Growing

I had to post these pictures because everything is so green and growing so well right now. But in a few weeks that will all change. This time of year is depressing in Phoenix. So this will probably be the last happy post of my garden.

Little orchard

We started today learning about Japan and making hanging Japanese fish.

Kali and Kai helped Mr. Becker dig a hole for our new plum tree.

Our dream is for our yard to be full of trees....like our own little Becker orchard!

How awesome will it be to have plums and peaches growing in our yard?! I hope they produce as much as our lemon tree does.

planting the tree

and patting down the dirt

Kali and Kai were so excited to help Daddy plant the tree and fix our sprinklers. Aren't they lucky to have such a good daddy to teach them? Happy Father's Day Francis, you're the best Dad any kid could ask for :)

Going green like a bean

Our little garden is just growing away (thanks to Via-gro, and no I did not make that up) we've had fresh tomatoes this past week and very soon we will be eating our own artichokes (we boil them for about 45 minutes and pull the leaves off and dip in melted butter--YUM!) Our green pepper plant is getting ready to start producing so soon it will be omelet city around here. Kali's "bean bops" (sugar snap peas & snow peas) are growing like crazy & she loves going out to check on her "bean stalk".

Our lemon tree only has a few lemons left so I am trying to make lemonade as much as possible.

Oh and did I mention we stopped eating red meat?! Why, you ask. Long story long.(seriously my mom and I tell the LONGEST stories)... my parents have a "vacation" home in Page Springs and there are chickens, horses and cows there....(the neighbors have these animals not my parents) and our neighbor Marley slaughtered one of his cows and gave us some of the meat. Logically, I know beef comes from cows BUT emotionally I guess I never really thought about it. I mean I was eating one of the cows that wanders around the grassy meadow at PS??? WEIRD! My kids love to see the cows and now there is one less and I am feeding it to them?? What the heck?! I told Francis how I felt and he said he felt the same way. (We sure are getting soft in our old age, soon we will be humming on a rock in Sedona) And ever since that day (last month) we have not had one bite of red meat and we do not miss it. We are also trying to eat less chicken and I going to try to buy more organic food. Oh and did I mention I stopped shaving my legs & I drive a Prius now?? Just kidding well, half kidding because I do want a Prius....oh no...Sedona vortex here I come!

Earth mother chic

Today my kids are sick.

It is going to be a long one.

Kai is taking a Tylenol induced nap Kali is downing spoonfuls of honey sitting on the couch. (The Ped told me to give them honey for a cough)

I am treating myself to a day of Earth mother chic pampering. These awesome little recipes save money, are totally "green" and make you feel less like a frumpy stay at home mom that has been wiping rears all day and more like a fabulous, yet Earthy mamasita.

For your tootsies & hands:

2 T cornmeal

1 T mashed banana (I put mine in a food processor)

Mix together and scrub your hands and feel and rinse with cool water.

For your rats nest:

1 banana (I put it in the food processor and saved Tablespoon for the recipe above)

1/2 avocado (use the other half on a sandwich or in a salad)

Add the avocado to the food processor with the banana and apply to dry hair....cover hair with saran wrap.....leave on 10 min and rinse with cold water

For your skin:

3 med strawberries (put in food processor)

1 T honey

Mix together, using small circles and massage onto face and neck for 3 minutes, rinse with warm water.

I used all three today and they not only smelled wonderful but they worked really good too :)

Oh and if you have a pint of strawberries and are hungry...make this:

http://yummietummies.blogspot.com/2008/12/strawberry-bread.html

* I got all of these "recipes" from the April '09 issue of Fitness magazine.

OH and if you are reading this while your kids are napping.....check out my cousin's blog she is crazy talented, crafts, photog, sewing, digital scrapbooking, cooking, she is amazing so click here:

http://watsonfam2007.blogspot.com/

It's official, I am a hippie!

My New Year's Resolution was to be more "Green" so we started off easy enough.....recyle every paper product and can that we have...then I changed out 75% of our light bulbs to energy efficient bulbs....stopped using papertowels and substitute washcloths that I wash and reuse. I thought I was doing really well with all of these changes and then I decided to go further into the green zone. So, we only turn the dryer on after 9 pm, Almost all of our cleaning prouducts are 7th Generation or another form of "Green" products, I clean the wood with olive oil and glass with vinegar and water, I take my own grocery bags to the store (as much as possible) and if I do get plastic bags I use them to line my garbage cans, I grow my own herbs and keep the a/c on 81* all day. All of these things are so simple and after a while I did not give them a second thought. Our APS bill is less than it was last year! I hope that all of you reading this can do at least two of these things and pass the ideas on so that our world can be a cleaner, "greener" place :) I know...I am such a hippie!