Stonyfield Yogurt Organic Cutie Contest!

Stonyfield Organic Yogurt is having an Organic Cutie Contest! We LOVE organic yogurt in our house- we go through 2 of the big tubs a week! Rowan Tree is completely in love with green smoothies made with Stonyfield yogurt, banana, and spinach. I entered this picture of our little cutie- and we would love a vote or two cast in our direction ! The grand prize is a $2000 dollar savings bond for Rowan to save for college... or a guitar... or whatever his little heart desires! Runner-up prizes are yogurt and toys, which are also totally awesome!

Strawberry Rhubarb Hand Pies and a picnic

My grandmother and I harvested all of the rhubarb off of the plant by our porch. I love rhubarb because it reminds me of being a little kid- it's the same bush my grandmother had when I was growing up. She would cut us off pieces and we would eat them raw, dipped in a cup of sugar. Grandmothers are good for stuff like that : )

I wanted to give hand pies a go and they came out completely delicious. I got the recipe from The Bite Site and I am defiantly saving it to use again! They went pretty quick but Green and I managed to save one for our picnic the next day by hiding it in the freezer :p

We went for a picnic in Vaughns Woods (locally known as Hobbit Land) in Hallowell. It was a cpmpletely gorgeous day, Green and I had a fantastic time crawling in the grass and playing with some moss he found.

Green's Birth Celebration and Wooden Teether Giveaway Winner!

One year ago, we welcomed our little Green tree into this world. He surprised us and arrived 3 weeks earlier than expected. I can remember when we first figured out we were going into labor- we were at our friends house for dinner and I had been having really strong contractions all day long. I really wanted to get out and see our friends Lou and Yaicha to help get my mind off of the contractions. We had a delicious dinner of some super spicy food and the contractions started coming a little faster and closer together. I asked our friend, who was also pregnant with her second child, if she thought this could be it as she had done it before and I can remember her saying "Dude, you are totally going into labor!" Less than 24 hours later, Green was born, weighing 6 pounds 11 ounces.

We had a gathering at our home to celebrate Green's first year of life- and he had a completely amazing time! We invited about 25 of our close friends and family to help us celebrate. It was a gorgeous day, so Green and his buddies were able to crawl around in the grass while the grown up guests mingled, played with the babies and noshed on the delicious food that everyone brought to share. I was a bit nervous that he would be overwhelmed with all of the goings on but he soaked it in with a smile!

One of the definite highlights was the giant pine cone Greeo found and befriended- until we figured out it was completely covered with sap! His hands are still a little sticky three days later!

As a Mama gift, some of my friends chipped in and got my a gift certificate to the spa, so thanks to them and Ry, I enjoyed a facial and hair cut/foil the day before. It felt amazing to be pampered and it was SO far from what I was doing at that time last year!

Our happy family

Playing croquet

Ry and I made some delicious organic cupcakes

Green tree rolling around in the grass- happy end to a happy day!

AND

Thank you so much to everyone who entered in the maple teether giveaway! This was my first blog giveaway but I hope do do another in the future. The winner is Jennifer L. ! Congratulations! I will be e mailing you shortly to set up shipping details.

A Moment of Restoration

Pregnancy was a completely transformative experience- both in terms of the physical being as well as the emotional. Looking backwards a year, I was 34 weeks pregnant. Even after giving birth, my mind still has trouble comprehending the fact that there was another human being sharing my body. But I have physical proof: my gorgeous 11 month old son, little Green tree himself!

Over the course of 9 months, I transformed. If you were to look at my transformation in terms of the animal kingdom, I physically transformed from a gazelle, grazing on grass and effortlessly running 5+ miles daily to that of a grizzly bear in the process of bulking up for hibernation.

For 9 months, I lovingly slathered belly lotion, rubbing my enormous stomach in gentle circles, wondering about the being shifting and wiggling beneath. I ate generous (ok VERY generous) helpings of good foods, nourishing both of our bodies from the inside out. I took prenatal yoga and learned to connect with my breath. I swam laps, slow and steady, to help relieve my aching joints and swollen limbs. I am proud to say that I took amazing care of my body and the body of my growing baby.

Then the big day came- and I was completely and totally lost in my love for my child. Every moment that was spent caring for us as one was now lovingly spent caring for my beautiful son. Physically, after giving birth, I felt a little bit like a deflated balloon. But spiritually, I was radiant with love.

Now, spring has come and I am anxious to begin running again. I've had a year to settle into my new body, so now it's time to start taking gentle, loving steps towards getting back into the things I love to do. I recently got a (very!) part time job at the YMCA. I'll be teaching some classes, teaching folks about the equipment, and eventually personal training and getting my life guarding certification back up to date. It's awesome because I also get a membership for working there- which means I can take Green swimming without breaking the bank!

I did a very gentle run last week at the Y and attended a few group fitnesses classes. I went for another run in the woods tonight- my muscles are feeling a little achy! One of my favorite restorative practices is taking a foot soak.

A picture of my foot bath oasis

Here is my recipe for an awesome restorative moment

-Fill the biggest vessel you can find with warm/hot water

- Dried lavender (known for its many healing properties, lavender is a calming herb) and a squirt of Dr. Bronners Organic Castile soap

- A cup of chamomile tea with raw honey and fresh, chopped ginger root (a word of caution: according to traditional chinese medicine, ginger is a drying herb- so if you are newly nursing and don't yet know how ginger affects your nursing body, you might want to skip it)

- Comfy wool socks to put on when your foot bath is done

Another wonderful source of restoration : )

Composting

We've been so busy outside that I haven't had time to do much on the computer besides my usual time wasting on Facebook (*blush*)

My seedlings are still doing quite well- I've had a few die off here and there, but most of them are fairing nicely. We still haven't picked out the perfect spot for our garden bed, but we've got plenty of time to get that taken care of.

Last weekend Ry built us a composting bin in hopes of brewing up some nice fertile soil for our garden-to-be.

Green and Ry ceremoniously adding the first orange peel

I have a soft spot for botany (and a fair portion of a biology degree), so I was pleased to learn that there is actually a good amount of science behind the table scraps rotting away in the corner of our yard. Here is what I've gleaned so far:

When composting, you want to keep a carbon (brown, dry yard waste) to nitrogen (green, plant material, fruits and veggies) of roughly 30:1 - but close enough is good enough in a home composting situation. It will all break down eventually!

There are many different ways to construct your bin (or you can buy one for like $100)

Add material in brown and green layers

You want to keep your pile moist but not totally soaking, like a wrung out sponge

Covering it is also a good idea- heat speeds up the process

It is a good idea to turn your pile every time something new is added - this oxygenates the pile, speeding up the breakdown process - Once your pile is as big as you intend to make it, it is a good idea to turn it every three days or so

Finished compost can be ready in as little as 3 months or can take up to a year

Here is an awesome resource if you are thinking about composting!

A little bird told me : )

I tried making wire jewelry for the first time last night! Ry (who is an amazing artist) made wire sculptures in college so he was able to help me get started. I love the way this necklace came out! I listed it in my Etsy shop, but honestly I would gladly keep it!

Mama Nest Necklace

Etsy is so much fun : ) Honestly, my favorite part is packing the jewelry up and sending it off- I love trying to imagine the person that purchased it trying it on and wearing it around!

Seedlings in the Sun

This is defiantly the first organized gardening attempt I have ever undertaken- I'm so excited! This year we have quite a bit more ground to work with! So I've decided to try and start some of our seedlings inside and then transplant them into our (yet to be built) raised beds. So far I've started tomatoes, squash, peas, pumpkins, cucumbers, various different herbs, and giant sunflowers (for our wedding in September!!!) We've also started composting in hopes of having some ready to fertilize the soil later in the summer.

Some of my plant babies

It has been so beautiful outside that I have been able to bring the seedlings out during the day to soak in some sun. My other seedling, Green, and I have also been able to spend some time outside. We took a trip to the park with some friends earlier in the week to swing on the swings. I can't believe that he is going to be a year old at the end of next month! He is really starting to develop his own little personality- he amazes me every day.

Green loving the swing (notice the bare feet, it was so warm out!)