Sunday, March 27, 2011

The Exhausted Mommy!

Have you ever gone through 3 sick kids to the Mommy exhaustion melt down?

My blogging and weight loss routines were completely disrupted by "MOM DUTY" and some sick children, which of course always comes first. Thus, causing me to be MIA in the blogging world and my business.

My teen daughters both had minor bouts with the flu where my son had some of the flu's sinus infection thing that would NOT go away.  Almost 10 days later, a some adult dose drugs, (locale prescribed, including an inhaler) later he is finally better.It's been years since I had that super kid sick where you were on the cusp of running to the emergency room, I forgot what that was like.Thank God he is better and I am so blessed it didn't turn into something worse. Now, I'm doing my best to make sure that I don't get that nasty bug because I really don't have time to get sick now!

Now my work is piled up, I'm horribly behind in house work, exhausted and stressed because I am behind. However, I will be taking it a bit slow with a ton of self care to keep myself healthy.

Sick kids never help mom exercise and the diet routine..I did a bit of eating, I should have not done; didn't keep my food journal nor did I exercise at all. This obviously did not help me in my weight loss & fitness goals. Tomorrow the journal keeping and exercise routines resume! I won't be weighing myself again until Monday, April 4th just for my own sanity!

I wish you all peaceful healthy households and very happy children!
Cheers, Kelly Ring (Johnny's Princess)  < can you tell the "husband" did the editing here. lol! 





Wednesday, March 23, 2011

GroOrgainics On-line Garden Planner Review


I would like to introduce you too GroOrganic. 

Gro Organic's offers an on-line garden planner to design your garden with the most up to date gardening software technology. This program is so easy to use that it basically does all the work for you.  It has a very clear tutorial that guides you every step of the way through the entire garden planner.

First you establish your location and your frost dates. The next step is planning the shape and size of your garden area. You measure the actual area you want to plant your garden and apply it to the graph on the gro organic garden planner. Then you choose the plants you would like in your garden and apply them to the graph.  The gro organic site will actually send you email notices as to what time of year to plant your seeds, when to harvest and about frost dates. 

This planner is so easy to operate, fun and creative to use that I am giving a section of our garden to plan to all 3 of my children.  I grow a large amount of my own herbs for my business and this planner has saved me HOURS of planning time!

I have never been more pleased with any gardening resource than I have with this one. I highly recommend this to anyone, even the "garden challenged".  You can't go wrong here!


Take a peek at this video to see how simple this software is to use!




What is the cost for this service?  Well, you purchase an association membership for $99.00 a year and that gives you access to the garden planner, online consulting, discounts at Gro Organic and more.  Gro Orgainic also offers full service gardening services for those who have little to no experience with gardening. They even supply complete raised bed vegetable gardens installed and even offer maintenance by a professional or simply consultation for those who want to take care of their gardens themselves. For more services and offers check out their site here http://www.groorganic.com/ .  After doing this review I will be purchasing a membership to Gro Organic myself, I love it and I am SOLD!

Gro Organic is generously letting me offer a "FREE 30 DAY TRIAL" of their garden planner to my readers who do the following:
Follow Gro Organic on Twitter http://twitter.com/groorganic
Follow Gro Organic on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/home.php#!/groOrganic
Please, leave a comment here after following Gro Organic on Twitter and Facebook, then email me (Kelly) at kelly@vitalearthtraditions.com with your email address for me to forward to Gro Organic's for you to receive your "Free 30 Day Trial"!

Personal Note.
Now from the obsessive "GREEN" side of me, this an amazing service to us all.  It's been scientifically proven that our bodies are in a symbiotic state with the plant life that grows around us.  This means that we receive the most nutrition along with medicinal value from the plant life that grows in our immediate area. Hence, growing your own fruit, vegetables and herbs is the best nutritional option for your body.  Also, growing your own garden provides and economic way to be able to eat organically and you can find your tools here http://www.groorganic.com/ .

Cheers, Kelly Lynch Ring

I received one or more of the products mentioned above for free using Tomoson.com. Regardless, I only recommend products or services I use personally and believe will be good for my readers. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commissions 16 CFR, Part 255 Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. Tomoson Product review & giveaway Disclosure.


Thursday, March 10, 2011

Our Family’s Favorite All Natural Gluten Free Banana and Chocolate Bread Recipe!

This is one of our most FAV recipes for a snack! With having a few allergy/chemical sensitive residents in our household we try to stick with a 70% healthy whole food overall monthly percentage for our diets. Having children in school and especially teenagers, it’s impossible to manage a full organic healthy diet. So, instead of stressing about it we just try to stick to a few routines that help us achieve that 70%.

For our Favorite recipe we use the Bob’s Red Mill ~ Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Dairy Free All Purpose Baking Flour and the Banana Bread Recipe on the back of the bag!

We also use our FAV all natural chocolate chips from Ghirardelli. I prefer the bittersweet chips but the kiddos of course prefer the semi-sweet!




You, of course, want to use VERY RIPE bananas for the best flavor in your banana bread!











The original recipe on the back of the Bob’s Red Mill bag reads……..

1/5 Cup Canola Oil
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar
2 Large Eggs
1 tsp. Vanilla
1, 1/3 Cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
1, ¼ tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Xanthum Gum
½ tsp. Salt
1, ½ Cups Banana, Mashed
½ Cup Chopped Pecans or Walnuts
½ Cup Raisins


Here is our version and of course, we believe, the best version!!! This version is for the “Chocolate Lovers” Only.

1/3 Cup Olive Oil
2/3 Cup Brown Sugar, packed
3 Large Eggs
2 tsp. Vanilla
1, ¾ Cup Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free Flour
2 tsp. Baking Powder
2 tsp. Cinnamon
1 tsp. Xanthum Gum
½ tsp. Salt
3 Large Mashed Bananas
1 Cup Ghirardelli Chocolate Chips

We have found that OUR version needs to cook at 350 degrees a good 20 minutes or more longer than the original 1 hour version. You will have to judge your cook time for yourself if you choose to make the “Kelly Lynch Ring Version” of this recipe.

We strongly recommend Bob’s Red Mill Flour for this recipe and you can find the fabulous Bob’s Red Mill products at most any Grocery or Health Food Store!

A few Chocolate Banana Bread Facts!
1) Is this version low calorie? No freaking way!
2) Is it delicious, does it feed the chocolate lovers soul? ABSOLUTELY!
3) AND, I (the adult) like to have a slice in the evening with a glass of Red Wine or a bittersweet glass of Mead, making a lovely soul pleasing end to the day! Cheers!
4) The Obvious! *The children of course DO NOT get to sample the spirits that is for the adult time only!
5) The children get their Chocolate Banana Bread served with milk or water!*

If you try either version of this recipe, I know you will ENJOY!

I should give you a fair warning! Gluttonous eating behavior may occur just after one bite.

Happy Snacking, from my home to yours!
Kelly Lynch Ring



Disclosure – We did not get paid for nor were we asked to do a review for or by any of these companies mentioned above. We do not recommend that you drink wine with your banana bread or chocolate banana bread. This recipe and review are simply our opinions and have nothing to do with the mentioned companies above. We simply just love food!



Here are just a few of my favorite quotes. What are some of yours?


"Food is the chief of all medicines."
The Upanishads (c.800-c.400BCE)

"To climb steep hills requires a slow pace at first"
Shakespeare

"Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies."
Mother Teresa

"What I am looking for is not out there, it is in me."
Helen Keller

"He who cannot forgive breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass"
George Herbert

"Each one of them is Jesus in disguise"
Mother Teresa

"Problems are only opportunities in work clothes."
Henry J. Kaiser

"Tension is who you think you should be. Relaxation is who you are."
Chinese Proverb

"The difference between try and triumph is a little umph"
Author, Unknown

"Cheerfulness is the very flower of health"
Japanese Proverb

"joy is the feeling of grinning on the inside"
Melba Colgrove

"An appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it eats him last" "Difficulties mastered are opportunities won"
Winston Churchill

"Every time you hold your tongue when attacked or misrepresented your spiritual power grows. Humility gives you authority"
.Mt.27:12

"If you don't have any charity in your heart, you have the worst kind of heart trouble"
Bob Hope

"Hope is the companion of power and the mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles."
Samuel Smiles

"Life is either a daring adventure or nothing"
Helen Keller

"After the game the king and the pawn go into the same box!"
Italian Proverb

"Most of the shadows of this life are caused by our standing in our own sunshine."
Ralph Waldo Emerson

"What is defeat? Nothing but education; nothing but the first steps to something better."
Proverb

"Hope is the companion of power and the mother of success; for who so hopes strongly has within him the gift of miracles."
Samuel Smiles

"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance"
Confucius

“I have friends in overalls whose friendship I would not swap for the favor of the kings of the world.” Thomas A.Edison

"God directs you from one emotion to another and teaches through opposites, so that you may have two wings to fly, not just one."
Jalal AD-Din Rumi

Tuesday, March 8, 2011

I did it, I stepped on the scale!

I actually am down 1 pound!  Woo Hoo!!!

Well, I stepped on the scale terrified that I had undone all my dieting and fitness training. To my surprise I weighed 135 (I was 136 before I left on my trip) and had not gained.  Needless to say.... the happy dance was extreme and it's a good thing the blinds were closed because no one needed to witness that! 

I had started a habit of eating 2 very light meals (or drinking meal shakes) and one good solid meal a day.  Also, eating for specific nutrition verses just what was available or that I craved has really helped overall.  As much as I over did with drinks and foods while on our work trip, following this routine I believed saved me from gaining my lost weight back in the end. I did do a bunch of walking while on my trip instead of driving to the closer destination spots and I'm sure that it played a big roll in burning off some of those extra calories I was consuming!

So here are some of my weight loss tricks that are definitely working.....
1) Eat 2 light meals a day or drink meal shakes with one full satisfying meal.
2) I see greater weight and inch loss when my one full meal a day is lunch and I don't eat after 6:00pm at night.
3) I notice a huge difference in my appetite and cravings if I drink at least 6, 8 oz. glasses of water a day.
4) Walking to your closer destinations instead of hoping in the car!
5) An Apple A Day!  One apple has traces of to many vitamins and minerals to really count and mention here. The raw apple provides you with natural digestive enzymes that help your body digest foods more effectively and to more effectively absorb the nutrients from the foods you put into your body.  I also have on a regular basis been less hungry in the day if I eat an apple in the morning.  It makes sense that if your body is getting the nutrients it needs your less hungry throughout the day too!
6) I exercise every day even if it's just 20 minutes of yoga or a quick 30 minute aerobic workout!

I will be back again in one week with my weigh in and progress report!

Cheers and Blessings To You And Yours!
Kelly Lynch Ring

Sunday, March 6, 2011

Anyone up for a link swap for blogs???

I am trying to improve my Alexa and Google Rank.  If you are interested please let me know here are some buttons pics and just use my blog address for this link http://www.vitalearthtraditions.blogspot.com/.
Thank You, Kelly




Friday, March 4, 2011

The fear of stepping on the scale........

I was doing so well reducing my weight and I am completely scared to get back on the scale to see the damage I have done with a week long glutenous work trip in Hawaii!

After being on away on business for a week in a tropical location with scrumptious foods and tantalizing foo foo drinks, I am terrified to get back on the scale.  I didn't exercise while gone and hardly kept my calories at 1200 each day.  I did do a lot of walking and swimming but not the amount of exercise I had planned on.  I really did have good intentions but they weren't fruitful.  However, I had a wonderful time! I will be back reporting on this subject on Monday and how far back I have set myself in my weight goals. I will be stepping back on that scale on Monday, scary! 

#links

#links
Vital Earth Traditions
Vital Earth Traditions Web Store
Vital Earth Traditions Facebook Fan Page

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Clean Green! Simple Cleaning Recipes........

Housekeeping Recipes Basic Ingredients One Needs To Get Started

To Create Your Natural Cleaners At Home
Liquid Castile Soap or Castile Bar Soap (to grate for laundry)
Baking Soda
Borax
White Vinegar
Apple Cider Vinegar
That is all you NEED!

*Why Use Vinegar to clean? The answer is here... http://vitalearthtraditions.blogspot.com/2010/01/why-use-gross-stinky-vinegar.html *

To clean hard surfaces use equal parts of White & Apple Cider Vinegar to wipe down hard surfaces, you can put the mix in a spray bottle or a bowl.  To make an abrasive cleaner add borax to make a paste to your desired thickness. Add borax slowly in case it fizzes a bit.

To use in laundry, use a 1/4 C. Baking Soda, 1/4 C. Borax add 1/4 Castile Liquid Soap or 1/2 grated Castile Soap and then to get things extra clean while killing bacteria add a 1/4 C Apple Cider Vinegar.
***

If you would like to add to that mix you could add...

Lemon Essential Oil
Orange Essential Oil
Lemongrass Essential Oil
Lavender Essential Oil
Pine Essential Oil
Vegetable Glycerine
________
If you are looking for a natural cleaning source to kill bacteria on hard surfaces this is the Recipe for you!!

Lemongrass & Lavender Household blend, 16 oz. Recipe

7.0 oz. Distilled Water
7.0 oz. White Vinegar
1.6 oz. Apple Cider Vinegar
0.4 oz. Vegetable Glycerine
Lavender Essential Oil - 40 Drops
Lemongrass Essential Oil – 20 Drops
Orange Essential Oil – 20 Drops
Lemon Essential Oil – 18 Drops
Eucalyptus Essential Oil – 12 Drops
Thyme Essential Oil – 10 Drops

Mix all ingredients together in a new clean 16 oz. household cleaner type spray bottle (this can be purchased most at any Grocery Store or Co-Op). Once all of the ingredients are added into the bottle shake very, very thoroughly several times before using. Avoid eye contact with this recipe. These ingredients are readily available at most any local Food Co-Op or local Herb Store!
~~~~~~~~
More Options

1) This mix can also be put in a spray bottle to use as a room spray. It will kill odor verses adding to the stench!

2) This mix can be used to make a paste for the dishwasher. I use equal parts of Borax and Baking Soda, then add liquid cleaner until I get the desired consistency I want.

3) Washing Machine. I take 1 Cup Borax, 1 Cup Baking Soda, grate approximately 1/2 crated castile soap, mix together and use 1/2 Cup in my Washing Machine. I then pour about 1/8 Cup of the above liquid cleaning mixture in with the Baking Soda mixture. Depending on how dirty the clothes are I might fill the spot for bleach with the liquid cleaner also.

Natural Household Cleaners Can Be Purchased at Vital Earth Traditions !
http://shop.vitalearthtraditions.com/
http://www.vitalearthtraditions.com/

However, household cleaners are so simple and cheep to make that I encourage you to make them yourselves! Once you have made a few different cleaners, you can tailor make them to your specific likes and needs. This process empowers you as a consumer to know exactly what you want in a cleaner and what you don't like. The cost difference in your monthly cleaning supply bill will simply be huge and you will be helping the environment at the same time!

Happy Green Cleaning!
Cheers, Kelly Lynch Ring
~~~~~~~~
There are many books available about Natural Green Housekeeping and full of fantastic recipes for you to use.

Here are a few books to consider...

The Naturally Clean Home, By: Karyn Siegel-Maier
Organic Housekeeping, By: Ellen Sandbeck
Baking Soda, By: Vicki Lansky
Natural Cleanin For Your Home, 95 Pure and Simple Recipes, By: Casey Kellar
Honey Garlic and Vinegar Home Remedies, By: Dr. Quillen


*THE INFORMATION ON THIS SITE/BLOG IS FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.  Make sure to keep all these ingredients away from small children and animals. AVOID EYE CONTACT WITH ALL RECIPES AND INGREDIENTS.*  The information on this site may be incomplete or up to date with current research.  Always research several reliable sources when using herbs & essential oils for anything!