now).

A couple pairs of amazing jeans, a few jackets and some beautiful shoes have made my work wardrobe become me. Investing in a few clothing items and a little guidance along the way is priceless for self esteem, quick morning dressing and feeling like you match the inside and the outside. I have my stylist and friend Jill. If you can't afford a stylist just yet, most of us have that friend who is a magician at putting together outfits. Bring her shopping and to your closet. Find your style; I wear more jewelry than you might, and I love it. Always have. I also love a few black pairs of yoga pants to add to the mix. Be you, it's really good.

Two companies I am loving are imaginechildhood and Hip Mountain Mama. I love their philosophies, blogs and products. I look forward to sharing more about our family making decisions on what to buy and who to buy it from. We are figuring it out as are family grows. I look to these companies to help lead the way.

In the kitchen a favorite thing is our Blendtec blender. Love, love this machine. Love the company. We use it multiple times a day. Life changing this blender. I grind nuts into meal and kale and strawberries are a morning drink some days. If you think a mocha colored, refurbished blender might look nice in your kitchen, leave a comment. It is today's giveaway. Thank you to Blendtec for their generosity. I've actually had this for a giveaway for some time now and kept waiting for the perfect time, when readership was up, for the Holiday....

Now is the time. We love this blender and you will too.

It's a cool giveaway isn't it?

Tell your friends to stop by and enter all the giveaways this week.

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For today's really cool giveaway, leave a comment about what you might blend. Tweet and leave another. FB share and leave another.

Spread the word and leave another. Comments close Tuesday the 14th at 5pm. Winners announced on Wed the 15th.

Clearly I'd like to use this giveaway as a way to connect with more people. And encourage green smoothies. Full disclosure!

Support For The Heat

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The blender has been going double time. The collards growing outside give me a few small leaves each day to throw into a smoothie. The baby runs around saying, "moonie a-den" or smoothie again! In between the endless glasses of ice water, we have a lemonade quencher that seems to give a much needed pick me up to the melting children I keep finding on my floors and chairs. Our brains are so tired from the heat, everything seems to take that extra push. Eli who normally can play for hours on his own, has been looking at us in disbelief that anything other than watching movies on the computer is possible. Chloe would transform into a mermaid in the summer and simply live in water, if only that kind of magic a mother could grant her daughter. Instead kiddy pools, icy lemonade and smoothies will have to stand in.

Simple Strawberry Green Smoothie

1/2 cup goat milk yogurt

1/4 english cucumber, diced

3 small collard leaves, or 1 big one

1/2 frozen banana

1 cup frozen strawberries or fresh if you have them (keep the green tops on)

handful of ice cubes

1 cup of water

I blend this up 2-3 times until it reaches the creaminess I am looking for. This isn't very sweet, I don't like sweet smoothies, but you can add some honey or more banana if you do.

 

Lemonade Quencher

20 oz of water

juice of one lemon

1 tsp to 1 Tb agave or maple syrup

tiny pinch of sea salt

lots of ice

Stir it all together and serve with a fun paper straw! Watch out gatorade.

Smoothie For Two

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This boy is a green smoothie addict. I simply put kale, parsley or other random greens in his smoothies, and by the end of his gulping, he is a green monster mess. Called "moomies," I try to share with him. I'm not a winter smoothie person, but when spring comes I can't get enough. Neither can he, so my sharing idea hasn't worked out so well. Every now and then we try, though the straws are still a bit tough for him. I'll share our basic formula, have fun creating your own. In other news, I will be giving a "Food as Energy" workshop at RISD this weekend. I will be doing some hands on food prep with the participants, I can't wait to serve them a green smoothie! I will post the recipes I use on the blog to share with all of you. The Get Real Group starts next week, I'll be reporting on how that is going. Lastly, Cynthia's signed copy of her book, Feeding The Whole Family arrived today, watch out for that give-away next week!

Green Smoothie Formula

2 kale or chard leaves

or 1/4 bunch of parsley

cucumber or celery (optional)

banana or pineapple, apple or mango, pear or grapes

frozen strawberries/blueberries/peaches/cherries

chia or flax seeds

handful of nuts

coconut oil

cacao (optional to transform into a chocolate smoothie)

water or rice/almond milk