Yesterday was Black Friday. Did you get up early to take advantage of sales, or stay far away from the stores? We avoided the shops on Friday, knowing the parking lot and checkout lines would be crazy. But we did do a little shopping today.
Why does Blogger have this habit of turning some of my pictures sideways, like the one above? I can't figure out how to flip it back the way it should be. Thanks Blogger, but I want landscape, not portrait.
Anyway, my personal haul...new jeans, red flats, purple tights, blue nail polish, blue belt, and some new eyeshadow. I feel a bit weird buying for myself at this time of year. However, since my birthday is coming up, I did treat myself to a few items.
When I got home, I checked the mail and found this...
As if the day didn't already feel like Christmas, I received my copy of The Best Veggie Burgers on the Planet that I won from Kimmy, of the Vegan Conversion Challenge blog. Thank you so much, Kimmy! The burger recipes look awesome and I can't wait to try them out.
For dinner we heated up some leftovers. Then, while Tony got a fire going, I made some Eggless Eggnog (from How It All Vegan).
I have to say I like this recipe better than any of the store-bought vegan eggnogs I've tried. It takes only a minute to throw together, and I sweeten it with stevia, so I don't feel bad about drinking a lot of empty calories.
Jackson doesn't care about calories, he just loves some tasty eggnog. Even more yummy because he helped me make it!
This morning, I spent some one-on-one time with Olivia. It's our weekend tradition.
First, we did a little thrift store shopping. At Treasure City we found a new toy.
I had a moment of deja vu when I saw it. My brother had this toy when he was Jackson's age, almost 30 years ago! You drop a ball (or, if you are my son, you drop a cherry tomato you sneakily picked from your mama's garden) through the hole in the top, and watch it roll down the slanted rails. The kids were mesmerized, and you can't beat the price - $1! I love thrift stores.
Next we checked out a little boutique called Blackbird that I had not visited before. I loved it. All of the clothing and accessories had a dark tone (not goth, just dark) and the decor was elegant and old-fashioned. Olivia adored the two tiny chihuahuas who were hanging out behind the counter. She kept pointing at them and grinning and laughing. I bought a necklace.
I'm not afraid of spiders. I hope this spider will be a good talisman and help me not be afraid of anything I am afraid of.
Kind of like this print I bought recently.
Lately I'm trying to be more brave about things that scare me. The other day I took Jackson and Olivia to a moms' club meetup in our neighborhood. Normally, I would be terrified to go to something like that, where everyone knows each other and I am the new person. Talk to strangers? Noooo! But it's important that Jackson and Olivia learn to play with other kids. And it wouldn't hurt for me to make some new friends here, either. As it turned out, the other moms were nice and the kids had a blast. Sometimes the only way to find out whether or not you can do something is to do it.
Oh yeah...Olivia and I made one more stop on our morning of fun. Right next to Blackbird is a vegan food trailer called Counter Culture. It was too hot to eat outdoors, but I was (vegan cliche alert!) craving kale in a bad way. So I got a to-go order and brought it home.
Raw bruschetta with flax bread, cashew cheeze, tomato and basil, with a side of raw kale salad. Guys, I think this officially constitutes my first encounter with raw foods. And I gotta say, raw food, you are not too shabby! The bread was more like a cracker, crunchy and studded with tiny flax and sunflower seeds. It had a nutty flavor. It would be too dry to eat on its own, but it paired perfectly with the creamy cashew cheeze and juicy tomatoes.
Later in the day, Tony and I were having trouble getting the kids to nap, so we took them for a drive. I wasn't hungry for a big dinner due to the heat, so I popped into Daily Juice and got a smoothie made with banana, coconut, raw cacao, and spirulina. I didn't take a pic, but if you can picture a smoothie that is worth paying $7 for, you got it.
Also, I apparently didn't get enough of a kale or raw food fix earlier in the day, because I impulse bought these Rhythm Chips.
Cool ranch, yum! I've made kale chips before, using Averie's recipe. But since I made them in the oven, they didn't turn out nearly as dry and crispy as these dehydrated chips.
As we drove home, I commented, "I think I paid a lot for these chips." I didn't get a receipt, but when I figured up the cost of my smoothie and Tony's yerba mate, I was like, "Aw man, I think this little bag of chips cost $8!" I joked that I should get a dehydrator and make my own. Tony immediately said, "Yeah you should...then I can make beef jerky!" I know, EW. But also, YAY, because... I'm getting a dehydrator!
Do you have a dehydrator? How do you like it? What should I make first? I ordered a couple of those special screens so I can make fruit leather for the kids. I actually own an Ani Phyo cookbook that I've yet to crack open, so maybe I will start there.
It turns out I can't resist ending a post about raw food with a little ODB. Enjoy.
Hey all, I hope you had a good St. Paddy's Day. Did you do anything fun that you feel like sharing? My manner of celebrating in years past was to go to the nearest pseudo-Irish bar and get my drink on while listening to loud music, but that isn't really doable with babies. It's okay -- I've had my share of green beer! The highlight of my day was taking Olivia for a nice long walk outside while Tony made veggie burgers and oven fries for dinner. She is so curious about everything. I'm really glad the weather is warming up so we can go explore nature together.
We are just eating simple, no-fuss meals, trying to clean out the cabinets in preparation for our move. The other night I tossed gemelli pasta with cherry tomatoes and pesto. The kids couldn't get enough of this. Gemelli is a good type of pasta for Olivia -- easy to grasp. Ditalini and rotini are other good baby pastas.
I've been wearing my eyes out looking at house rentals, pet couriers, and movers. Lots of emails and phone calls. When I needed to take a break, I went to the mall and bought a few things.
I'm going to try to use this bag as a diaper bag. It has pockets on the side that should be perfect for holding sippy cups, but I'm not sure if it's big enough. The bag I used since Jackson was wee finally wore out, and I've been using a backpack that I got for free. Free is nice, but it's too bulky for my taste. Besides, this bag is much cuter.
I am all about the accessories.
Last but not least, couple of shirts. How fun to look at short-sleeve shirts, skirts, and sundresses, knowing that I will soon be putting away my sweaters and corduroys.
I rarely shop without the kids, so it was relaxing to take my time browsing the clothing racks and trying things on. I'm no fashion plate, I usually stick to Target and H&M with the occasional band t-shirt or thrift store find thrown into the mix. Works for me. Where do you like to clothes shop? Bought anything cute lately?
Have a great weekend you guys. And if you haven't seen this video yet, you must watch, although your ears will be mad at you. We we we so excited!
