Mission Green Family: 2013

Sunday, September 8, 2013

I have a Kindergartener!! And my new obsession... BENTO!!

It's happened. My oldest son, Canon started kindergarten last week. I was dreading this all summer- to the point that I think I was slightly depressed. I mean, my baby is starting his school years which kind of equals the end of him being mine. That may sound extreme but once school starts a great deal of independence comes along with it as well as new friends, adventures, and all of a sudden mom becomes a fixture at home instead of the center of your world.
Ok, so week one wasn't so bad- he still loves me and was happy to be home for the weekend. I'm feeling better about it too- I get a few hours of one on one with my youngest son, Colt who is turning two this month. And this is good for Canon, he needed this next step and I would never hold him back, but I will secretly mourn the loss of him being solely mine. Colt also needed to have some uninterrupted mommy time and I needed it too.
On the upside, I've discovered a new interest- packing his school snack. I'm pretty sure I'm going way beyond snack with the bento creations I've been making but I am ok with that- whatever he doesn't finish at school he finishes when he gets home. Plus, being mission green mom I want him to have healthy, organic real food instead of processed "snacks". Enter the awesome Yumbox!
There are a ton of bento choices out there but ultimately the Yumbox fit what we were looking for perfectly- not a ton of pieces that probably would get lost, a no leak design and easy to open so my son can do it on his own.
Heres the first week of snacks that I packed-- I also packed a mini version of each of these for my youngest in a Green Sprouts lion bento :)

Top Left;
Day One- all organic and non-gmo- cheese slices, grapes, raspberries, graham bunnies, homemade sunbutter (for the bunnies) and Yummy Earth gummies as a treat.
Top Right;
Day Two- all organic and non-gmo- apples, mini pitas, sunbutter, peppers from our garden, vegan cream cheese dip, hard boiled egg shaped into a heart.
Bottom Left;
Day Three- all organic and non-gmo- ants on a log with our sunbutter, homemade vegan & gluten-free carrot, oat and chocolate chip muffin, grapes, half a yogurt tube, all fruit leather and a love note.
Bottom Right;
Day Four (Friday)- all organic and non-gmo- olive oil popcorn, cheese stars, grapes, raisins, cucumber stars (from our neighbors garden), yogurt dip.

I pack these before bed and store in the fridge- I add any bread or popcorn/cracker in the morning. It's been a lot of fun and my son really loves this style of eating. It's made him more receptive to vegetables too which is AH-MAZING.

If you want to check out Yumbox you can find them on facebook or amazon... this isn't sponsored- I'm just a huge fan :)

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Thursday, April 18, 2013

The Organic (non- GMO) Garden Diaries- 2

The Organic Garden Diaries

The Organic Garden Diaries- Part 1

The Organic Garden Diaries

Why I Want to Live Off Grid WITH MY CLOTHES ON!

I have on occasion, jokingly, reassured my family and in-laws that I am not running off to join a commune- they, for the most part, are not green, at least not to the extent that we are striving for. But you know what? The more I learn and the more changes we make the idea (of a commune) is kind of more appealing.
I have to admit that a commune of 'far out hippies' still doesn't appeal but there are plenty of 'normalish' people that aren't dancing naked around a fire that want to live off grid- that's what I want. And just to clarify, no one is 'normal' including me, I snort when I laugh, I tell jokes that fall flat, I'm socially awkward, I love the Twilight books and movies and a million other little things that make me me. That's me- I don't want to dance naked, I want to live a simpler life full of meaning, true meaning, and not be dependent on a system that leaves me feeling cold, alone, forgotten, abused, lied to and generally not be a part of a system that doesn't have my back or the back of anyone I hold near and dear.
I started out as an average Joe. I thought I was green because I recycled most things and on occasion bought Eco Palmolive instead of Cascade. I became a bit more green when I decided to cloth diaper my first son. Then I became a bit more green when I had to find a safe detergent for his diapers. I started using soap nuts, I started making more of our own food, I started cleaning out our pantries of junk and only including healthy real food (for the most part). I changed from disposable products to reusable ones- paper towels to rags, feminine products to reusable options. I joined an organic CSA and this year I am planing and planting our first garden of organic and non-gmo seeds- I started my own seeds!
Each change propels me into another. It wasn't overnight, it was gradual and little. It was so small scale that even though I was consciously making these changes and choices it didn't phase me, even when family members would joke and comment. Then, it did phase me. I am making a difference. I am making change. I am showing my sons there is a different way. We can change things. The choice is ours to make.
There are still so many changes to make and so many things I am doing that are not green but I am working on it. That's all we can do, one change at a time. And who knows, maybe I will find my perfect community of clothed, not too crunchy, hippies that work hard together and at the end of the day sit around a fire at night, clothed, maybe even dance, clothed, as a community who truly have each-others backs.
So here I am, PROUDLY, coming out of the closet-- I AM A HIPPY. I want to make a positive change and live amongst like minded people who want to get back to nature, heal the earth, and be a part of a true community.
This article showed up on my facebook feed this morning, from one of my hippy sites I follow and it inspired me to write this today.
http://www.collective-evolution.com/2013/02/09/creating-change-and-living-off-the-grid/
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Monday, March 25, 2013

Go Max Go-- Seriously YUMMY Candy Bars-- Review and Giveaway!

I am so excited about these Go Max Go candy bars, they are seriously delicious and can be enjoyed by just about everyone! Go Max Go candy bars, available in 7 different varieties, are VEGAN and a few varieties are also GLUTEN FREE! Don't let that scare you away if you aren't vegan or gluten free because these bars are made with high quality, ethically and sustainably sourced ingredients and most importantly are really, really good!