What I'm loving this summer...

I have focused on being present and enjoying each moment of my summer, rather than writing about it.  I hope you understand.  However, when too much time goes by I start to miss this little space where I can share about my family, my food, and what inspires me.

Here's what I've been loving over the past few weeks...

These Curls.  William is on me to get Wills a haircut.  However, I am VERY adamant that this will not be happening any time soon.  I love his curls, and I am fearful that once we cut them, they will be gone forever.

Kale Salad.  This refreshing, citrus salad is perfect after splurging for a week on vacation or following a hot yoga class when your body needs something light.  The recipe is inspired from Eatliverun and is simply kale, oranges, avocado and almonds.  For the dressing, I used the juice from 1/2 of an orange and added a tsp of extra virgin olive oil, Himalayan sea salt, and a small pinch of freshly ground pepper.  Try it!  It is delicious!

Yogi Weddings.  My friend, Erin, was married to her fiance, Ben, in this gorgeous, eclectic space.  I loved every unique detail of this transformed deck and was so excited and honored to celebrate the night with them.

Morning Jogs on the Beach. I haven't been much into jogging lately, since my love for yoga has really taken off.  But, my few days at the beach may have sparked my interest again.  The vastness of the shore line, gorgeous rising sun, and salty breeze have a way of putting things in perspective for me.  Wills and Tony spent some time together while my sister and I went for one jog, and then they took him out for breakfast while I savored a second morning jog a few days later.  Heaven.

An evening view with a glass of wine.  I could sit here forever.

My Bed.  While we were on vacation, Wills was not liking his pack-n-play.  He ended up sleeping with me, in a twin bed, for a small portion of each night.  Although we were sad to leave the beach, I was glad to see my bed and for him to return to his room and his crib.  I guess we need to start thinking about a toddler bed now that he seems to have outgrown his pack-n-play.

Gender Reveal Party.  More than the party itself, I am thrilled to know that I will be the aunt to Baby Maddi in November.  Looks like my mom, sister, and hubby were the only ones with the right hunch.

Summer Reading at the Library.  Wills is really into books these days, which I love.  We try to make it to story time once a week at our local library.

Pool Time with my boys.

Wall Street Journal Articles.  My dad is extremely thoughtful, and for as long as I can remember, goes out of his way to show us that he is thinking of us.  He has so many ways he does this, from calling to let us know our favorite things are on sale at the grocery store to texting when a music show or documentary Bill would be interested in is on TV.  But one of my favorite things he does, is cut out and save articles for us that he knows we would have an interest in.  Since becoming pretty savvy with his IPhone, he now emails me articles from The Wall Street Journal, which he reads every day.  I love this!  I don't even have to bother flipping through a newspaper or magazine for an article of interest; he just sends it to me.  I've learned so much and am enjoying reading about stay-at-home moms who plan conference trips to take a guilt-free vacation, financial planners who are turning to yoga when making big decisions with the market, children and health related issues, giving advice in a marriage, the perils of being a helicopter parent, etc.  I love waking up a few minutes before Wills, pouring a cup of coffee, reading my devotion, and opening my email to see what my dad has sent me to read.

Earth Science Face Products. Wills, William and I had a wonderful visit with one of my best friends, Christy.  It was so nice to have her in Georgia and spend time together.  Of course, Wills loved her!  While she was here, she introduced me to the skin care line she is using (she has flawless, beautiful skin) and I was immediately intrigued.  After trying her products and the the lotion, I bought some for myself.  I can already tell a difference in my skin!  I love that the products are all natural, vegan and use real ingredients such as almond, coconut, cucumber, and lavender.

Seersucker Pants.  My handsome little golfer in his summer seersucker.

Sorry for the lengthy post, but I'm thankful I have a lot to love and share! 

Edamame Corn Salad

I'm done!  Thank goodness!  The Ultimate Reset was a rewarding and challenging experience; I learned a lot about food, different ways to prepare simple dishes such as stir-fry and soup, incredible salad dressing recipes, and how to listen to my body when it needed more.  I will definitely cleanse again at some point, maybe not for 21 days, but for a shorter length of time.  I feel lighter, have more energy, and am excited about continuing these recipes and changes for my family.  Kathrina, Melanie, Erin, Allison and Stacey had incredible weight loss results, increases in energy, clearer skin, and gained an awareness of how they were fueling their bodies.  I'm so proud of them!

This Edamame Corn Salad recipe is one I will make forever.  It would be a great dish for a picnic, family cook-out, or to divide into Tupperware for a grab-and-go lunch all week.  Plus, it's delicious and filling!

Here's what I used.  I roasted the corn on 400 degrees for 8 minutes, chopped red onion, green onion, and red bell pepper.

Cooked the Edamame for 5 - 7 minutes.

Sauteed the onion and pepper in olive oil.

Added the corn and edamame.

Topped with fresh lime juice, a Tablespoon of rice vinegar, and Himalayan salt.

I'm excited to share some non-reset recipes later this week!

JOY

I am feeling extra grateful this morning after returning from a full weekend in my beloved Beaufort for WEEKEND FIVE of my yoga teacher training program.  I can not believe I have only three weekends to go!  We talked a lot about shifting our vision to JOY in our lives, especially in those circumstances we can't control or that come unexpectedly.  We generate experiences; why not generate a great one?

I love Danielle Laporte's essay on the difference between Happiness and Joy.  I plan to read this on Thursday in the mid-day power class I am teaching.  Here's an excerpt of what she says...

Happiness is like rising bubbles — delightful and inevitably fleeting. Joy is the oxygen — ever present.

Happiness is always passing through. It can claim your full attention for the ten seconds it takes to swallow a sip of incredible coffee. Or it can stream through your being for weeks on end. 

Joy is the fibre of your Soul. It’s the stuff of your essence. And since you, your Soul, can never be annihilated, your access to joy never vanishes. Because joy is so foundational to your true being, every other state or emotion can rest on top of joy, it can accommodate everything.

This means that it’s possible to grieve with your whole heart, and still sense your joy. You can feel rage, and be aware of joy waiting patiently for you to return, and take deep comfort in that. You can get fired, dumped, dumped on, and pulled through the eye of a needle, and still feel held by the container of joy — the truth of your existence.

It has never failed that when I have been through the most heart-breaking passages of my life — betrayal, financial hardship, divorce, dreams dashed — the pain brought me to the floor of my being, and what was there to be found?

The simple joy of being alive. So cosmically basic it’s mind-blowing: the joy to be here, connected, animated, breathing, blessed, resilient, to be broken, to be open, to have what was, what’s left, what’s coming. The joy just to be part of reality.

Happiness. Love it when it comes.

Joy. It’s the love that lasts no matter what.

While I was laughing with my yogi friends, learning about the anatomy of different postures, and enjoying Beaufort, my little boy was having a blast swimming with his Gaga and playing Putt-Putt with his daddy.

Papa was enjoying himself on a fishing trip in the gulf with his buds.

Me....I soaked up as much salty air as I could and came home inspired and thankful.

Thank you, Beaufort, for always finding a way to bring out the best in me.  I've said it before...it's the magic of the Lowcountry.  

Reset Week Two

Life got in the way a little in week two of the reset.  This week was all about releasing animal products, dairy, eggs and meat from our diets and moving more into whole grain, vegetable and fruit based meals.  Although I didn't follow the meal plan exactly, I tried to keep that in mind while traveling and doing hours of yoga.  I missed a few supplements over the weekend, ate a wider variety of foods, but feel great moving into week three.

I ate a lot of fresh fruit on my new patio furniture.  :)

Veggie sandwiches on whole grain bread are always a staple in my diet and were super easy and convenient for the busyness of this week.  This is a "Holy Moly" sandwich from Earth Fare - tomato, sprouts, guacamole, and cucumber.

I made the sweet potato and roasted red pepper bisque early in the week.

I had no idea what to do with this, but the recipe called for fresh grated ginger. 

The ginger-sesame dressing is very similar to what you find at a hibachi style restaurant.  It wasn't my favorite and didn't compare to the creamy garlic dressing, but it was still a nice change for the abundance of salad that I ate.  

1/2 of a strawberry vegan shakeology with extra strawberries

Reset Day 6

Breakfast was sauteed kale with pine nuts, whole grain toast and scrambled eggs.  This was my first time preparing kale, and I loved it!  It will definitely become a staple in my meals.  I ended up making a sandwich out of this.

Quinoa salad with fresh parsley, mint, lemon juice, olives, cucumbers, tomatoes, and olive oil for lunch.

A yogurt bowl with fresh fruit, raw oats, and coconut for snack.

Stir-fry veggies in coconut oil for dinner.  

I am planning to continue with some of week one's recipes into week two's detox phase.  I have a big yoga weekend ahead, and I need the energy and calories to have a powerful practice with the stamina required!  Plus, I just love week one!  :)

High on Summertime

Have I mentioned that lately my little boy only wants to watch music videos on TV?  We don't watch as much Mickey Mouse, Chuggington, or Pirates.  He wants "Wagon Wheel,"  "Get Your Shine On," and "Island Song" (Pirate Flag.) I guess he gets it honestly because his daddy is also obsessed with music. We have to limit the number of times we watch them.  But, one of his new favorite songs is what he calls "Boom Boom."  Since he actually means Luke Bryan's "Drunk On You,"  I don't mind watching. ;)

These days, like Luke sings, we are all "high on summertime."

Popsicles on the porch!

Date night and live music in the park.

Pool Time with Friends.

Cruising home after dinner.

Wills was secretly thinking, "Girl, you make my speakers go Boom Boom!" :)