September Space

Patrick, my husband, and I have the same birthday.

When he told me that 19 years ago I thought he was kidding. His flirtations started with me just a few days after I turned 19. Here was this big guy who had a big crush on me and I thought, "Oh, cute pick up line!" Well, he really does. And we really do, September 20th. We would go on to have Chloe on September 15th and then Lucas on September 9th. Huge birthday month for us. (Eli gets June all to himself!)

What I most wanted for my birthday was space. I've been making a whole lot of space in my life for my own heart, home and mind and I want to share it with you.

In September, in honor of space, start the 10 day cleanse any time you are ready, get a big discount AND give away a spot in the cleanse for FREE! What? Totally, karma, birthday month, give something away and feel the joy that is returned to you.

This is the cleanse that has very little to do with food (but you get two new recipes a day) and is not about restriction. It is about expanding space. It is magical. I know because I have lived it. This cleanse grew from the work I was doing in my own life, clearing the clutter from my home which opened up the space inside my heart and mind to truly access my essence.

Click here for more information...

These are the 10 days that allow you to be still and take action in beautiful harmony. It is the cleanse that women write to me after and say, "Yeah, I thought I was just clearing out clutter and being present, I had no idea I was actually reconnecting to myself each time I let more go."

Magic. 10 days. Will you?

In stillness (A peek into The Making Space Cleanse)

"Within you there is a stillness and a sanctuary to which you can retreat at any time and be yourself."- Hermann Hesse

Today during Summer Solstice we dance and play and welcome this night full of light and joy. At lunch time today I am going to play music and have the kids grab an instrument and dance and play in the yard.

After the dance and play I always crave stillness. I like to lie inside of soft space and feel, observe, be present.

As part of The Making Space Cleanse we will take our first day to observe stillness. To be present to our homes.

I'm sharing a piece of day 1 with you. My solstice gift to you.

After the dance and the celebration of light, allow yourself to start the preparation into cleansing your home, hearts and minds for the summer.

The days for those who join us on this journey will also include soulwork, videos, recipes and books that I love.

The video is a peek into our soulwork for Day 1.

Registration ends tomorrow, and there is a very special summer price this round. Check it all out over here...

Making Space Soulwork 1 from Hannah Marcotti on Vimeo.

The most important part of making more space in our life is to spend time in stillness. Meditation, soft space (time spent doing nothing but being) and daydreaming are ways of being still. For today I’d like for you to sit in stillness and observe. Look at the walls and windows of your home. Spend 5 minutes looking at the books on a book shelf that you see every day, without ever really seeing them at all. Watch a plant in its stillness as you sit and see the way the light shines off of it. Notice the textures of a pillow or the patterns on a rug.

Be still in your space in a new way. Sit somewhere new. Pull up a chair to a spot you’ve never spent time sitting and be still.

Tomorrow’s work will be based around what you observed today, so make some time to be still.

What are your first thoughts when I ask you to sit in stillness?

Does it sound too easy, or sound silly, or does stillness feel a bit scary or impossible to get to?

Be still.
Look at what you have chosen (or perhaps not) to be around in your space.
Just notice.
And really look.
Take the time to be present to lights, sounds, textures, colors.
Stillness.

Making Space Winners

A big congrats to Mary and Isabella for winning a spot for themselves and a friend in The Making Space Cleanse © starting January 22nd.

And because it is so hard to pick one winner (obviously, I picked two) I wanted to find a way to give all who entered a little gift. So check your emails tomorrow for a little surprise from me.

There is still time to sign up for a cleanse that has no rules. None. Not one. We are going to make space and that is where the magic happens. Ready? Sign up today...

Fridge Scrounging Makes Zucchini Puffs

The desperate moment when you realize you don't have enough of anything to make your standbys. No pancakes, no biscuits and no darling, no cake. There is 1/2 a cup of almond meal. What are going to do with that?

Make puffs! Scrambled eggs, sliced tomatoes and puffs. We've got a good thing going on here, Lucas and I during our quiet 'tea time.' You cannot make enough eggs for him, I'm up to 4, 2 for each of us. Mama-mia, my backyard could hold chickens couldn't it? It took me a year to convince Patrick that we didn't need a t.v., how long you suppose to work my magic and get a little pen in the back? Tough sell that one would be.

The garden didn't do quite what I hoped, though my front yard city garden did seem to inspire others in the neighborhood to use their front yards a bit more creatively. It was beautiful to watch it pop and sprout and flower (no fruit on our various squash plants). Great conversation starter for those walking dogs and strolling by.

All but the spaghetti squash I grew for this meal and the kids picked the rest. It is funny watching them out front running around the tiny garden as cars drive past. The sweet basil and the sour little tomatoes (they can be sweet but we picked them early to avoid them splitting) sauteed in olive oil with sea salt and pepper. Using what you have, scrounging a bit in the fridge or garden and the cupboards is an act of simplicity. It is honoring the things you have, not driving again to the store, not eating out. Which brings us back to puffs.

I had zucchini and eggs and a teeny bit of almond meal. Puffs were born. I didn't use cheese but as you cheese lovers are already dreaming up, that too, would be lovely.

Zucchini Puffs

1/2 cup almond meal

1/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

1 egg

2 tb olive oil

1 tb agave or honey

1 cup of grated zucchini

Mix the dry. Mix the wet. Add together with zucchini. Place about 1/4 cup mounds of the mixture on a piece of parchment (oiled). Bake at 325 degrees for about 20 minutes. They are a bit crispy when they first come out of the oven, but later in the day they do go a bit soggy. You can crisp them back up in the oven if you like. Made 8 puffs which lasted two days.

Simple Food

Most important rule in simple cooking...no recipe. Use what you have, ingredients you love and whatever is fresh and cheap!!! When tomatoes are hanging off everyone's plants, buy tomatoes. In the winter, use tomato sauce. It is inexpensive and flavorful. I always keep a jar of organic pasta sauce from Trader Joe's or Whole Foods on hand.

You don't need a plan. The kids threw a container of green beans in the cart at the store the other day. Instead of putting it back once I realized it's presence, I simply went with it and bought green beans. We were supposed to have hamburgers for dinner, but the green beans were calling to me. So here is how I cook most nights, without recipes. When I find recipes I love, I tend to memorize them as I make them often.

First onion, garlic, zucchini and green beans stir fried in some olive oil. I added a pound of grass-fed beef, some tumeric (I wanted curry but I was out), 1/2 a jar of pasta sauce and bam...dinner. I served some corn chips on the side for the kids to use as dippers, you might like rice or quinoa.

I put the platter of food on the table and we ate. Simple. Simple food. I leave vegetables in nice big pieces so children who don't like onion or zucchini can pick it out without problem. On this night we actually persuaded my daughter to try an onion. She didn't have anything bad to say about it, it was soft and quite sweet after stewing in the sauce.

If you are inspired, share some of your simple food.