Monday Mood Board #2 - Wedding Inspiration

Midweek Inspiration...simplicity

The epitome of summer in all ways...keep it simple.

 via http://www.divasanddreamsblog.com/

Midweek Inspiration...gratitude

There is so much to be grateful for...

the sunshine

my husband

Sammy girl - we call her a Healador

(she's a mix of Blue Healer & Black Labrador)

graduating

our bad ass kitty Buckaroo

our artichoke plants that we inherited & that just continue

to provide amazing meals

Pinterest

my fabulous job & wonderful boss

The Farmhouse

What are you grateful for?

Midweek Inspiration...believe!

Yes!  I did!!!

I just graduated with an MBA in Sustainable Business from Dominican University of California.  It was just over 3 years ago that I decided to go back to school to make a difference in my life & the world around me.  I am passionate about the environment & look forward to creating a community that believes we can make a difference.  The first step is always the most difficult, but once you start it's just

one step at a time.

Do you believe?

Midweek Inspiration...summer

dreaming of summer...

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day!!

"We do not inherit the earth from our ancestors,

we borrow it from our children." 

- Native American Proverb

somewhere in Nevada...

Green Tips for the Laundry

With Earth Day approaching this weekend, I've pulled together a short list of some easy ways to be green (and save green):

1.  Wash your clothes in cold water. Every once in a while you may have a load that requires hot water, but washing just 80% of your laundry in cold water for a year could save you more than $60 in energy costs -- and up to $100 if you live in an area with high electric rates.
2. Wash less. Your clothes will last longer. Some clothing belongs in the wash after only one use, but many garments can stand two or even three wearings before they need washing.
3. Follow directions. Use the amount of laundry detergent that the manufacturer recommends. Using more detergent than necessary actually gets in the way of effective cleansing of the fabrics, which will then require an extra rinse cycle, which uses more energy and water. More is not always better!
4. Wash full loads of laundry. Sort clothes and schedule laundering so you can wash only full loads. It takes almost as much electricity to run a small load as it does to run a full one, and it is better for the machine to have a full load during the spin cycle so it doesn't fly off balance.
5. Clean your dryer's lint filter before every load. It can slash your energy usage by as much as 30%!
6. Don't overload or underload your dryer. Dry a full load in your dryer, but don't overload. It uses way too much energy, and it causes excessive wrinkling, which in turn may force you to iron your clothes, using even more energy.
7. Or my favorite tip...put up a clothesline in your backyard (or over you tub). By using a clothesline instead of your dryer, you'll cut your residential energy costs by 5%. That may sound like pennies, but it can add up to savings of over a hundred bucks a year. Check out Project Laundry List for more inspiration and to share your clothesline photo.

We will definitely have a clothesline at The Farmhouse this summer! It brings me back to my childhood, growing up without a dryer. Luckily we don't have goats at The Farmhouse yet, because my childhood goats loved to eat all of our shirt sleeves off the clothesline. My brother and I definitely lived up to the hippie beach kid look growing up.

And some inspiration...

Midweek Inspiration...Rebuilding

www.inspiredbycharm.com via Pinterest

Antioxidant Water

It's a simple concept, which is partly why I'm so thrilled...

Add a couple scoops of frozen berries, a fresh lemon slice and a squeeze of the juice to your purified tap water for a refreshing and antioxidant-filled drink. How easy is that!

I am not a big water drinker; now I can't wait to fill my cup up again and again. So not only am I getting the benefits of the water, but lemons and berries are both high in antioxidants.

A little about antioxidants:

They slow down, or even prevent, the oxidation of other molecules which in-turn can create free radicals. Free-radicals can wreak havoc on our cellular structures causing them to become unstable. Because of the inherent instability of free-radicals, they try to attack other healthy cells to get stable themselves. This then causes the once-healthy cells to react in the same way, attacking others in an never-ending attempt for cellular stability.

What are the benefits of antioxidants to our health:

• better resistance to colds and flu
• softer, younger-looking skin
• relief from allergies
• weight loss
• increased energy
• relief from asthma
• improved circulation
• reduced high blood pressure
• improved digestion
• relief from arthritis
• help in controlling diabetes
• improved sleep
• relief from menstrual symptoms
• better memory, concentration
• resource

Make sure you use organic berries and lemons because studies have shown that they contain up to 40% more antioxidants than conventionally grown food.

Using frozen berries is also a great technique for Summer Sangria's (I'll share this recipe in a later blog) to keep them cool without watering them down.

Enjoy!

Monday Mood Board #1 - Winter Whites

Inspired by our last trip to The Farmhouse...

ironstone, vintage GE fan, white cow,

snowy trees, dried Queen Anne's Lace, vintage metis sheets

Midweek Inspiration...imagination

"The color of springtime is in the flowers,

The color of winter is in the imagination."

Inspiration from a late snow storm

the weekend before the

spring equinox this year. 

Happy Spring!

image & quote via ww kimklassencafe w..com

Pretty White Snow

We're on our way home from a long weekend at The Farmhouse. It was another great weekend filled with more ideas and plans and even less time to accomplish them all...


New Ideas:

1. the front porch will be modern, yet traditional
• porch rail - white posts with metal hog-wire to compliment the tin roof (that will be there someday)
• porch ceiling - painted light blue (something about keeping the bugs & birds away...we just like how it will look!) to compliment the grey painted concrete floor
2. the exterior will be painted white - simple, farmhouse white
3. the living room will also be painted white in an eggshell sheen with semi gloss white for the trim & doors. We tried to get fancy with 'soft sage' & although it is a really soft, calm muted green - it was just too much. We decided to keep it simple & let the green from the outdoors be framed by the big beautiful windows.

Maybe it was the beautiful foot of snow that fell while we were up there (the first time we've actually seen it snow since we bought our home.) Or possibly it was due the research, writing and spreadsheets that I've been working on for my thesis, causing me to want simplicity. Whatever it was, it was clarity for both of us... Farmhouse White.

Midweek Inspiration...Change

Sometimes things just don't move as quickly as you imagined they would...It's a good time to remember to live in the moment & be comfortable & accepting of where you are today.

www.couragehopestrength.tumblr.com via Pinterest

Midweek Inspiration...love

"love is all you need."


sundayinbed.tumblr.com via Pinterest

Midweek Inspiration...stay curious

via Pinterest