Future Yogi?

For the past few nights my daughter has asked, and very much enjoyed, practicing yoga and pilates with me in the basement.  Last night I was trying to get some laundry, and dishes done when I noticed that things were oddly quiet.  Now, if you have kids you know that when you can't "hear" your children you should probably be concerned.  I headed down to the basement with plans to jump on the treadmill for a little while, and when I turned the corner I saw THE cutest thing:



Modified Table Pose


They had gone down to the basement, put on a yoga DVD and were practicing together.  I almost died.  Not only were they doing yoga together, but they were quiet and focused.  Usually these two are bickering back and forth, and teasing each other relentlessly, so this a small miracle.



Boat Pose



Recently my daughter said to me, "You hate everything I like, because you only like things that are weird."  Granted, this was in response to our differening tastes in music but she did also tell me the other day that I was not cool.  This comes as a shock to me LOL.  I tried to convince her, with no avail, of exactly how cool I am.  So, to see that she is excited, and wants to do something that I love is a BIG deal.  She has now asked for a yoga mat for Christmas, and I can't wait to get her one.  With my luck, I will pick out a mat that she thinks is ugly, and so un-cool.  Sigh.

All Natural Laundry Soap

I decided to share my experience making homemade, all natural laundry detergent for my family.  My reasoning behind making my own laundry soap was simple.  It was yet another way I could easily remove harmful toxins and chemicals from our everyday life.  It is also much cheaper than what we were previously buying.  Lastly, the main ingredients used to make this can also be used in making other homemade, all natural household cleaners  #WINNING !

Ingredients:

1 cup Borax
1 cup Super Washing Soda
1 bar of all natural soap (Dr. Bronner is a great brand)
Essential Oils (optional)

Instructions:

First you want to fill up a 5 gallon bucket with 4 gallons of hot water.  My tap water gets pretty hot so I used that.  I got the bucket at Lowes for $5.00.  At this time, you should also fill a pan with 2 Quarts of water on the stove to begin boiling.



Next you want to add 1 cup each of the Borax and Washing Soda into the bucket and stir until dissolved.



Next, I used a cheese grater to grate the entire bar of soap.  I used Dr Bronners unscented, mild baby soap.



Once the water is almost boiling, slowly pour in the grated soap.  Turn down the heat, stir until dissolved.




Lastly you will want to pour the hot soapy water from the stove into the bucket and stir again, put the lid on and let it sit overnight.  Before putting the lid on, I add some Lavender Essential Oil to the bucket to make it smell nice.

The next day you will want to stir again and it will be ready for use!

Fall is here!

I think I am more excited for fall this year than I have been in years past.  We've had a pretty hot summer and I'm just itching for skinny jeans, cozy sweaters and boots!  I'm feeling very festive and am excited to start some new traditions with my family.  I can't wait to make halloween crafts with the kids and to test out some new fall recipes. 

We went apple picking this past weekend which is always a fun kick-off to the changing of the season.

My mom even managed to make apple pie with the kids.  It was fall harvest festival at my favorite farm so we got to pick some apples, pet some animals and jump in a bouncy house.  I even brough home some apple cider for the hubby.

Life is about making memories.  Being present amongst the chaos.  Yes, my life is crazy busy, there are not enough hours in the day to get everything done that I would like, and I need to just accept that.  Accept it and move on, take a break from my stress and enjoy the moments.  Looking at this picture helps remind me what life is all about.  Family.

Welcome

I've decided to start blogging.....again.  As a mother, I rarely get to do something for myself.  I decided today that this can be my 'something'.  This can be a place where I post about my life as a wife and mother, and can encompass everything that I enjoy.  Everything from my family to healthy living, to fitness, to photography.  This space can hold it all.  I'm also hoping that this blog will help to hold me accountable.  Help me to be more present in my life.  And maybe start doing some of the arts and crafts I pin on pinterest!  So I am jumping back on the wagon, and hopefully finding time to stick with it. 
Hera