Footsteps Toward Health

This journey to better health has brought many blessings.

One of those blessings, that I am thankful for today,

is that my children are more open to trying new healthy food choices.

They have eaten quinoa, ancient grains, gluten/dairy free crackers, 

squash, zucchini, etc.

Today I had a brainstorm about how to sneak in more greens into their diets.

Normally everyday I have a health shake that I make from organic

foods such as kale, spinach, nuts, almond milk, chia seeds, and fresh fruit.

It is a great way to get a nutrition blast and yet it tastes like 

I am drinking a delicious smoothie.

It dawned on me that my kids would probably love the taste of these shakes.

So today I created a healthy concoction that I then transferred to 

popsicle molds and froze for a refreshing, nutritious treat.

Here is how I made it if you are interested:

Delicious Nutritious Health Popsicles

Dairy Free and Gluten Free

1 cup Organic Baby Spinach Leaves

1 medium sized organic banana, sliced

1/2 cup sliced organic strawberries

1/2 cup no sugar added frozen organic berry mix

(my mix had cherries, raspberries, blackberries, and blueberries)

1 stalk of organic celery, sliced

1/2-3/4 cup of organic almond milk

Add all the above ingredients to a Nutri-Bullet and liquify.

Pour/spoon mix into the popsicle molds and freeze for 6 hours.

ENJOY!

The cool thing about this recipe is you can change the greens to kale

or a super-green mix of other leafy greens.  You could add cashews,

walnuts, pistacios, etc. for a protein boost. You can add chia seeds

or other raw seeds as well.  You can switch up the fruits and add some 

fresh peaches, pineapple, or whatever is in season.

The possibilities are endless.

The natural sweetness of the fruit and berries "cover" up the 

taste of the greens and the kids never know they are there.

I do recommend using a whole medium banana no matter what other

fruits and add-ins you use because it 

gives the mix a good, creamy texture.

Hope this recipe inspires you to go crazy!

Let me know if you come up with a great version...

I'd love to try it.

xo

Scare Away the Dark

Contemplation

"We should run through the forest
We should swim in the streams
We should laugh, we should cry,
We should love, we should dream
We should stare at the stars and not just the screens
You should hear what I'm saying and know what it means

To sing, sing at the top of your voice,
Love without fear in your heart.
Feel, feel like you still have a choice
If we all light up we can scare away the dark"
~Passenger
Scare Away the Dark

Today I am thankful for music that brings me comfort.
Lately the lyrics and unique voice of Passenger has
given me something to listen to and concentrate on when I am in pain.
His voice is soothing and I absolutely love songwriters with something to say.
Mumford and Sons, Passenger, The Avett Brothers (and many more)...
they are all master singer/songwriters and I appreciate their craft.

According to Psychology Today, music can play a role in pain relief
by disrupting the pain-stress-pain loop in our brain.
Makes sense to me, especially considering I do not want to
put one more drug into my body than I have to.
So, hand me my playlist and earphones...
I'm medicating with music.
xo

Sunset Beach

It Is Good to be Alive!

Sunset Beach
 Cape May, NJ

Aren't you glad there are days like the one pictured here

where the power of the ocean,

the beauty of the sky,

the warmth of the sun, and 

the pleasure of the company refills your spirit's fuel tank?

All the bad news on the television,

all the mean, nasty people,

all the difficult situations one might be facing in life

melt away into a puddle,

putting one's problems into perspective...

shrinking them so that they don't seem so gigantic.

It is a good thing the world is so, so big

and at times we can feel so, so small...

because truly, there are only a few things that matter 

and the rest is just the rest.

xo

Mother Daughter Love

Cape May Point State Park

Get in the Picture, Mothers!

Cape May Lighthouse

Fear is the single most powerful negative force in my life.

I have always had strange, strong fears all my life,

and sometime last year I decided that I was tired of being limited by

my own mind and the fear that lived there.

One of my fears from the past is heights.

There were many things I didn't do and places I didn't go 

because I was afraid of how high it is.

I did go and get some EMDR therapy for PTSD

and in the process of that therapy, I have released many of my fears.

That is not to say that I now LOVE the things that used to scare me.

On the contrary, I still do not like heights.

I feel dizzy and vertigo when I am in a high place

(even the second story of a mall)

and I still feel nervous.

But where that fear used to paralyze me and stop me from doing things,

I now face it head on and do things that I never would have considered doing

prior to this therapy.

When my fearless daughter and I were in Cape May,

she wanted to climb to the top of this 157 foot lighthouse

and while I would rather NOT have gone up there,

I also didn't want to miss out on the experience, views, and most of all

the adventure with my daughter, 

so I said, "Sure, let's go."

(...in a weak, pitiful, not-at-all-sure voice.)

It was not easy for me, but I didn't let the rising panic

set in and conquer me.

I did need her help and cooperation to make it to the top, though.

I couldn't look up or I would get dizzy...

I couldn't look down or I would get dizzy,

so I had her go in front of me and I just stared straight ahead

at the small of her back and gripped both handrails tightly.

And one step at a time,

199 spiral steps later, 

we reached the top.

She even convinced me to step out into the open air 

(surrounded by a open metal cage)

to get the best views uninhibited by windows.

The sea air rushed to our faces and took my breath away

and I almost didn't go.

But she turned to me, offered me her hand and said,

"You can do it, Mom."

And I did.

Because of her.

It's funny how sometimes as parents we think we are saving our kids

and teaching them about life but more often than not,

I find myself inspired by, learning from, and receiving encouragement from them.

So thankful for this special experience with my daughter.

She may have seen it just as climbing 199 stairs

but I will always see it as the day my daughter led me to places I wouldn't have gone without her.

xo

This Side of Forever

Geckos

Lucky Ducks

Vintage Beauty

Thankful that despite all the ugliness in the world

and despite ongoing personal tragedies, 

I can still see and appreciate the beautiful things

that God, the Great Spirit, has put in my life.

I had another reminder yesterday that life is way too short

to take anything for granted.

Our dearly loved horse, our sweet, loving, gentle stallion Clydesdale

died suddenly last night.

Despite a desperate attempt to save him, 

it sadly was his time to go.

After the loss of my father and now of our beloved pet,

my family is stinging badly.

It has been a summer of loss,

but also at the same time a summer of discovery with bits of

joy, peace, love, and good memories sprinkled in.

It is the valleys that remind us how sweet the mountain tops are

and so I am thankful for the rainy days as well as the sunny ones.

One foot in front of the other,

chin high,

heart open,

and mind at peace knowing 

life is a cycle and I will see my loved ones on the other side one day.

In the meantime, I will fiercely cling to and love 

my friends and family

on this side of forever.

xo

Visions of Cape May

So thankful to have created these beautiful memories 

with my oldest daughter that just the two of us will share for a lifetime.

The time I spent with her can never be replaced...

the best things in life are experiences and quality time with those you love.

xo