First Look at My Garden

I have wanted to plant a veggie garden since we bought our home 5 years ago. There was always something that kept me from doing it...time, mostly. Anyway, I finally planted one this year, and I am super excited. It's not big, just a little one to start with, as I didn't want to get in over my head. Here's the pics from the garden, and my window boxes that just got their seasonal change over to impatiens...OH, and an unpdate on our little sunflowers that Cash and I planted.
The flower boxes...
The rapidly growing sunflowers...
The peppers...
The squash, cherry tomatoes, zucchini
And the carrots...or where the carrots will sprout from. :)

Friday's Family Fun

Friday started off rough. I woke super early (as always) to get my morning workout done before school started. When I got out of the shower at the gym, I realized I had somehow forgot to bring my cosmetics bag. This meant that I had no brush, deodorant, make-up, hair spray....I HAD NOTHING. I stood there with a towel over my head pondering my options. I could run home, rush around getting ready, and get to work late. OR...I could just call in. I was planning on taking Monday off anyway, so I went with my second option. I figured by time I went home, and then went to school I would be SUPER late anyway. I walked out of the gym with no make-up, and straggly wet (matted and unbrushed) hair to my car to make the call to the sub line.

Finding everyone still in bed when I arrived home, I joined them by falling back asleep for a good hour. It was pretty nice. This is when the day took an optimistic turn. After breakfast, we took the boys to the Discovery Museum, and enjoyed a yummy (but terribly fattening) lunch at Cheeburger Cheeburger. Luc and I took naps while Andre and Cash went to get haircuts. (Cash's hair, as you can see in pics, was seriously out of control.) We finished the afternoon off with a visit to the park, and a hike through the woods. Dinner proved deliciously fattening as well (PIZZA), but we had fantastic company as we busted into the Nichol's home with two pizzas and some soda.

All in all, a bad day was made good.

AHHH! Print this NOW!

OK, crafters...DIY-ers....whatever you want to call what you do...it's your lucky day. Here is a 40% off (for one item) coupon for Hobby Lobby. Great time to snatch that new gadget you've been eye-ing up, and run for the nearest cashier. It expires May 1st, so seriously...run. :)

Catamaran Trip

When we were in Destin for Eric and Casey's wedding, Eric's parents were very gracious to take a big group of us out on a catamaran boat. It was the day after the wedding, and a fantastic way to wrap up the week's festivities. Here are some of my fav's from the boat.
*Click on each pic to make them bigger, and better to view. :)

HAPPY HAPPY EARTH DAY!

I hope all of you are having a healthy Earth Day so far. If you're still wondering how to celebrate the planet today, here are some simple suggestions to get you in the spirit of things. Just remember — reduce, reuse, recycle!

1.Make Lunchtime Greener
Check out these tips to make lunchtime more eco-minded, from what you eat to how you pack it. If you plan on eating meat tomorrow, try roasting your own turkey meat instead of buying it prepackaged. Don't forget to pack everything up in a reusable BPA-free container!
2.Green Your Fitness
There are plenty of ways to make your fitness regimen earth-friendly, from exercising outdoors to renting fitness DVDs from the library. Don't forget to wear your eco-friendly gear!

3.Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
When it comes to gear, make sure you're doing your part to help the planet. Look for gear that is made with eco-friendly materials in sustainable ways (like these New Balance sneaks). Use Craigslist to look for gently used fitness equipment, and make sure to recycle old gear when you're done with it.

4.Make It a Meatless Day
Cutting down on meat consumption is good for the environment, plain and simple. But if the thought of giving up a juicy burger is too much for you, go vegetarian just for the day. Try to up the ante by doing it at least once a week.

5.Unplug
Give your eyes and mind a break and unplug from your TV and laptop for the day. Not only does it save energy, it will also give you time to unwind, read a book, or meet with a friend.

I know I am going to finish planting my garden this evening, as well as take up some stores' freebie Earth Day offers....here's the ones I found and are interested in:

Walgreens: Bring your empty (or nearly empty) ink cartridges to Walgreens to get them refilled for only $1! Details HERE

Origins: Bring an old or empty cleanser into any store with an Origins counter, and get a FREE Full-Size Origins Cleanser! Details HERE

Home Depot: Stop by Home Depot to get your FREE TREE! Details HERE

Books-A-Million: Bring in a re-usable travel mug to Books-A-Million tomorrow, and they'll fill it free! You'll also get a FREE packet of seeds! - Thanks, SouthernSavers!

I can't wait to get my free tree!

EARTH DAY: 10 Things You Can Do To Help

Wondering how you can make a difference? Here are 10 things you can do to help the planet, whether it's Earth Day or not.

1. Leave your car at home for a day (or a week or a month) and try walking or biking. If work is too far away to walk, take public transit or carpool. One city bus eliminates the emissions of 40 cars.

2. Turn off the lights, the computer and the television when they are not in use. Using only highly efficient and money-saving appliances can reduce the electricity consumption of an average household to one-10th of the national average.

3. Try eating meat-free at least one day a week. A meat-based diet requires seven times more land than a plant-based diet. Livestock production is responsible for more climate change gasses than all the motor vehicles in the world.

4. Choose foods produced organically, locally and in season. Support your regional farmers and farming industry: buying locally and in season is better for the environment than buying foods that have been shipped hundreds of kilometres to your local market.

5. Put a composter in your backyard or use your green bin to reduce household waste. Composting organics has two key benefits: it reduces the amount of waste going to landfills and when added to your garden, helps nourish soil and plants.

6. Turn off your car's engine if stopped for more than 10 seconds. If every driver of a light-duty vehicle avoided idling by five minutes a day, collectively, we would save 1.8 million litres of fuel per day, almost 4500 tonnes of GHG emissions.

7. Set your thermostat above room temperature in the summer and below room temperature in the winter. For each degree you adjust, you can save 5% on your utility bill and 1% on your energy use.

8. Replace incandescent light bulbs with compact fluorescent bulbs (CFLs). A CFL uses only 25% as much energy as an incandescent bulb and lasts 10 times longer.

9. The simple act of recycling has more impact on the environment than the average American thinks. The amount of wood and paper North Americans throw away each year is enough to heat five million homes for 200 years.

10. This is a great opportunity to brag. Tell someone what you're doing to make the world a better place. Support the cause. Encourage them to get involved too.

Source: Earth Day Canada

Take Me Out to the Ball Game

This has been a bit of a crazy couple of weeks, and I feel like I haven't had any time for DIY projects. (boo.) However, we did have the opportunity to attend a Lookouts' game on Monday night. The Lookouts are Chattanooga's minor league baseball team. Although we don't go often, we do enjoy going a couple of times each season. Cash loves baseball, so it's a great outing for him. This was Luc's first game, and he really had fun, too. He is a people watcher, so his eyes were totally full the entire time. He did get a little freaked when everyone started clapping and yelling after a player got thrown out of the game (high drama.) It was pretty entertaining for us. He didn't cry, he just buried his head in my chest, and just refused to look up. (mental image for me was an ostrich burying his head in the sand.) All in all, good times.
The little girl you can see in the background became Cash's new friend when he shared his fruit snacks. Love at first "Gusher" bite.

These are our friends, Brent with Baby Laura and Lindsay....

Our other friends, Kristy and David.

What's your Earth Day IQ?

I found this little quiz, and thought it would be fun to share it with all of you. Check it out.

Jewel Kade Party with Julie!

For everyone who is in the Chattanooga area, don't forget Julie W. is hosting a Jewel Kade party tonight. It should be a fun girl's night out with beautiful jewelry, and relaxing conversation. Stop by if you can! (You can email or text for directions: Violetpixi@gmail.com or 423.933.5167)

Hope you see you there- Tracy

Earth Day is Coming

Earth Day should really be everyday, however...this Thursday is the "official" Earth Day. This year, my family has really put forth an effort to be more GREEN. I won't say we have arrived, but we are on our way. We have been taking small steps toward a goal in hopes of making these lifestyle changes stick. The first thing we did was start recycling. This was pretty easy since Chattanooga offers curbside recycling, and does the work for us. The second thing we implemented was taking reusable bags with us to the store. This is a no brainer. Then we started cutting back on boxed food, and reaching for more fresh (locally grown) produce. This can be a bit harder, especially with kids. Our most recent endeavor was starting our own garden. We are starting on a small scale, as with everything else, but hope to expand it next summer. Right now we are growing tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, banana peppers, squash, zucchini, and carrots. Lastly, we are researching how to make our own compost bin, and will be starting that ASAP.

We are super interested in having chickens for fresh eggs, but aren't sure about the city ordinances concerning this. We'll have to check that out. Bees are pretty much out, too, but having a hive is on our wish list. If we can't make or raise our own, I would love to be able to buy locally grown or raised at the farmer's market downtown. I think going will be a great habit to start this summer when I am out of school.

I have also found some interesting recipes for laundry soap, diswasher soap, and deodorant that I plan to try as soon as I get a free moment.

The idea, for me, is not just to eat organically, or for best nutrition. That is great, but the idea for me is to do what's best for my body, and my Earth. I know we are nowhere near where we should be, but we ARE on the journey to that destination. If you just look at the grand scheme of things, it can be overwhelming. My advice is to just take small, measurable, and doable steps. Once those steps are routine, take another couple of steps, and so on. You will be surprised with yourself, how good you feel, and how motivated you become to continue.

Here are some great blogs/websites that can help you get going....

Amy Fights the Fat
Green Guide
Green is Sexy
The Go Green Blog

THREE FOR FREE!!

Mother's Day is right around the corner, and these photo cards are a great way to put a smile on those special ladies in your life. Get 3 FREE 5x7 Folded Photo Greeting Cards ($7.47 value) from Shutterfly with the coupon code CARDS4MOM and shipping is only 99 cents if you have all 3 cards sent back to you.These are beautiful folded 5x7 photo cards where you can put lots of photos on the front and inside, they would normally cost $2.49 each. You can make any photo card (it doesn't have to be for Mother's Day) - these are also great for a general "Thank You" card. And remember you can make 3 different cards or order 3 of the same card you design. This offer expires on Thursday, April 29.

Here's how to load that coupon code into your account:

1. Log in to Shutterfly and click on "My Account" at the very top right. Or sign-up for a new account and get 50 free prints.

2. Look at the bottom of the page for the "Enter Special Offer Code" to load the coupon code CARDS4MOM into your account.

3. See your code in your account when you click on "My Special Offers" and it will ask you anytime you checkout if you'd like to apply it to your order. The expiration date is Thursday, April 29.

4. Select your Card Design: Go to "Store" in the top menu then "Cards" and you can "Shop by Card Type" and select the "5x7 Folded Greeting Cards" to see what they have.

4. Just pay shipping (and applicable sales tax) when you order your three 5x7 folded greeting cards. When you use your coupon it does not apply towards standard shipping which should cost only $0.99 if you have all 3 cards sent back to you.

5. Expires Thursday, April 29 so don't forget to design and order your 3 cards before them!