Lots and Lots Of Seeds...

Chia seeds.

Flax seeds.

Hemp seeds.


Every morning I make organic oatmeal with organic berries {blueberries, raspberries and blackberries} and top it off with almond milk, organic raw honey and two tablespoons each of the above listed seeds. It is the most delicious breakfast ever. Oh, and did I mention it's pretty healthy?

These little super seeds hardly have a taste but they pack a super punch where it counts. So why wouldn't I add them to my oatmeal? Sometimes I even put them in my yogurt {I still have yet to go 100 % vegan. But that is for another time because I'm not sure if I'll be pure vegan or more "veganish."}

Back to the seeds... They are easy to find now in most grocery stores. You don't have to trudge all the way to the specialty health food store these days. But my suggestion is to buy organic whenever possible. I would rather spend more money on food and health any day than go buy a new shirt or pair of shoes. The investment in your health is priceless.

A few things chia seeds reportedly help with: energy, blood sugar levels, endurance, strength,  digestion, slowing the aging process and brain functioning. Yep, sounds good to me!

Chia seeds also reportedly have 3 x the iron as spinach, 5 x the calcium of milk, 2 x the potassium of bananas, 2 x the protein of any other seed or grain and 3 x the antioxidant strength of blueberries.

I mean come on. Enough said, right?

Enjoy some chia!

xo

pic via pinterest

Aches And Pains...

Hi there.

After two arduous days of travel and sitting in a seminar for 7 hours, my lower back is kicking. As in really sore.

My trainer has been on vacation all week on an exotic island {lucky her!} so I haven't been moving all that much. This is what happens in just one week of less movement. Our bodies yell at us. They pick a place to settle on and then send little pain signals to your brain. Ouch.

So we need to take care of our temples because we only have but one.

I need yoga today. Like worse than I've needed it in a long time. I don't know if I can make class.

But I do know that I will listen to my body and do yoga at home today if that is what it takes. Do not take your body or your flexibility for granted. If you're not very flexible now, it isn't too late. People in their 80's do yoga.

I bet this ache in my back will be gone by tomorrow if I take the time to stretch it out doing yoga and take a hot bath in epsom salt tonight. I hear you lower back. I will listen.

I am going to order these awesome Nike yoga shorts to add a little fashion to my life too. These are the 3"... I may go for the 5" instead... We'll see how sassy I'm feeling on ordering day. 

Happy Sunday!

Pic via pinterest, Nike.

Sticking With It... Stick With Me...

Hi old friends.

It was more difficult than I though to change the name of my blog... So I've decided to stick with it but change what I write about. And that is good enough for me! So as you can see in the introduction piece on the blog, I will be writing about lifestyle. The choices we make, the foods we eat, how we move or don't move our bodies, our thinking habits, all things related to well being. From inner to outer beauty. Mind, body, spirit. Welcome back and I hope you stick with me!

Namaste

Changing Times...

Good morning.

I have decided to change the name of my blog. I am not really refinishing furniture at this time, so what I have been writing about is more of my journey towards a new lifestyle. It is a journey of trying to live simply and organically. Trying to find the joy in the little things in life. Trying to find positive and inspiring people to surround myself with. Trying to have fun and get the most out of my days. Trying to eat healthier. Trying to work my body in new ways. Trying to relax and rejuvenate. Trying new things. Trying to be joy rising.

So French Farmhouse Living doesn't fit the bill for this anymore.

I will let you know as soon as I think of the new name. Then look for me at the new blog because I won't be blogging under this one anymore.

xo

To Be... Or Not To Be...

I am 95 percent vegetarian. I do love the occasional seafood dinner though. But meats... yucko. I don't know if this started because I'm an animal lover or because I just didn't like the taste of meat anymore. 

But lately I have been thinking A LOT about going vegan. I don't think it would be that drastic of a change for me. I do think it will take a lot of work to educate myself on what foods are vegan {reading entire food labels to make sure there isn't a sneaky little animal byproduct in there.} I thought the hardest things for me to give up would be yogurt, cheese and honey.

Well, let's start with the honey. I used to put honey on everything. Raw, organic honey. But... I read that honey is actually bee vomit. If that is true, I'm ready to vomit. So I switched to agave nectar instead and I love it. Then there is yogurt... I found a yogurt that I really like that is dairy-free {made of almonds.} The last thing is cheese. I adore cheese. So yesterday I bought the vegan brand called Daiya but I haven't tried it yet. If it's gross, I might be in trouble. I guess I'll have to give my taste buds time to try something new. I'm hoping my little taste buds will adjust nicely. So far so good.

Today I ordered all new makeup from 100 % Pure. Every single item that goes on my face from mascara to lip gloss is from this wonderful company. It cost a bit, but I believe it's worth it. It's investing in yourself. That's never a bad thing, right?  

Here is a direct quote of what 100 %  Pure says about their makeup:

"The absolute most healthy, the most pure line of nourishing personal care made with the highest quality ingredients. Free of any harmful toxins that are common in other cosmetics - because our skin absorbs.

Just as birth control patches and nicotine patches deliver the medication topically, whatever we apply on our skin gets absorbed which is why all 100% Pure formulas are free of harmful toxins that are commonly in other cosmetics. 100% Pure’s mission is to create the healthiest cosmetics made with the highest quality ingredients.

100% Pure creates healthy products for our body and also for the environment. Our corporate offices are run by 100% solar energy, our company is 100% electric and our pure, biodegradable formulas are packaged with post consumer recycled plastic, glass, soda cans, paper and printed with biodegradable non toxic vegetable ink. 100% Pure loves animals - we are completely cruelty free and charitable towards animal welfare."

I'm sure it's not perfect with the ingredients it uses. But it sounds like a landslide of better ingredients than most cosmetic companies use. I'm just trying my best and that's all I can do. Educate myself and try to put my money into companies who believe in health and wellness for the consumer.

I guess it's a lifestyle.

Workout

Eat healthy

Use the healthiest products you can find {including cleaning products for your home}

Get your sleep.

Those seem to be the tricks of the trade from what I've read about health and wellness. We can all use a hand from each other with learning and sharing this information. My brother said I'm going to lose all my teeth by going vegan! Ha. He's so 2014.

Here is a picture of dinner for tonight... It may not look pretty but it tastes yummy.

Be well.

~Namaste~

xo  

You Say Hippy... I Say Boho Chic...

Does it make me a hippy that I want to make my own laundry detergent?

I'm not saying that I want to live on a compound and not shave anymore... I'm just saying that I like the idea of knowing exactly what is going into my detergent without it being toxic chemicals.

So I've been doing a bit of research on how to do it. It seems a little annoying at first, but after the batch is actually made, it seems like you can use it for a good long while.

I usually just buy all Seventh Generation products. But for some reason I'm on a kick of making my own. You know me when I get on a kick... This kick may pass and then it's on to the next item of business.

But for now my kick is DIY natural, organic laundry detergent.

If I actually do it I'll keep you posted. It saves money too which is never a bad thing in my book.

My husband laughed when I told him I wanted to make my own. He doesn't understand why I wouldn't just keep buying the all natural stuff. I don't really get it either. I just know I have a bee in my bonnet about it so I might as well give it a whirl.

See, isn't it pretty?

 

xo

pic via pinterest

The Perfect Day...

Squeeze a nap in there and I would be one happy girl.

Waking up isn't all that easy for me. I'm not exactly an early morning person. But I do have my alarm clock that wakes me with chirping birds, so I can't complain too much.

Green tea... I love my tea, especially in my new aqua tea kettle. So soothing.

Workout: I have been going to boot camp consistently twice a week and it's helping me to feel amazing. I need to keep it up {and I actually want to keep it up! I look forward to going every week.}

A warm shower to get me going in the morning is a must. Wash away the sweat of my workout! With organic peppermint soap for a little pep.

For breakfast I usually have my protein shake. It fills me up to the brim. And tastes yummy too.

Read: Give me a good book and I'm glued. Right now I'm reading Wild. I'm liking it...

I hate cleaning, but when I do clean it makes me feel calm on the inside and organized on the outside. Definitely good for my anxious mind.

Lunch is my favorite meal of the day. I go big and strong for lunch. I can eat like a man when it comes to my lunch so don't get too close to my plate or I may bite you...

Dance: I will admit to dancing in the car while I'm driving on a pretty regular basis. No shame in that!  

Laugh: If I'm not laughing, there is a problem. I laugh a lot... Usually inspired by my best friend. Tears roll down our cheeks pretty much every day. Gotta love a friendship like that.

Dinner: Meh... I'm not much of a dinner person. But if I am starving, pasta it is. {Not the healthiest choice, but sometimes a girl just needs a giant bowl of pasta, and that's that!}

I cannot go to bed without taking a hot shower. No matter what time of the night it is, I have to hop in the shower to rinse the day away. Organic lavender soap at night. It calms and warms me so I'm ready for bed! It is a must in my book.

Sleep: Ah, the best time of the day. I love my sleep, even though I wake up about 75,000 a night. I still love my sleep.

And that my friends is the perfect day of self care!  Some days need to be all about you. Don't feel guilty. Feel healthy. Feel energized. Feel like the best version of you. Your family will love you more for it because you will be happier and that happiness will trickle down to them!

xo

pic via: pinterest