"Imagine all the people, living life in peace..." ~ John Lennon
Some great links to check out and learn more.
International Day of Peace on FaceBook
Here's a video from Jane Goodall, UN messanger of Peace:
peace{FULL} living
- peace{FULL} living by Zen Baby, LLC©2010 Property of Zen Baby, LLC. Photographs, unless otherwise noted are the personal property of Nicole Evenhuis. All rights reserved and content may not be reproduced in any manner without written permission. Thank you.
September 21, 2010
September 14, 2010
Homemade doggie biscuits!
With the summer weather taking a turn toward fall - we've been inspired to get baking! I came across this great cookbook at the library for organic dog biscuits by the Bubba Rose Biscuit Co.!
(a special 'thank you' to Jessica of the Bubba Rose Biscuit Co. for sharing her recipe with us!)
We switched things up a little by using apple/carrot crushers from Trader Joe's...and at Katie's request, we also added mint - "so the biscuits will freshen Roxy & Lou's breath!". Our dough was a little moist to roll out, so we opted to bake them in mini muffin tins, which turned out to be a quick and easy way to finish them off.
Success!!! Roxy & Lou LOVE them.
With a little batter left over, I added some baking powder, blueberries, vanilla, cinnamon, and a touch of agave, creating a batch of mini muffins for ourselves to enjoy too!
(Roxy waiting patiently for her homemade treat!)
September 09, 2010
Summer fun with Photo apps!!!
I love taking photos! This summer has been keeping us as busy as ever, and one of the fun and creative ways I've been capturing these moments has been with iPhone photo apps!
These were taken with Hipstamatic - which allows you to choose between different film types and lenses to create magical and evocative images.
Then for a little good ol' fashion photobooth fun, try IncrediBooth! You can choose between three settings: a Helga Lens with Supergrain B&W film, the classic John S lens with SuperContrast film, or a custom Kaimal lens with Infrared film.
Enjoy! These apps are super fun for the whole family!
August 19, 2010
Il Bel Far Niente!
I just saw the movie, Eat Pray Love, this weekend. I read the book in my book club when it first came out- and loved it...felt it...connected with it. Of course, I was both excited and a little hesitant about seeing the movie - would it live up to my experience of reading the book? I did end up enjoying it very much. I loved seeing the landscapes come to life in Rome, India, and Bali...and I did think Julia Roberts did a nice job of capturing the feel and essence of Elizabeth Gilbert without trying too hard to 'be' her. But I especially enjoyed the movie because it reminded me of how much I loved the book,(which I think I'm going to reread)! The book has so many wonderful quotes- some of which made it into the film. The one I was left thinking about was the Italian expression, "Il bel far niente!"- the beauty of doing nothing.
Elizabeth Gilbert writes in the book, "This is the goal of all your work, the final accomplishment for which you are most highly congratulated. The more exquisitely and delightfully you can do nothing, the higher your life's achievement." (pg.61)
The beauty of doing nothing...just thinking about the phrase helps me slow down and pause with reflection. I immediately go to questioning whether that's something I've fully embraced in my life. And, 'no' is the answer. If anything, l've been a doer for as long as I can remember...go, go, go....do, do, do! And that certainly hasn't changed much since I've had kids. If anything, now, more than ever, I find myself with a to-do list of things that never get done, and weigh heavily on my mind. Sometimes, I feel, the closest I get to doing nothing, is the paralysis I experience from the stress I have about everything I need (and want) to take care of! That being said, I try to balance all my 'doing' with just 'being'---being in the moment, pausing my mental to-do list, and taking a deep breath to center myself so I can be as present as possible in all that I am doing...But that's still not nothing!
There will never be a time when there is nothing to do--- the dishes and laundry alone, will keep us busy for the rest of our lives! But taking the stress off ourselves about doing so much all the time, making an effort to do less, slowing down and simplifying our lives, I do believe, will create the opportunity for us to experience Il bel far niente!. And this, I think, will bring joy and peace, not just to ourselves, but also to our families!
August 09, 2010
The Giving Tree!
I love Shel Silverstein's classic book, The Giving Tree! It's a sweet, sad, and haunting tale that touches on the gift of giving and the capacity to love openly and unconditionally!
At our house we have our own Giving Tree of sorts in our own backyard...it's our beautiful lemon tree! It's our Giving Tree, because that's exactly what it does...it gives us an abundance of lemons all year long. But this time of year in particular, it's branches are full of fruit! No matter how many lemons we pick, or how often we collect them, there still seems to be a tree full of lemons!
The photo above was taken sitting under our tree where I have a a rocking bench. One of my favorite places to relax in the backyard, watch the kids play, or take in the evening sunset.
Raspberry Lemon Bar Pie:
I used the Barefoot Contessa Lemon Bar recipe -but instead of making my own crust, I used a ready made pie crust. A bit of a cheat, but it's quick, easy and tastes great. Ina's recipe will make two pies. As a little something special, I added fresh raspberries on top! They look beautiful and transform this into a sophisticated dessert!
Unlike the book, we won't be cutting down our Giving Tree...but we do intend to love and nurture it, and hopefully, in return, it will continue to grow and give us it's beautiful fruit, bringing much joy and nourishment to our family!
(I'd love to hear some of your favorite recipes too!)
August 02, 2010
So Simple Sugar Scrub!
I used to love using Trader Joe's Tangerine Sugar Scrub...but I haven't been able to find it there for the longest time. This inspired me to consider making my own. After a little research, it became clear that that I could do this very easily and cost effectively! So, why not! Sugar scrubs are one of those items that seem quite luxurious, and can be quite pricey. (on a recent search, I found a tangerine scrub for $22 a tub on-line!). But within minutes you can make it at home with a few simple items in your kitchen - namely sugar and oil! And it's a fun project to do with the kids- plus they get to use it in their bath too! Sugar scrubs will leave your skin smooth, soft, and moisturized!
Basically it's about 1 cup sugar to 1/4-1/2 cup oil.
Sugar: I used the raw turbinado for it's coarseness. The finer the grain of sugar the more exfoliation it will have on the skin. Keep that in mind when choosing your sugar. Or mix it up with two kinds of sugar.
Oil: I used a combination of Extra Virgin Olive Oil and organic Coconut oil. Other oils to use are almond oil, jajoba oil, or grape-seed oil.
Essential Oil: add 8-10 drops. Or a combination of essential oils. I used grapefruit (balancing, refreshing, cheering properties) and geranium (stress relieving, balancing, detoxifying properties)! It smells so good- it's definitely a mini mood enhancer! Add 1/2 teaspoon of vitamin E oil for it's antioxidants and it's anti-inflammatory properties.
Mix all ingredients together in a jar/tub. I found this tub for 99c at the grocery store.
Some other yummy combinations:
Lavender essential oil / rose essential oil
Brown sugar/ tsp. vanilla extract
Peppermint / Tea tree oil for an energizing scrub
Lemon grass essential oil / add lemon zest ( I think that's what I'll try next - I have lemon grass and lemons in the backyard!)
~ Another idea would be to substitute the sugar with sea salt - or make a combination of the two! The possibilities are endless.
Have fun creating your own luxurious mix!
July 29, 2010
Eat your Peace!
Mac & cheese - Total comfort food, and a classic family standby meal, whether it's homemade or straight out of the box. When I can, I like to stock up on Annie's Homegrown Peace Pasta & Parmesan. It's tasty, it's natural & organic, and it's peace sign pasta! What's not to love?
It's funny to think that mac & cheese can be a way to promote peace in our lives with our family. But sharing meals is one way to practice peace in our homes daily, and kids love mac & cheese, so really it's a perfect pairing. It also creates a natural opportunity to open a dialogue about peace with our kids. There's some interesting facts and information on the box itself, and you can even send away for a free "Stand for Peace" bumper sticker.
I love Annie's Homegrown commitment. As their box says..."peace is contagious" - and hopefully with every bite of peace pasta we'll all be reminded of that.
July 26, 2010
Renegade Craft Fair Los Angeles: Get Your Craft On!
Katie was so excited when I told her we were going to a craft fair. She was especially excited because of the craft workshops! I think she imagined an entire event where she could go from one project to the next for hours on end. That didn't end up being the case at the 2nd Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Los Angeles. But we did see some beautiful and inspiring DIY arts & crafts and sat down for a couple of Etsy sponsored projects as well.
The event was held over the weekend at the Los Angeles State Historic Park (aka, The Cornfield) on Spring Street downtown with free parking and admission---which I completely appreciated.
It was hot out, but we both enjoyed being out in the open air among so many other crafty, arty folk. That alone was a good feeling. With over 250 indie-crafters, it was a lot to take in, but somehow we managed to make our way through the event to check out all the booths.
We left with some really cute handmade craft projects - which made Katie happy, and two really cute handcrafted silver rings - which made me happy too!
(Heart ring from esotericabazaar.etsy.com / LoveBird ring from chocolateandsteel.com)
All in all, a fun way to spend a few hours together this weekend!
For a little of your own DIY crafting inspiration, check out Renegade Craft Fair's flickr photostream!
July 19, 2010
Hummingbird love: homemade nectar recipe
I love having hummingbirds in our garden. They are a delight, and bring all of us so much joy when they fly by. For the past couple of years we've hung feeders in the yard, ensuring many visits! Although our hummies do also love all the other flowers in the yard, including our orange aloe vera flowers below.
Making your own hummingbird nectar is so simple, and keeps it dye-free, which is healthier for them too!
nectar: 4 cups water. 1 cup sugar. Boil water and add the sugar so it dissolves. Let cool.
Boiling helps deter the growth of bacteria and yeast. Don't use powdered sugar, which contains corn starch and can
contribute to premature fermentation of the solution. Brown, turbinado, and "raw" sugars contain iron, which can be deadly to hummingbirds if consumed over long periods.
In Native American animal 'medicine' the hummingbird teaches us to laugh and enjoy, to appreciate the magic of being alive, and the truth of beauty. Hummingbirds awaken us to the beauty of the present moment.
This resonates with me. And I am reminded of all of that each time I get to see one of those little cuties!
July 05, 2010
Summer Summer Summer
I'm always amazed at how crazy things get at the end of the school year with the build up and anticipation of summer vacation.
And for us it get's especially busy with multiple family birthdays and our wedding anniversary all within one month.
In addition we also have at least 8 other friends' birthdays, end of the year performances, field trips, Father's Day...you get the picture. This year, on Father's Day, we also adopted two beautiful pups from L.A. Animal Services Shelter.
We named them Roxy and Lou. They are a wonderful new addition to the family. As they are both around one year old, they have grown out of most of their wild puppy behavior, but it's still a little like having two new toddlers in the house to look after and care for!
It's been a whirlwind of a month to say the least. An exciting time filled with celebrations, commemorations, transitions, and lots of fun!
Now, I'm looking forward to a little summer relaxation!
