Who IS This Chick?
So, I’m Alison. I’m an (early!!) 30-something Computer Programmer turned Stay-At-Home(schooling)-Mom. There’s this pretty cool dude I married 10 years ago that hangs around here, plus the two pesky kids that insist on calling me “Mom”. We’ve got another one on the way now too.
This would be the place where I come to write about and share all the stuff I love: eating, cooking, running, yoga, fitness, healthy living, gardening, motherhood – and sometimes everything in between.
It all started waaaay back in 2008 when I lost a bunch of weight. “A bunch of weight” for me meant about 35 pounds, and it also meant the scale started flashing numbers that I’d seen before, just in a different order.
For the dozen or so years prior to 2008, any weight loss attempts were about being skinny. I was never really successful, and looking back I can safely say it was because I was going about it all wrong. Once it became more about being fit and healthy instead of being skinny and hungry – everything changed.
I revamped my approach to healthy eating, I figured out how to love running and got back to biking, as well as throwing some other exercisey stuff in to the mix as well. I’ve come to really enjoy preparing healthy meals for myself and my family – and now I enjoy sharing what I’ve learned here on my little plot of cyber real estate too.
I’ll often post recipes I make or meal ideas I have. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, snacks, dessert, whatever - if we liked it, or even if we didn’t – it’s fair game. The big people in this house are vegetarian (although I do sometimes eat fish), therefore the recipes found here will be meat free.
I use local, organic products and foods as much as possible. The produce section is where you’d find me snoozing if I was locked in the grocery store overnight. Vegan, vegetarian, raw or not – I’ll try it all. You don’t have to be a raw foodie to grasp the beauty of eating foods in their natural state. And you don’t have to be a vegan to enjoy meals prepared without animal products either. While not completely eliminated from my diet, I consume a lot less grain, dairy and sugar now than I did once upon a time and feel a lot better because of it. I’m always eager to share my alternatives to conventional dietary wisdom.
We have chosen to allow the girls to make the decision to become vegetarian themselves (or not) when they are ready. We very often discuss where our food comes from, how the animals in our food chain are treated and that we believe they deserve to be honored and treated with respect. Our hope is to raise them with an awareness and understanding of how the foods that we eat impact our health, the way that we feel, our society and our environment too.
While I surely love to write about cooking and eating and food, you’ll also find my thoughts and musings about my ever-evolving approach to health and fitness here as well. Running, cycling, barefooting, swimming, Yoga – variety is the spice of life as they say.
I don’t have a degree in nutrition or exercise, so there are no fancy letters after my name (just a couple of interesting hand gestures sometimes) – all I have are my own personal experiences, successes and failures. I’m happy to share what I’ve learned along the way. My hope is that just maybe you’ll find some value in what I do and have learned too.
My suggestion is to treat what I put here like a buffet; take what you like and leave the rest. My sincere hope is that you might find some of the things I do helpful as you travel your own personal journey toward health and wellness. You only get one body – it’s never too late to do something amazing with it.
OK, that’s a wrap. Who’s hungry?
I was homeschooled all my life, so I can say it’s totally worth it, and I’ll always respect my parents for doing that for me. Keep up the great work!
Wow Sarah, that’s great! Especially that you can look back and know that it was worth it. Homeschooling was actually Zak’s idea way back when, and I didn’t truly get on board until we met more homeschooled kids and families and saw how amazing homeschooling can be.
Hi Alison, thanks for stopping by the blog. I’m enjoying yours, as well. Your family is adorable! Bravo for showing your girls how to be active & eat healthy.
Your girls are adorable!! Great blog!
Hi! I just saw your guest post on The Daily Balance. Just stopping by to check out your blog. Very cute! I will be back!
-A
Thanks A!
THIS IS THE BAND MAMASWEED SAYING HELLO TO ALL YOU WEEDS …. PUT ON SOME MUSIC OF MAMASWEED TO YOUR WEBSITE
LOL, a Mamasweed band?! That rocks! (Literally.)
Thanks for stopping by my blog! You have a beautiful family!
What a wonderful family you have! Adorable! I love it. Keep up the good work… Your weeds are growing fast!
HI, I just ran across your blog from Andreas wellness notes!
another Mama living healthy! yeaaah!
I have a toodle bug, 16mos old and a teenager!
we’re busy too and I am enjoying your blog!
I just wanted to say HI!
Alison you are such an inspiration! Thanks for writing!
Allison,
Wow what a small world!! We should have a blogger meet up at Dinosaur BBQ! lol
I love your blog by the way!!
Rebecca
Hey Allison! I just found you through the Healthy Everythingtarian. I loved your guest post and your tips on running. I can’t wait to read more!
Gorgeous, beautiful family!!!
Hi Alison! Thanks for stopping by my blog. I love “meeting” other locals in this healthy eating/living blogland. Your kids are adorable!
Hi Allison,
I’m a homeschool mom from Alaska. While we do occasionally eat meat (usually as a side dish or part of a casserole), we prefer homemade vegetarian meals. I’m bookmarking you to try some of the recipes you have. Best wishes for the upcoming school year.
Hi! I am new to your blog! Your family looks super cute
What a great idea about letting your girls choose, I can’t wait to read more 
!
You and I are a lot alike. I was actually wondering if it was possible to feed my little girl so healthy but I’m working on it and it is working out great. Your site is a real inspiration I hope you don’t mind if I link you from my site.
Great job keep up the awesome blog.
Hello, just found your blog and I am so happy to find another blogger who is balancing kids/workouts/eating etc. I am trying to teach my kids good eating habits now so it is less of a struggle for them later in life. Can’t wait to keep reading!
Finally got here sweetie! What a fun and informative site. I’m so proud of all the hard work you are doing to keep your family healthy and filled with joy! I love you and will visit now and then, Aunt T.
Oooh yum, I never thought of juicing my beets and beet greens. I’ll have to give it a try. haha, I probably won’t share with anyone though, even if it’s a teaspoon!
Pingback: Balancing Me » Blog Archive » Two-A-Days
You go girl!!
hey hey! I was wondering if you would like to do a guest blog. I decided to take a little break from blogging during the Final Exam time. If you would like to do a guest blog- you can just send me the info/pictures…it can be on whatever… recipes, running/working out, life…anything! If you are too busy that is totally fine too I just thought I would check in and see! Thanks!!
Christina
Hey Alison, I came across your blog and I am absolutely enjoying it. You are a hilarious writer. I could not stop laughing after the Fish Tale post. I am relatively new to blogging and looking for to join a community of like minded runners/eaters. Mind if I add you to my blogroll?
I just found your blog! I am from Rochester, but live out west now and as soon as i saw the pictures I kept reading because I thought “Geez, that really looks like home”. Congrats on your weight loss and I look forward o reading more and seeing pics of Roch!
What a great approach to a healthy lifestyle! I’m glad to see another mama in the health blog world!
I randomly found your blog and I’m so excited. I’m a homeschooling mom who loves health and fitness too!
While I’m not a vegetarian I am trying to reduce our meat intake a bit b/c we really can’t afford to buy all grassfed/free range organic meat and I don’t like to support factory farming. I will definitely be checking out your recipes!
Looking forward to learning more about your life!
Hey Jenn! How fun to find another homeschooling mom who’s a health nut! It’s always nice to be reminded that I’m not alone out here!
I’m on a bit of hiatus right now but will be back, can’t wait to check out your blog, glad you found me, thanks for your comments!
Al- This is amazing!! I’m so psyched for you and all that you’re doing. I only hope to be the super mom you are some day!!! Love, Lance
First time on your blog…I love how you manage to stay so active and take care of yourself while being a full-time mother! I can’t stress how important that is…I work with a lot of mommy’s groups trying to teach mom’s how to be a good mother while integrating fitness as a priority in you and your family’s life. Also my friend literally was just talking to me about Born to Run! Now that you also commented about it I definitely have to read it! I too am a runner…training for my first half-marathon in September!!!
Hey Noelle, thanks! Born to Run was great, if you’re into distance running then it is surely a book you’ll enjoy.
How great that you are spreading the word within your mom’s groups – it’s so different when you hear it from a friend vs. reading it in a magazine or seeing it on TV.
Good luck with your half marathon this fall!
Hi Alison, my name is Jaime. I came upon your blog while trying to look up “weeds that look like greens beans” and clicked on your link. Thinking I would find out what kind of weed it was that was growing on the fence at my job. A co-worker had said it was poison ivy, it also has like a orangish flower with it….anywho, I skimmed through your blog and really enjoyed looking at the recipes. Even though I still eat meat, maybe 2 times per week, I have always preferred cooked and raw vegetables over meat. Raw vegetables are my favorite, especially like carrots and tomotoes. lol I have hypothyroidism, after having my now 13 year old, and have gained ALOT of weight and am going to try some of your recipes. Even though I think it was funny how I found your blog, I am really happy I did. Sending thanks from Texas.
Hey Jaime, thanks for your comment, funny how you made your way here! I hope you enjoy some of what you make from here, happy to help!
I love the way you write! Your kids are super adorable.
I’m homeschooled and mostly vegetarian/vegan but i’m thinking I need to start trying some new recipes! Homeschool moms rock.
Thanks Jamie! And homeschool mom’s DO rock!
Hi Alison, Let’s see…we have a farm where we planted 8 black walnut trees a lot of years ago….well, at least 30, I think. We’ve had those little green golf balls intermittently over the years but THIS year we have bushels and bushels of them. The most ever…
Over the years various attempts at opening the walnuts have been tried…never to any avail. BUT this year I had the wise idea to google and see what I could find…I read the University of Minnesota’s explanation and it is duly noted and I’ve forwarded it to family members so that they can start the process if anyone can find the time or inclination.
However, I thought for some reason I would look at a couple of other suggestions and came upon your HILARIOUS discussion, with pictures of your foray into the netherworld of ghost squirrels and ugly black walnuts.
We have some standing jokes in our family about black squirrels so I really enjoyed your blog….Thank you. I try to have a really good, hard laugh everyday and your laugh was my best this week!
Congrats on your weight loss, by the way….you look marvelous, dahrling…..!!! Suze
Thanks so much Lizzy.
Thanks Lainie! <3
Hi Jenn! Thanks for your comment and I would be honored if you linked to me from your blog!
Glad you commented, off to check your blog out!