That dang latte.

It might sound strange, but I knew I was going to write this post after I spent the afternoon yesterday in wretched stomach pain. The clarity came this morning, but I knew it was coming last night. There are slightly two parts to this post, and I promise I will combine them. Stay with me. lol.

You may recall my blog post a few months ago about going a little "crunchy." If you missed it, well, you can check out my craziness here. 

Basically, during that time, I went 40 days without dairy, meat, sugar, or basically anything processed. It was pretty insane, but I somehow survived. As I slowly began to add a few things back into my diet, I was noticing how some things my body didn't really respond well to.

Dairy has been one of them. I have never in my life thought of myself as lactose intolerant, but it was so strange how after cleansing myself in a major way I was able to really see more clearly what certain things were doing to my body as I tried to put them back in. I've pretty much eliminated dairy from my diet for many reasons that are not important to this post, but the main one was just the way it would make me feel after trying to add it back in on occasion. Awful.

So yesterday, I felt I earned a good ol' Starbucks run, and when I saw the Vanilla Chai latte plastered on the board I was sold in an instant. It's only a grande.. I told myself. How much milk could that possibly be? I'll be fine. I casually ordered my grande with nonfat milk (I don't do soy) and the barista of course asked, "do you want the whip cream?" Ok, so I have this weird thing.. where I feel like if I order something nonfat then it's totally valid to keep the whip cream because somehow in my mind it cancels each other out. It makes no sense at all, as I'm typing this I'm realizing it all the more, but there you have it. So I requested, like always, to keep the whip cream. lol.

Oh that warm, frothy, cinnamon, vanilla, spice taste was so incredible... for about 20 minutes. I got back to my neighborhood and popped in on my sister and couldn't stop complaining about the incredible pain in my stomach. All I wanted to do was curl in a ball on my side and wait it out. I threw a few death glares at my latte, and put it down, for good.

The pain took hours to subside and I felt off for the rest of the evening.

Then this morning I had a crazy God moment where some things I've been mulling over in my head all made a little more sense and the image that flashed across my brain was that dang latte.

Let me explain. So, this is that second part I was telling you about. I challenged myself at the beginning of this year to read through the Bible in a year. I have never done this before, and to be completely honest, this came about because I started to feel some conviction in the fact that whenever I am wanting to give people biblical counsel, to the best of my ability, I find myself recommending people books. Now, I LOVE books. Books are absolutely fantastic, and the Lord uses AMAZING authors to teach His word in fascinating ways.  

My little check in my soul was that I was spending more time reading those awesome books then I was spending in the most important book of ALL.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for the BIBLE tells me so...

You know how I like to change refrains of songs?

Well, I felt like I was singing a different verse. Once again. Sigh.

Jesus loves me, this I know, for this *insert other awesome book* tells me so.

So my little conviction started stirring and then I read this blog post, which confirmed some things. (PS. I will definitely be telling you about this gal soon.) So January 1st was coming and it was one of those perfect opportunities to start this whole bible-in-a-year thing.

Now it's only been 15 days and I've absolutely been loving being in the word everyday. I know this is a simple truth, and we are called to live on the Word, our daily bread, but in all reality, I have never made it a solid habit to be in the word everyday. I could give you every excuse in the book why, but finally something changed, and I was ready to do this Bible-in-a-year thing. I knew it would force me into a habit that I would never regret.

Funny what happens.. I've found myself eager to open my Bible when the rare free moment in a busy mom of 3's day arises. The app on my phone has been fantastic, giving me daily reminders and I've even plugged my phone into my car and let the app read to me while driving. Not too shabby the technology we now possess. It's like the more I'm diving in to this book, the more I crave it. I'm also reading a few other AWESOME books on the side, but, my number one right now is getting my daily reading done in our Lord's book.

So now, stay with me, back to my crazy new way of life in regards to my eating.. I remember reading and hearing that as time went on you would actually crave vegetables, and the foods you used to want would no longer look so tasty. I am here to tell you, once again, it's true. Fast forward a few months now and I actually get excited about making a soup of tuscan kale and butternut squash! If you would have known me even 6 months ago, tuscan kale would have never made it's way into my shopping cart, let alone into my soup. It's like.. this crazy thing, where as you find out more about the health benefits of something, and then when you see it actually change your life in regards to how you feel after eating.. you naturally want more of it. I think you can see where I'm going with this.

So now I'm chomping down daily on God's incredible word and I'm feeling it wreck havoc on me.. in a good way. Clarity is coming quicker, this awesome God we serve is on the forefront of my mind.This isn't just something that is going to help me feel better, the word is life altering. Now these are some health benefits worth talking about! lol.

And right when I start to want to pat myself on the back, stand up a little taller, tell myself, good job Heather, look at you reading the Bible every day now, well it's like I just took a swig of that dang latte again. Oh pride. You are something. At least now I'm realizing that, like dairy, my body is not too keen on this haughtiness either. It honestly doesn't matter if I read the Bible in a year. I should be re-reading the Bible every year for the rest of my life.

Am I going to keep going? YES. Why? Because God has put this on my heart for this year, and maybe he has put in on yours too. Not so that we may boast about it, but so that we can gain a greater understanding of who HE is. Help us to create an amazingly awesome habit of being in the word daily. To hold each other accountable. I get so excited thinking about it! I just have to spit out the latte when I feel it coming. And if you see one in my hand, I give you full permission to take it from me. Got it?

The most effective means the enemy has to keep us from being full of the Spirit is to keep us full of ourselves. - Beth Moore

Thanks Beth, you always put me in my place as well. ;)

I feel like living in the word each day so far has been like a major cleanse of my soul. 

I'm now craving the good stuff and although I might have a swig here and there of those dang lattes, my prayer is to someday rid myself of those dang lattes for good. And guess what, there's only one answer to that. And it's gonna take more than a few death glares.

 “I am the vine; you are the branches. If you remain in me and I in you, you will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5

I can't wait to see what the Lord has up His sleeve this year.. 

Who's with me?

Oh, and here's proof of my tuscan kale and butternut squash soup. Seriously.. amazing.

Recipe here.  Pin away my friends, pin away. lol.

 

♥

GOTCHA!

I've been ignoring something lately.

You know that feeling when God puts something on your heart, teaches you a lesson, you read or hear something and deep down you know it wasn't meant for just you alone. 

I now know that this is one of the ways Mr. Holy Spirit makes himself known to me. I get an undeniable feeling, and I hate to use the word feeling, but an undeniable sense that I need to write about specific things. That this conviction I feel or truth was meant to be shared. I have not the slightest clue as to who it might also be for, but I know in my heart that I'm called to share it. 

At these times when I get these burning feelings I actually sometimes feel like I need to, well, let's be honest, run for the deodorant! So not kidding here.. and sorry if that's tmi for some of you. But I get that sweaty, nervous feeling and literally have sentences running through my brain of what is supposed to be on paper. Or typed? It's almost like the post is writing itself.. and guess what... lately I've been shutting them off. A few days go by, and phew, that feeling has subsided. On with my life.

I'm too tired.
I just want to relax tonight.
My computer is way too slow to write. (Yes, I've used that one.)
I just need to get this work email sent.
And my favorite of all, Lord, please, this one is quite personal, I don't really want to share THAT one.

But once you feel convicted about failing to share your convictions then where do you turn? lol. That was such a strange sentence. Well, I guess repent and get back in the saddle.

Thank God for his grace once again. 

I have loved the song, "Use Me Here" the moment I heard it during summer camp at Hume Lake back in high school. A whole *cough* 11 years ago. Sheesh. When you write it down it sounds SO long ago!

The chorus by Everybody Duck:

Use me here, where I am.
Not gonna pray anymore that you change your plans.
Despite my fear, I place my life in your hands.
The future can wait, tomorrow might be too late.
Jesus use me here. 

Good one huh?

Funny that I find myself praying these words and then when God gives me the opportunity to be "used" to share something he is teaching me, I say, not right now. Ha. Oh man. I'm so guilty.

I somehow tweak the chorus...

Use me here, when it's super convenient.
When I'm fully rested and my kids have been good.
Preferably after a nap, and my schedule is free.
Jesus use me then. 

I hope you catch my extreme sarcasm, but how often do I do this!? Please someone tell me they can relate! Maybe your conviction isn't writing, but something else. Something that you have been avoiding for a while.

Time to repent of my selfish flesh once again. 
Slow down.
Make time for the Lord when he says GO. 

So all that to say... one of my new years resolutions is to write more. Not just to write, but to write when that burning feeling inside me can't be anything other than the Holy Spirit. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure from time to time I'll share things that God does not give me a burning desire to share {like my new awesome soup recipe!!}, but I think you will be able to pick out the posts in which I do feel called to write.. like this, or this, or this one.

Lastly, I give you all permission now to hold me accountable. That's what I love about blogging! Once it's out here, well, gosh now every little mouse click to this page is another person that can hold me to it. Haven't heard from me in a while, text me, email me. I guarantee it's not because I haven't learned something or felt a conviction. Call me out. I need it. 

My prayer is that although I might be wearing a lot of hats right now, I never want to be too busy to do something that God is pressing on my heart for me to do. I hope you can pray for me too. 

Funny that my toddler got sick over the weekend, my husband had plans to pick up a friend from the airport tonight and I'm left to ring in the new year in such a strange way. Writing? I feel like God is smiling and saying to me, "GOTCHA!"

God - 1, me - 0.

Alright, glad we got that settled.

"Not that I have already obtained this or am already perfect, but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own." Philippians 3:12.

Here's to 2013!

Happy, happy New Year from my little fam to yours!

Worth listening to..

Enjoy! 

Baskets of Laundry

It's the eve of my 30th birthday. 

I knew turning 30 would be something I would always remember, but I didn't know that I would go into it on a night such as this.

Today's tragedy rocked me to the core. My cheeks are raw from wiping the tears. All day trying to hide them from my three little ones.

The overwhelming theme that I can't seem to shake is the stolen innocence.

The stolen innocence of every little child from Sandy Hook that did go home tonight to their families. 
The stolen innocence of every brother, sister, step-brother, step-sister that went home without someone tonight. 
The stolen innocence of that entire community. 

Their childhood memories will never be the same.

I sat on the floor tonight with a giant basket of laundry and cherished the moment. Sounds so strange, but not today. I took out every tiny article of clothing and held it up. So tiny. My mind quickly raced to the parents that lost their children tonight.. how their baskets of laundry would never be the same.

I had to push images out of my brain. Pray them out each time they over took me. The thing that I had to keep reminding myself was that these were not the first parents that have lost a child. And they won't be the last. So many around us have suffered and are suffering and although the circumstances are different, the pain is the same.

Pain is something we will never escape in this world. 

We can't fix a tragedy. No explanation will ever be enough. 

And we all deal with it differently.

Some people respond to tragedy with a need to fix it. 
Some respond to tragedy with a need to just feel the pain. 
Some respond to tragedy as if nothing happened because that's the only way their mind can cope.

I could see all of this in just posts on Facebook alone. I knew each of those people were hurting in their own way. As we continue to see people react in different ways to this tragedy, my prayer is that we can try to take a step back and understand that we all mourn differently. Not spread more hate because someone may not mourn in the same way that we do.

Today I just felt the pain.

I thanked our Lord for another day with my angels and cried out for His mercy to fill the hearts of those in CT. It never seems like enough, but in the moment, it's all we can do.

Tomorrow as I wake up I know the faces behind the 20 children stolen from us will start to surface. My heart will once again be ripped from my chest.

As I look upon their faces, 
I will also remember that they are right now in a place where there are no more tears. 
They are in a place where there is no more pain. 
They are in a place far better than we are now. 

Oh days like today make me long for heaven...and cling to the promises of God.. 

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our troubles, so that we can comfort those in any trouble with the comfort we ourselves receive from God.

Matthew 5:4
Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted.

Isaiah 49:13
Shout for joy, you heavens; rejoice, you earth; burst into song, you mountains! For the LORD comforts his people and will have compassion on his afflicted ones.

Revelation 21:4
He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.

God's word will not return void. 

Oh Lord, I know you hear our cries tonight. 

Tonight it doesn't matter how many times my baby girl wakes up. 
Tonight I cherished the cuddles with my big girl on the couch and watching her dance to the music of the credits.
Tonight I smile thinking about how many times I helped my boy put his undies back on after successful trips to the potty. 

Tonight I am thankful for another night with these gifts that God has given me. 

Each day we have together truly is a that, a gift. 

Real life behind Instagram

I've been wanting to post for a while now about real life. When I say real life, I mean the real life that happens in between the instagram posts and the status updates.

 I'm talking about real life that happens in all of our homes, but we don't dare post about those times because then someone may think we don't have it all together. I am not saying in the slightest that I am not one of those people, because I am. But I'm here blogging tonight in hopes to get an amen from a lot of mommas out there, and maybe just help a few of you feel a little more sane. 
(Why am I always sitting down to blog with a glass of wine, I'm not sure, but it seems to be a habit of mine.)
Anyways, so here I was having a day of all days last week. 
I woke up and within 15 minutes was already cleaning up Sawyer's spilled bowl of cereal followed by his entire smoothie. How he could spill both items in such a short period of time I'll never know. I'm not sure if I was more irritated by the clean up or the fact that I was watching my organic fruits and veggies that I had just whipped up lay strewn across the floor. For some reason I have become and absolute freak when it comes to wasting food. This is a total tangent, I'll get back to my bad day, I promise, but seriously I hope someone can relate. Since spending the money to buy things organic and since spending the time to actually prepare meals, such as smoothies, I now for some reason feel that this food is like rare gems and not a bite should be wasted. I would save and refeed the kids' almond milk from their cereal if I could! I'm a freak, I know.  Okay, so after cleaning up the spills I proceeded to chase the kids upstairs to throw us all together to get out of the house and get Addy to school on time. It was one of those mornings where I was on repeat. Get dressed, get your shoes on, brush your teeth, brush your teeth, brush your teeth. While trying to feed baby girl on my bed I did what any other mom in my place would do and covered baby's ears with my hands and proceeded to yell, "BRUSH YOUR TEETH!"  Ugh, I feel horrible telling this story, but I'll go on. 
So then I marched into the bathroom where Addy and Sawyer were messing around and I swatted her bottom to get her moving a little harder than I intended. Instant tears. Her big blue eyes just so upset. Instantly I felt so much shame. I acted out of my own frustration and in doing so ruined her morning. Not to mention that it happened to be "water day" at school where all the kids go in bathing suits. I was convinced that the teachers were going to notice a red mark on her bottom and most certainly call CPS on me. These were the same sweet teachers that I had to apologize for a couple weeks prior for picking up Addy from school with mascara flowing down my face. I actually had absolutely no idea I had mascara flowing down my face, but had been cutting onions all morning, threw on my sunglasses and ran out the door to pick her up and didn't realize until I got home the condition that my face was in. I am sure they thought I made up the onion story, I mean, that would be anyone's cover up wouldn't it? lol. 
So I was just humiliated and took Addy in my arms and hugged her and begged her for forgiveness. I told her that I made a mistake. She instantly forgave me and was ready to take on the day. I on the other hand, had not let myself off the hook that easy. I proceeded to call my husband and tell him what a horrible excuse of a mom I was.  

 
Funny how easily Addy was to forgive me when I asked, yet I still held myself captive to this mistake and couldn't get past it. I think so many of us do that with the Lord. Although he forgives us when we ask, we still beat ourselves up, sometimes far too long.
As we drove to school we sang songs, but I still couldn't shake the morning. I was so irritable. 
Then on our way back to pick up Addy a few hours later, my desperate attempt to keep Sawyer awake so that he would still nap at home failed and I knew in that moment it was going to be a long afternoon. And it was. Cranky toddlers that only have a 20 min nap in the car, turn into kids that fight about every toy, refuse what I make for dinner, and then cry through the bathtime routine. We all know our kids the best and usually we are pretty good at predicting these things by now.  I knew at the end of the day of course it could have been worse, but I just felt exhausted. The moment my husband walked in the door to help relieve me couldn't come fast enough. 
That day I didn't have cute pictures uploaded on instagram or fun meals I had made. It would have been pictures of whining kids, a quesadilla, and a mom so utterly exhausted, covered in spit up with no make up on and my hair in a messy bun on my head.  That was reality. Yet no one saw it.  

 If it weren't for me posting on Facebook that I had a hard day with 3 kids 4 and under, that day would have gone by and no one would have noticed. Tomorrow I would have a cute picture of us all at the park and a new vegan meal I made and no one would even think that life may not be as hunky dory as it seems.  

Crazy huh? Not so much.  Looking back at every one of my instagram pictures I post I could tell you a story that you would never believe.  But it's real life.  Like the one of Capri peacefully sleeping on a lawn chair while we were at the pool wearing her Hurley onsie. Little did you all know that I got home and my baby was so badly sun burned that I had to skip church the next morning and rush her to urgent care. Despite being a third time mom, she still got burned, but no one would have known. (I still am mad at myself for this one!)

 How about the picture of me and the three kids. I think this was one photo that got more "likes" than any other I've posted. Little did everyone know that I had not yet showered that day, was wearing sunglasses to hide my tired eyes and was about to lose my mind in the house that day so a walk was my therapy which was when I snapped that pic. I can't even recall if I brushed my teeth that morning. I sure hope so.

 Or the photo of John and I before our date night. We were actually in a 7-11 parking lot in front of a bush. Romantic huh? That was where we were meeting my parents to swap the kids and figured we better take a picture to actually remember that we did indeed get out for an evening sometime in the first 6 months of Capri's life. 

What about the photo of Addy & Sawyer on our way to picture day at school. Well, that day I woke up and was about to load the kids to find that our lovely cats had peed all over Capri's carseat. So bad that I couldn't just "throw a towel over it." I actually called my sister who lives in the neighborhood, thank the Lord, and at a moment's notice she actually drove her carseat over to me so I could use it and then she proceeded to walk with her baby and stroller home. It was an absolutely ridiculous morning. 

 Or this awesome picture of Addy holding a beautiful butterfly.. bet you wouldn't have guessed that this butterfly died only moments later and we had to have a talk about heaven. 

 It's so crazy to me. I could go through all of my pictures and tell a story. I'm sure we all could. There's so much more than what we all see in tiny frames of each others lives.  And guess what. It's okay. It's okay that we don't have it all together because in these moments are when I feel myself grow. I feel myself turn to my friends and family and most importantly I turn to God.  We are all striving to do our best. We are all striving to have it all together.   And some days we are going to fail.  Real life.   "Let us not grow weary while doing good, in due season we shall reap if we don't lose heart." Galations 6:9 It's so true.  
So I have a dare for you this week..   I dare you to post a picture like this one on Instagram.

 My house with not one clean room to be found. I'm sure if nothing else it will give someone else a laugh or a sigh of relief knowing that they aren't alone. 
Real life. 

So.. I've gone a little crunchy!

The Urban Dictionary definition:   1. earthy-crunchy  

An adjective describing persons or things relating to any or all of the following: vegetarianism; herbs; all-natural and organic products (such as food, skin and hair care products, etc.); recycling; protecting and preserving the environment; natural medicine; etc. People that are earthy-crunchy are sometimes called tree-huggers or hippies.

 

She loves to go to the health food store, where she buys all that earthy-crunchy stuff.
You are so earthy-crunchy, you make cliff bars look like a slim jim.   I like this definition. Especially the way it uses earthy-crunchy in a sentence. The funny thing is that I could tell you a ton of stuff to dissuade you from eating a cliff bar. But that is not my purpose for this post. ☺
I don't even know where to start, but I suppose I could start with my family going vegetarian 12 years ago when I lost my uncle to cancer and he was in his late 30s. It's hard for me to relive that time, and I miss my uncle dearly. I vividly remember my mom researching stuff after this happened and very soon after our diets began to change. She was finding out stuff about the way our food is processed that well, no one really wants to think about. I can't say exactly, but I think that this traumatic event of losing my uncle (my mom's brother) at such a young age sent my mom looking for ways for us all to prevent it, and if diet was a way, well, we were going to change. We cut out all meat except fish.  

  I soon after landed a job as a fabulous front desk receptionist at our local 24 Hour Fitness. It wasn't long after I was working there that the question of "so you are vegetarian for the most part, so where do you get your protein?" started coming up. I knew little about protein. I was 18 and had been a gymnast my whole life so never really put much thought behind what I ate. I burned so many calories that my Wild Cherry Pepsi, bear claw and salsa verde Doritos "diet" didn't seem to matter. But as some of the trainers were filling me in on protein, calories, fats, etc. I started to be more aware and soon brought meat back into my diet. I was the only one in my family that did.    Now fast forward just about 12 years and I'm the one doing all the research just like my mom did then. This was actually something that I was not looking for, but it kind of found me. I'll explain.    Capri has been dealing with some major congestion issues. After trying all the "normal" things with humidifiers, nose drops, steamy showers, and sleeping at a tilt I was determined to see if possibly something else could be contributing to her congestion and a friend of mine suggested it might be the dairy in my diet. Huh. I had never thought of that, but was willing to do anything to help my baby girl since she was exclusively breastfeeding. At the same time as I decided to go dairy free, my sister became highly invested in researching health and diet more and was just about to start a 40 day challenge. Another very close friend of mine informed me that she was considering going vegan for many health reasons. She told me about the documentary Forks Over Knives and after our sushi date I raced home to turn on Netflix and watch it. Fascinated, the next night my husband and I watched Food Inc. and we have already been huge fans of Sick, Fat & Nearly Dead.   For our health, and our kids future health, I immediately felt on my heart that it was time for our family to make a change and the most amazing part is that my husband did too.      Since then, we have been on a 40 day "cleanse" if you will that will end on Nov. 2. Why 40 days? Well, it's a biblical number, and after going 40 days you will really notice a difference and have to alter your lifestyle to get through it. It's a plant-based protein, whole food diet. No dairy, no meat, no sugar, all organic, and little to nothing processed. Definitely no GMOs. I didn't go as strict on the kids by any means, but I did eliminate meat and have decreased their dairy and processed food consumption to very very little. It may sound like a very restricting lifestyle, but actually, I feel so free. I am learning to cook with vegetables I never would have tried. I even signed up for a CSA (community supported agriculture) and now get my produce delivered to me weekly! I am getting my protein from vegetables, legumes, and sprouted whole grains. My sweet tooth is cured with raw honey and fresh organic fruit. I'm even making my own almond milk! (It's the easiest thing, I swear!) It's absolutely amazing. I feel like my outlook on cooking has completely changed. It used to be the biggest chore, and now I actually look forward to putting together meals that I know are going to be absolutely fantastic for us. I am teaching my kids what it means to be "plant strong!" I even overheard Addyson this morning talking to Capri telling her all about being plant strong and how Capri will be plant strong someday too. It absolutely melted me. It's amazing how much they understand and buy into at 4 years old. What better time than now to train them up in healthy food choices!?

  I've still got a lot to learn and to be honest it is hard at times. I have been in the kitchen a lot more than I was when I would throw the frozen lasagna in the oven. (And that means a lot more dishes!) But I truly feel like my family was ready for this change and I'm excited about it. The kids are now trying new vegetables every day (not always easy) but after a few weeks it's already getting easier and now for snacks they are asking for strawberries, apples, carrots and hummus. Sawyer loves tomatoes and Addyson loves broccoli. I realized I love kale. Who knew! lol. And pretty soon I'll be able to make Capri's baby food and it will be beyond easy. Something I never even considered doing with the other two.
The funny thing is that the dairy elimination didn't really help Capri. I have noticed a slight change, but she may have to see an ENT to see if there is anything else going on. But I can honestly say, I think being ready to make a change in my diet for her is what really opened my mind about watching these other documentaries. You really have to be in the right frame of mind to do so because after watching them and reading more online you will feel like a change has to happen and that's scary. I have known for the last 12 years a lot of the information that you will find in Food Inc. and such. It's funny how we can just turn things off and push them far out of our brains. I convinced myself over the years that it was too inconvenient, and I don't eat "that bad."    The truth is, I probably did eat better than the majority, but it could be a lot better. And now I'm responsible for 3 little ones that rely completely on me to make their food choices. That's scary.   I've been more worried about the spray tanning solution going on my skin being organic than the food actually going into my body!
So everyone is asking me, well, what are you now? Vegan? Vegetarian? My answer is, well I don't really know yet. I do know that my body has never felt better. I am never bloated and I have energy most days despite a 10 week old, 2 1/2 year old and a 4 year old. And that's without coffee! I think after 40 days I might add free range eggs back into my diet, maybe fish once a week and my husband may add back grass fed beef on occasion. For the most part, I can easily see myself sticking to this way of life. It's funny how after eliminating things from your diet for a little while you realize how much you don't need them. My husband has lost 13 lbs in about 3 weeks. Insane. I'm just about back at my pre-baby weight, although that was not my reason for doing this, just a perk. 
Basically, I want to live by the 80/20 rule.    I've heard this so many times now and I 100% agree with it. If 80% of the time I'm feeding my family amazing meals and introducing and teaching them about how important good food choices are then that 20% of the time when we are at a birthday, out to dinner, or just so busy that a drive-thru is a must, well, we will survive. I won't deprive my kids of Halloween candy or myself of pumpkin pie I can assure you that, but on a typical weeknight you just may come over for dinner and see a fantastic vegan feast before your eyes..

You are so earthy-crunchy, you make cliff bars look like a slim jim.   Yup, that's me now... and so far, I love it.