It folds up!!!

Loving this new bike! Wish me luck I haven't rode it yet.
Ok, my neighbor have me this sad little bike, the seat was broken, brakes didn't work, tires were flat.
BUT IT FOLDS UP!!! So, of to my friends at a local bike repair it went. Once home I replaced the seat (go tools!!!) and cleaned her up.
I look at it this way. Yes, I already have a trike. No the trike can't go camping with me (enter new foldy bike). Yes, I had to pot some money into it, but it didn't go to the dump! And it was way cheaper than buying new. Score!!!
PS. It matches my lil car, Lucy. AND IT FOLDS UP!!!!

Project 333 - my new way of dealing with my wardrobe

I recently found this fantastic concept of controlling your minimal wardrobe without feeling restricted. I love this idea (thank you Courtney Carver) you utilize 33 items in your wardrobe, packing the rest away until the next 3 month cycle (for details please go here)!!!

The bonus for me, MY SON HAS DECIDED TO JOIN ME!
He has been tossing around the idea of creating his own "uniform" for a while now. After I did the 6 item challenge a few months ago, he starting asking lots of questions about his clothing and who makes it, why fads are fads and people give in to them etc. (I love watching my child's brain grow!)

I still need to take pictures of his 33. I will post mine shortly.

We did adjust a couple of the rules a little to fit our life. We are limiting our pj's and lounge ware to 3 outfits - as we both sleep and exercise in the same clothes. And we aren't really counting jewelry as items because we both wear the same jewelry every single day.

Bug - wears a ring his great Grammy got him for Christmas and a set of dog tags my Soldier Husband gifted him the first Christmas we started dating.

I - wear my wedding set (obviously), a pearl necklace, and silver hoops (my Grampy gave me before he passed).
Needless to say we both are pretty minimal in our jewelry. BUT, I have a scarf thing...Not sure what to call it. So, to make sure I reigned that addiction  - I made sure to add them into my 33. Will power! HAHA!!

Please feel free to join us on our Project 333 challenge! More info to come!

Bark for Life 2013

 This past weekend, Offspring and I took the four-leggeds to Bark for Life!








This is Offspring with his dog Dex.

 This is my old boy, Avery. He made over a mile and then sacked out in the car for most of the morning.

 This is my beautiful StepMommy. She is a big player in helping her local chapter of Relay for Life (when she isn't faced with family illness). So we are helping support her this year and taking part is the Relay in July.

 Waiting to start...

And they are off!

 There were Doggy demos of various kinds...

Ave, working that last lap!




I highly recommend checking out Relay for Life, or the American Cancer Society to see how you can participate in a local event or donate to the cause.

I bet you or someone you love has been effected by cancer....


Help us stop it in it's tracks.


To sponsor my walk this July please go here to show your support. Thank you!

From boots to holster

These once were my boots... 

 They had a good life. I got them second hand from a friend (love!). Wore them almost daily for 2 plus years. Until they are literally falling apart. What is a girl to do?

Well, a crafty mom of a little boy who LOVES all things guns - that has been requesting a double holster for his match handguns - cuts up her once loved boots and makes a holster for her child...

That's just what I did...

AND he loves it!

Yay!! it's a win-win!

Nothing in the land fill, he gets a new toy,

I get mommy points!

Our Max-Min (1month) Challenge!

Back story: Husband and I have been working really hard to pay off debt the past 1.5 years. We are finally half way thru. Now that we are over the hump, we have been discussing what we would like to do with our excess $$ once we get to the point we have no more loan/credit card debt to pay.

Fast forward to a month or so ago: The family as a whole, loves to camp. Since the beginning of our little family, we have all expressed the desire to travel out west (Grand Canyon, Yellow Stone etc). So, that's what we are going to do!

I have been researching RVs and other means of shelter for our journey. Making mental plans for such living arrangements. I am a planner, I can't help it. AND of course, we would have to do so as minimalist/eco as possible.

Which leads us to our challenge. The idea is to live in our current little home with  ONLY what we would have on the road with us. Which I have limited to 10 personal items each. Minimal kitchen and household items each. All of this I will elaborate more on as we go thru the month.

I am very excited to see how we do with this challenge, what each of us gets out of it. Maybe, we will see just how much stuff we can do with out, I can purge more from our daily lives!

My new found love..

Don't get me wrong, I have always liked veggies (most anyway), but lately, I. LOVE. VEGGIES!

**my sister is laughing at this**

I find myself craving spinach more than bacon. And if you know me, you know this is HUGE! I am known for becoming a loyal patron at my hometown diners IF they have fantastic bacon. Really.

Here's the thing. I have been reading, A LOT, about our country's food system. It sucks. I am completely taken aback by my recent discoveries. (I will go into more detail on this late, as this is a happy post)

Needless to say watching Food, Inc. = Veggie lover almost instantaneously!

So, I am getting creative in the kitchen and making things like the Fiesta Brown Rice in the photo above. Yes, that is homemade salsa to go with it!!!

 My husband loved it. But, the real test was my 11 year old that refuses he likes any veggie that isn't dipped in ranch....heaven forbid you call a dish vegetarian!!!!!!!!

The kid ate 3 bowls and took leftovers for lunch to school this morning! I may make a vegetarian out of him yet! So LOVING THIS!

Email me if you'd like the recipe.

Pay it forward...

This is my beautiful lil sister. She is quitting smoking today...please keep her lifted in prayer...she can so do this!