So where were we? Oh yes, the conclusion to my titillating cliff hanger from our shoe (mis)adventures from yesterday!

I let her purple crocs stew in that trash can for about a half hour, while I stewed on what I was going to do.

They were only $4 and they are almost too small. But I could hand them down to my girlfriend Sharon who also has two young daughters… they have a lot of life left in them! I hate to be so wasteful. But on the other hand I want Maxine to know that I say what I mean and I mean what I say!

This picture makes my lunch look so lovely. I think it’s the book in the background.

Hummus Sandwich and Gazpacho

A spread of sun dried tomato hummus on gently toasted Ezekiel bread, plump sliced tomatoes, home grown sprouts with a blanket of red leaf lettuce and a dabble of mustard. Chilled gazpacho made with the finest seasonal vegetables hand selected from a local grower.

Crack That Nut

September 24th, 2009 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (27 Comments)

Off and running first thing this morning. I’m so glad we’ve had a slight reprieve from the chilly mornings and I can run in shorts for a little while longer still.

I left my iPod at home today, wanting to just run and be completely present in the moment, focusing on what I was doing. My breathing and the sound of my feet hitting the pavement were the soundtrack for this morning’s run.

I had enough time this morning to go a bit longer and did 5.76 miles in about 47 minutes. My run definitely felt longer today without something to distract me, but it was welcome.

Magic Mushrooms

September 23rd, 2009 | Posted by Alison Spath in Dinner Time - (16 Comments)

We had a little homeschooling play date here today and we broke from watercolors and horse play (really, Ava loves to pretend she’s a horse) to have lunch.

Veggie sandwich anyone? Well make your own cause this one is ALL. MINE.

Beloved Veggie Sandwich

There’s avocado in there but it’s hiding until a forest of red leaf lettuce. Plus tomato and mustard too on toasted Ezekiel.

Post lunch we hit up the playground for some “Outside Voice” time and large motor activities on something other than my furniture.

Oh Woe is Three

September 23rd, 2009 | Posted by Alison Spath in Breakfast - (22 Comments)

I like to consider myself a reasonable parent. We practice gentle disciple and offer loving guidance. We encourage respect and the proper use of manners. I’ll eagerly honor requests when they are asked politely, in a sweet tone and especially when there’s something in it for me.

Maxine woke up in the middle of the night last night politely asking for water. Ava’s unconscious heard this request and she immediately woke up asking for water too. I was groggy but knew that there would be no going back to sleep until pint sized thirsts were quenched. I pulled myself out of bed and pressed my near sighted eyes to the bed side clock to see what time it was before stumbling downstairs to fetch two glasses of water.

Mrs. Brightside

September 22nd, 2009 | Posted by Alison Spath in Late Night Craziness - (18 Comments)

I’m afraid I was not tickled to hear that any Sigg bottles made before August 2008 have trace amounts of BPA in their liners. I bought ours early in 2008 so ours were definitely tainted.

Maxine and I ran errands in the acid rain while Ava was at her crunchy granola homeschooling class today. Ditching these bottles was on the list of things to do. An article just showed up in the newspaper announcing that Wegmans is taking back ALL Sigg bottles made before August 2008 no matter where you bought them and offering you a replacement or a refund.

My little mung beans have already started to sprout!

Sprouting

After a few more email exchanges with my mom this morning I realized it was probably worth my time to take a closer look at the sprouting instructions that came with my lids.

Wait. Read the directions? Imagine that!

Sprouting Instructions

OK I promise I did read the instructions yesterday but didn’t get much beyond the soaking part because that’s all I was concerned with then.

Book Titles

September 22nd, 2009 | Posted by Alison Spath in Late Night Craziness - (20 Comments)

If the pictures I took today were going to be used for book covers, the titles of said books might be the following:

Always Listen to Your Mother

In the Dark

My mom called after my post this morning to tell me sprouts should be sprouted in the dark. Who knew? Well – Mom, apparently! Into the cupboard they went.

Beets and the Girls Who Eat Them

Steaming Beets

I’m not sure this photo really does the feeling of spilled green juice justice.

Liquid Bronze

That glass was FULL moments before that picture was taken.

The only thing I can compare spilling about 8 oz of fresh vegetable juice to would be spilling a 4 oz bottle of expressed breast milk all over your desk and work clothes. M@ther#F*ckr%! How quickly you understand why they call it liquid gold. Something you worked so damn hard for and is now gone, you’ve got a mess to clean up, a baby who’s going without lunch (kidding) or a husband who’s going without breakfast (talking about the other kind of juice now).

I’m Such a (Book)Mooch

September 20th, 2009 | Posted by Alison in Good Reads - (18 Comments)

Yesterday a fun package came in the mail.

A Fun Package

Oooo I love packages! So what’s inside, what’s inside!?

Why it’s a book!

Intuitive Eating

Have you read Intuitive Eating? It quite literally saved my sanity early this year when I was having a tough time with food.

I’ve never really had a difficult relationship with food. I’ve never been a “dietier” per se, and have always known that it’s better to just live an active lifestyle with a regular diet full of whole foods – instead of eating diet foods, avoiding treats and junk food for a short period of time while you’re “on a diet” to lose weight.