Nature Play

Today I wanted to share some pictures and links to some recent inspiration. Although I don't have children, I love being with them, helping them explore their surroundings, and helping them to stay curious! In high school I participated in a preschool program working with little ones, I worked in a preschool afterwards for almost 10 years, I've worked summer camps, I've been a nanny and now I work part time as an in-home behavioral therapist. I rarely talk about this side of me. Honestly, it's because I don't consider this my job. I love it, but creating and repurposing is what I am passionate about. It is more on path with where I am in life and where I'm working on steering my future. However, to supplement income I started babysitting for a family friend many months back.

As I started doing this they were also in the process of diagnosing him with what they thought to be autism. To shorten the story, I was offered a job with the company that was going to be working with him at home!! After 6 months, my little 2 year old friend has come so far! From not speaking to having a vocabulary of about 100 words and learning how to communicate with the world around him. It has been amazing to witness his growth and I could go on about him, about going gluten free and how that helped him most of all...but I will stop there!

Back to my inspiration!

From LIttleAcornsToMightyOaks

A while back I had saved this pin here that talks about the importance of heuristic play. Heuristic play is the idea of exposing babies, toddlers and children to natural objects from the world around them. By putting multiple items together in a basket they are able to explore the properties of these objects at their own pace and as they select each item themselves. I love finding ways to use nature and natural objects found around the house to engage and this sounded great!

Laura's Nature Keepsake Jar

A couple of weeks ago I was on a favorite blog of mine, Roots and Feathers run by the beautiful Laura. She was sharing this Nature Keepsake Jar DIY that is so cool!! She had made a jar full of things native to Texas for her friend and her newborn baby boy, so sweet! Go read more by following the above link! :)

So, I decided that my little friend needed some more heuristic play. He needed a basket to explore, pronto! I ended up using a vintage basket made to carry casserole dishes as my starting point. REPURPOSING, it's my middle name! I gathered items I had around my home and from outside. A mesquite pod from the tree, some colored feathers from my craft supplies, some thin leather strips, rocks, a slice of agate, a cob of corn... It was fun putting together! I definitely focused on sensory when I chose what I included. Since this was going to be for someone who can be sensitive to textures, sounds, etc. I wanted to make sure to stimulate his senses without turning him off from exploring the basket. His favorite item, a seashell! 

Nature, you are so magical! You teach me something whenever I stop to be still in your presence. One day, I will share some snapshots of my home. I have pieces of nature all around. Sticks, rocks, feathers, bones, shells, beach glass. I don't think my husband and I have come home without finding something to bring back with us. If you're inspired to share how nature plays a role in your life, please do!

Lemon and Backyard Herb Stuffed Mushrooms!

Hi there!

Sharing a recipe I put together last night. I was at the store and decided to buy some mushrooms which I don't buy too often. My plan was to saute them with tons of lemon and garlic! Yum! There is more of a recipe to it really, but I didn't end up making them so I will share it another time. I wanted to use my dehydrator for something so I decided to cut up a few pieces of GF bread and then sent them off to dehydrate for a couple hours. Voila!

After, I food processed the breadcrumbs to my liking then added:

I eyeballed about 1 1/2 T Olive Oil

Half of a juicy lemon, about 1 T

1 T Herbs (I picked some Oregano, thyme, and rosemary)

A little Sea Salt and pepper

Then I washed and de-stemmed the 9 mushrooms. 

Set them in a loaf pan, rubbed them with olive oil and began stuffing!

It has been so hot here that I decided to just broil them on low for about 6 minutes.. If you could I'd probably suggest baking them instead. Say, 375 for about 10 minutes?! I'm no chef, but I love to experiment in the kitchen!

A snapshot while making the stuffing :)

Not the prettiest picture, but I didn't decide to share this until after I tasted them!

Please let me know if you decide to try these! Or if you have a recipe you'd like to share. I'm always looking for new ideas in the kitchen. 

Happy Monday! <3

An Offering

If you are reading this and you like what you see here on my blog, let me know! I'd love to offer a space for YOU to share a button from your own blog or store right here! I don't have many followers yet and I haven't been blogging regularly since I created this space. My intention is to start! To start writing here in this space. I want to share, I want to meet you, I want to release and work on myself...  I want to practice doing that through written/typed words here in this space.

Sunset from my backyard. Sharing it because all posts look better with pictures! :)

I recently received my birth chart from Aquarius Nation and one of the patterns I keep noticing is that I should write. A lot more than I do! It isn't easy for me to do this, which is exactly why it would benefit me! Looking forward to my adventures in writing and sharing with YOU!
XO

Virtual Sale! (NOW CLOSED)

This sale is no longer going on, thank you!

All items between $1 and $5 before shipping!!!

Prices drop as you scroll :)

Letting go to make space. Please check out the photos and comment if you are interested in any of the items. I am not trying to make money off of these items, just make back what I paid for them and send them to someone who could use them. All items are previously owned and were thrifted by me or gifted to me and now I am letting them go.

Clothes are mostly size small

Scroll to bottom for some art/home decor items <3

All prices listed include shipping. I will do a BIG DISCOUNT when multiple items are purchased together. <3 Like I said, before I estimated shipping the items are really only costing you $1-$5 each.

If interested please comment with e-mail. I will be checking my udpates regularly.

Will bill via Paypal!

This dress was a gift handed down from a sweet friend. Beautiful crochet detail on bottom of dress. Soft cotton and white lining underneath. Dress is well made and is in great condition! Tag reads Moda International, Small 
Asking $9 includes shipping <3

 

Dress/Shirt was gifted to me by my sister. Thrifted locally here in Joshua Tree, Ca. 
Tag: Xhiliration, X-Sm
Asking $9 includes shipping

This dress was thrifted by me
Tag: Xhiliration X-Sm
Asking $8 Includes shipping

This shirt was a gift and was purchased by her when she was on vacation. Love this top!! Has a couple blue spots on material. Close ups are shown. No tags, Should fit Small
Asking $8 Includes shipping

See small blue spot about mid way down. Center/Left

Beautiful sleeves!! Also see small blue stain on middle back. 

  

Shirt was a hand me down gift from my cousin. Very good condition and comfortable shirt! Great piece.
Tag: Bebe Size Small
 Asking $7 Includes shipping

Love the colors on this top! Thrifted item.
Tag: Lux, Medium
Asking $6 Includes shipping <3

Gifted by a friend. Cute top
Noble U, Small
Asking $5 Includes shipping

Cute thrifted top. Racerback under layer is only on back.. Stops on sides.  Front is not double layered.
Tag: Decree, Small
Asking $5 includes shipping

This pretty dress still has the original tags and the thrifted tag :) Gifted to me by my sister but  I'm not really a pink girl dres I guess.
Tag: LuLumari, Small
Enjoy it for $6.50 includes shipping <3

SOLD <3

This beautiful wall hanging has so much color and good energy to it! I've enjoyed it. Picked in Piooneertown, Ca. Yours for what I paid $5 PLUS SHIPPING. I need to check that still. Please comment if you are interested <3

Artwork by Joshua Tree artist James Hammons. I've enjoyed these in my home and want to send them to someone else. Look up James Hammons to see more of his work <3
Asking $15 for the pair. Includes shipping <3 <3 <3

 Thank you so much for taking a look! Please leave a comment with any questions if you are interested!

I'm still kickin!

Just a little update on what is going on here!

I miss this blog! I miss having a computer at my fingertips to type up these words. I came to the library today and borrowed my husbands computer. At the beginning of the month my computer crashed and we had a change with our internet service. So not internet, no computer and no patience for blogging from my phone. Although, I'm thinking I will have to adapt and start blogging more from it. 

Along with these changes I have felt like some sort of control has left my life. A control I had that now is gone. Part of my daily routine has been disrupted. I had a talk with a friend this week and we were discussing the difference between accepting something and owning something. I accept the things that I might not like in life. Right now I am talking about my computer crashing but there is so much more, deeper acceptances I've made in my life. The choices I've made that have made life more difficult or the situations I have been in and how they have affected me. I accept. 

I also need to own! Own these things, admit them to myself. Admit my shortcomings and the role I play. I own the fact that I am not blogging from my phone. I own the fact that I can work harder than I do. I can't just accept it. By owning it I aim to change the situation at hand. If I don't own up to it, if I just accept it then I won't be able to improve. I won't see that the change is possible. Anyway, I hope I'm not rambling.

I plan on sharing a post from my phone soon. I have been taking pictures of my garden and I'm dying to blog about it! My husband has impressed me this season more than ever before. I am in love with my backyard <3 You will be too when you see the bounty that is growing!! 

Two last things... 

*I'm sad that I haven't been sharing my lists for Moorea Seal's 52 Lists. But I understand and own that it is not because my computer crashed. It's because I haven't had the time or energy to dedicate to sharing from my phone. And I'm okay with that! :) I am participating still, on my own and I just love these lists <3

*Check out the link ----> Desert Spirit. My sister and I had our first desert shoot, well our first shoot period! Our amazingly talented friends Joe+Kathrina photographed everything and wrote about the day on their blog! So go check it out! We are very excited for these photos and to share all the we have been up to!

Spread the love!

Week 11 // My Essentials

A list of my current essentials. With a few of these things being essentials I'm newly incorporating into my life I circled the word accountability! I have the best  intentions, but I don't always follow through, it's true! Lately I have been making some big changes! Some much needed, healthy (but painful) changes. Especially the last 2 weeks. Cleaning out lots of space that does not serve me and introducing so much into that space that does. I liked Moorea Seal's circled word, balance. I definitely need to remember and incorporate balance! I don't even think I wrote that down!! Here's my list!

Thanks for stopping by!

Pictures of My Loves!

Sharing some pictures today. I woke up too early so i've been lying in bed making picture collages, so here you go! Sharing pictures of my dog Bear and some food I've prepared in my kitchen! My kitchen is probably the room I'm in most often.  I love to cook for myself and others. Most of the food I make is vegan, enjoy!

Don't forget to stop by Gypsy Tent Sisters blog to see our weekly finds. We shared a lot of finds!!

Clockwise: Lemon/blueberry cookies, chocolate chip cookies with homemade almond milk,
Homemade tortilla, Homemade Ravioli w/salad, Pasta and local veggies, Daily oatmeal and tea

Bear Love!!! <3

Clockwise: Salad (all veggies from Joshua Tree Farm, Cream of celery soup,
Asian noodle stir fry with marinated tempeh,fried rice with marinated tofu, a vegan quiche,
spanish rice made with homemade broth, burrito of handmade beans, rice and tortilla

52 Lists // Spring Cleaning

Here is my list for Week 10 of Moorea Seal's 52 Lists!
This past week my husband and I started our spring cleaning! So I was ahead of the game when this list came. However, I love how now I am applying this spring cleaning to all aspects of my life!

Not sure why the picture came out this way. It's a little difficult to read, sorry!

These lists always get me thinking deeper. I wrote down things I am excited about and looking forward to applying in my life.
Daily yoga-I am new to yoga and I love it!
Get my house sugar free- I've been talking about it. Time to do!
New batch of house cleaners and body/face scrubs- It's time!
Paint- Both for fun and for home improvements!
Releasing GypsyTent photos soon- So excited about this!!
That was just a few on the list. :)

I also took a few pictures outside of our plants. The desert is warming up and we are about to plants lots of seedlings we have going!

Soon i'm going to do a post all about the food growing here! As well as starting to share recipes. I love being in the kitchen and I love photographing what I create. So, yes, more food related posts coming!

Our Bee bath, used daily <3

Moon Phase Goddesses

I want to share this Moon Phase Report with you. Some lovely goddesses have teamed up over on Roots & Feathers to bring this first Moon Phase Report! Please check it out and find some goodies sure to serve you this moon phase. KV is from Aquarius Nation and I am fairly new to her readings. I am so drawn to her messages and I hope you will enjoy them too! I am thrilled to know I can enjoy her over at Roots and Feathers now as well!

52 Lists // Week 8 and 9

Here are my lists for week 8 and 9 of Moorea Seal's 52 Lists. I actually worked on list 8 last week but never got the time to share it, so I decided to combine them into one post. :)

Week 8 // List your favorite albums!
This one was interesting because I wasn't sure what I should include. Growing up I listened to certain albums that were definitely favorites... at the time! Here is what I ended up with.

The weekend before this list came out I scored on records!! I went to a garage sale on a thursday and ended up spending an hour looking thru boxes of records and I pretty much doubled my collection. I also now have a source I can go to for great deals on records as I slowly purchase more that I want! There are many....

Week 9 // List The Places You Want to Go

and...

a Challenge // This week I will go...

This list helped me see that right now my feet are growing roots. I am rooting here in the desert. I want to stay here soaking in the sun, discovering the beauties of this place. The people and places around me are amazing. I feel the spirit of this place and I want more! I do have far off places I'd like to go... India is the big one!! For now though, I am content exploring the close areas around me. This is where I am right now. Rooting.

I listed a lot of local trips I would like to make. Exploring this small town I live in has been very enjoyable. I have met many interesting people and I learn from all these encounters. My challenge for the week is to attend Drum Journey Circles at a local shop called Rainbow Stew. A lady I met makes drums out here and leads healing drum circles once a month. This month she is going to be sharing stories of her roots. One of her parents was a practicing Shaman and I can't wait to hear more about her and the stories she shares. Another place I really want to go to is in Palm Springs and it's called Crystal Fantasy. It is essentially a store, but really it is so much more. They have a calendar full of events! I want to attend too many to list. Someday (very soon) I will make it in there.

I'm actually doing something on this list as soon as I finish up this post!

New Challenge.... This week I will go.... out of my comfort zone, artistically!

Please think of me today as I step out of my comfort zone. My sister and I run an Etsy store and we are making big changes! We are going to be re debuting our shop hopefully by the end of April. I'm so excited for these changes. I have been working hard to bring them into fruition and I am starting to see the light at the end of the tunnel!

Have a beautiful day!

Blogging in pj's

These past two weekends have been full of family and friends. Celebrating love and babies!! New memories in the making, priceless moments shared together. With all of it over and sitting here remembering it all makes me smile. I also feel ready to breathe a little... With a godson on the way and being a bridesmaid to a wonderful DIY bride, I have had my hands full. Full of creating L-O-V-E!!!

Last night I got in bed early and read. This morning I woke up wanting to read more. I have two new books I am really enjoying right now. Reference books really... One was a free book for Kindle, which is now 2.99! Still a great deal. The Complete Herbal Guide: A Natural Approach to Healing the Body by Dr. Michael Chillemi D.C. and Stacey Chillemi. It is really well organized and I've been learning a lot from it.

The other is a book I purchased yesterday at a thrift store by my cousins's baby shower. :) My sister and I arrived early so of course we scoped out the area and found a thrift store! Turned out they had just unloaded a locker they had purchased from a psychic. I feasted my eyes on the minerals on display. I found many books on reiki, aromatherapy and essential oils. I wanted to leave with a bit of the psychics spirit so I purchased a couple items. 

This book is enormous and will be cherished for a long time.
Full of information about the mineral kingdom. 

Locally made candle from Indio, Ca., has a prayer on back. This one is titled, Road Opener!

This morning has been magical. I woke up to a beautiful sky, a kitchen that smelled of flowers I brought home from the shower. Little seedlings soaking up sunlight and strengthening themselves against the light winds. Blogging in my pjs because I have cramps and because why not? I can! Bob Marley and the Wailers on the record player followed by outdoor sounds of my husband gardening and birds chirping. Lots of birds are arriving, spring flowers too! I love spring! Ooh and this morning I saw the most beautiful butterfly! White with a brown stripe and orange tipped wings. It was very little and fluttered around my backyard. Onto some soil, landed in the dirt them onto our compost pile before it fluttered away...

Plants, sunlight, oatmeal and flowers <3 

I hope you have a magical monday!!

52 Lists: Healthy Mind, Body, and Soul

I'm here to share my list for week 7 of Moorea Seal's 52 lists.

What makes me feel healthy...mind, body, and soul.

I tried to keep in mind as I wrote this not just what I do, but what I should do. The things I think about and do occasionally but want to do more regularly. I realize that the environment I am in is what it's all about! The people, animals, plants, spaces around me are what I love. They are both my reasons and my drive to continue a life of becoming happier and healthier. I say it every week, but I'll say it again. I love these lists!!! I wrote this one over the past two days and I enjoyed coming back to it, re reading it and adding to it. 

Thanks for stopping by <3

and here is the link to This Weeks Finds over at Gypsy Tent Sisters Blog! We had a one of a kind weekend!!

52 Lists: Ways I Love

This week for Moore Seal's 52 Lists, the objective was to list the ways in which you can love others. I like to think that nothing should be done without love so really I could list a million more things! I was thinking that one of the most prominent ways I love is in the way I think! Trying to release all the hate I have ever carried towards people, ideas, whatever. I still have a hard time with cancer, but I have let go of so much hate. Of course, that hate I carried had to be replaced with something to fill it's void.

 Love!! 

Compassion!!

I am a firm believer that your thoughts define you! You are your thoughts and I always remind myself to try and shine, even in my thought! 

Here is my list. I share it here and nowhere else. I find comfort in this new blog of mine and the kind crossings I have encountered with readers.

 *I can tell them *I can make someone something *I can cook and bake for loved ones *I can be friendly to those I encounter *I can repurpose and give life to used, vintage items *I can send love mail *I can give affection *I can think of others, send good thoughts and healing prayers *I can pick up the phone *I can write it down in words *I can share music *I can share pieces of my heart and soul *I can care and deepen connections *I can listen *I can be brave and vulnerable, knowing the strength and capability of my love *I can love through connections with other people I meet on blogs *I can honor life lived, animal bones I come across on nature walks and loved ones that have left the physical world <3

A few ways I love... Top left: Refinished planter I bought second hand. Top Right: Findings from a nature walk. Bottom Left: A banner I made for a friend's bridal shower. Bottom Right: Homemade dinner for my dogs <3

Thanks for stopping by!!

Also here is a link to This Weeks Finds over at Gypsy Tent Sisters blog.

52 Lists-Week 5 List What You Are Grateful For

Oh my, these lists! I love the whole process. This week Moorea Seal's list was inspired by something in itself that is so close to my heart. So already the list was moving me and I didn't even know what it was going to be. 

I wrote it in the morning while lying in bed with the sun shining on me. I love waking up slow. Since moving to the desert I have adapted to waking up at odd hours throughout the night. It's not an annoyance but a calm reminder of the peace of the deert I call home. I often get to see the very first peak of the sun and watch it change in minutes. I will share pictures sometime! :)

Anyway, here is my list. If you haven't checked out these lists head over here for links to all of Moorea Seal's 52 Lists for 2013!

What I am grateful for...

Love to you!!!

Thank you for stopping by.