Kale Chips

Kale Chips!

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They may sound healthy, but they taste even better than those yummy-to-eat -but-awful-for-you potato chips. With two large bunches of kale from the organic farm share that we work each week, I decided it was time to whip up some kale chips. They are SO easy and oh so good.

How to make your own kale chips:

1. To start, clean your bunches of kale (remember that you should use organic since kale is on the dirty dozen list). 
2. Rip kale into bite size pieces (do not use the spine).
3. Toss with a few tablespoons of olive oil and a sprinkle of sea salt.
4. Additional idea: Sprinkle with Parmesan.
5. Bake at 350.
6. Flip every so often until crunchy. (Typically flipping every 5 or so minutes)
7. Enjoy!

Easy Peasy!

Write on!

I love to get mail. 

Not bills. Not junk mail. Not generic cards with a scribbled name. REAL mail. 

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My daughters are beginning to love getting mail, too. I am teaching them that in order to get mail, they must in turn create and send mail to others. They may not be able to write much yet, but drawing pictures, coloring pages, and sending pressed flowers and other fun little things are fair game to send.

I try to write a few letters a month, but I feel like it is time to step it up and send at least one letter or card with a personal message (not just a signed name for a birthday or anniversary) each week. To start this feat, after pining for a lost friendship, I am ready to begin writing to try to rekindle my bond after 5 years.

My questions to you are:

• Do you enjoy sending and receiving mail?
• At what point do you swallow your pride and attempt to begin to mend a friendship via the art of letter writing? 

Ahhh....A Stolen Few Hours

Do you ever find that it almost feels sinful when you are able to steal away a few hours to yourself to just enjoy your family?

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Today I spent the majority of the day enjoying my life as a mama to two young girls. I rode my bike with the girls in the trailer all around town for our town's celebration. We started at the library's water fight, complete with the firetruck's hose and sprinkler. We crossed the street to the north to get free ice cream sandwiches from the school administration.Then we enjoyed the free hot dogs and pop at the party store across the street to the west. From there we rode to the main highway and got another hot dog and drink from the gas station. The girls enjoyed the free combs from the barber shop. We went to see the new chiropractor in town from there. Finally we rode back, got the mail, and came home.

We enjoyed frozen banana and chocolate 'ice cream' (really just blended banana chunks blended to an ice cream consistency). We ended by hanging out in the kiddie pool on the patio. Fun!

Now, with the littlest one down for the night and the older one super excited for the fireworks tonight, we are enjoying some 'chill' time on the couch. What a nice way to end a nice day!

How do you feel when you steal away a few hours? What do you do with your stolen hours?

New Year's Challenge: Week 1: The Office

This year is about being good enough. I don't know about you, but this is a real struggle for me. To start this year's theme on the right foot, I am participating in an organizing challenge hosted by one of my favorite organizational blogs: A Bowl Full of Lemons.

I am participating in ABFOL's: 

Week One, of course, starts with the one room I was hoping I wouldn't have to think about for a while: the office!

Keeping this year's Good Enough theme in mind, rather than trying to overwhelm myself to the point of tears and trying to actually organize my abyss of an office, I focused on 1 section of some wall shelves for my essential oil business. Guess what? It worked! I had to fight myself quite a few times to stay focused on just do that section and no more. It took half an hour here, fifteen minutes there, and an hour or so when I could throughout the last several days, but I have completed Week One's challenge!

Is it huge? No.
Is it life-changing? Not really.
Did I say I would complete the challenge? Yes.
Did I complete the challenge? Yes!

Do you know how it feels? It feels GREAT!

New Year, New Start, Right?

Well, new year, new start, right? 

I must be honest....I want to love that idea, but the perfectionist in me feels like I am setting myself up for failure. I know in my heart that I will not live up to the level I expect from my resolutions.

This year my main resolution is to start letting go of some of my perfectionist self and just be me. That sounds so simple, doesn't it? If only it really were. My whole life I have struggled to be the best at everything and I find that I am rally not the best at anything. I am not the best mother, the best wife, the best friend, the best sister, daughter, niece, granddaughter.... Shall I continue? I am not the best at any of those things. I have wanted to be an artist (but I am not), a writer (I can't even get started), a wife (I fail daily)...What I am the best at? Trying! I try everyday in so many ways. That is what matters and that is going to be this year's focus. Forget being perfect, try just being. Being good enough. Trying my best and accepting that all I can do is my best. I can't ask more of myself than that.

So...Here's to making 2013 the year of Good Enough! I will be good enough. I am not perfect. I never was perfect. I will never be perfect. Only God is perfect, and I am NOT Him! (Thank goodness!)

How do you plan to embrace and take charge of 2013? Do you have a resolution? A goal? Do you refuse resolutions? I'd love to hear your thoughts.