Hope you are having an adventurous and wonderful summertime so far! Peace!
I’m so excited! Amy over at Kitchen Centsability, has bestowed the award on me and I’m very honored. Thank you so much Amy!! You should go check out her little space in the cyber world. I found her through the Friday Blog Hop and am so happy I did!
The Rules for Acceptance of this Award are fairly simple:
My five words are: Creativity, Family, Green, Joy and Life (although I do not identify myself or this blog with these words exclusively…there are many thoughts on this subject that will make for a post all on their own).
And now the hardest part…the 10 chosen ones. I find so much inspiration from so many different places out there in cyberland. So narrowing this list down to 10 is not easy and these are in no way exclusive. But to stick with the rules, here goes:
If you haven’t done so already, stop by these fabulous spaces and say hi. While you are at it, just go down my blogroll, there are so many amazing sites with such talent, love and substance…you won’t be disappointed.
Peace!
Yesterday was our area’s parade celebrating the 4th. Lola was in the parade and had such a great time. She was with the athletic organization she plays soccer for.
So in wishing you a happy 4th, I offer up this…look at that little flag go!
Peace!
We have been enjoying a much cooler week with lots of rain. It’s been wonderful! The temperatures have been rising steadily and were approaching the 98 degree mark, then the rain came and everything cooled off. Whew! The gardens are so happy, as are the animals and the kids. So different from last year when everything was dry and dead at this time. I’m thanking the universe this year!
So here are garden pics from today with everything smiling and dancing in the cool breeze. Hope your holiday weekend is cool for you and full of smiles!
Peace!
A single photo – no words – capturing a single moment. A simple, special, extraordinary moment. A moment I want to pause, savor and remember. If you’re inspired to do the same, leave a link to your ‘moment’ in the comments for all to find and see. And to see where this all started, visit Soulemama.
Peace!
Wow, has it been a week already? Life has been busy and I will admit we took the weekend off from projects and played in the lake instead. Our family needed the break. We are usually running at a break neck pace and sometimes just have to stop. So stop we did! I will write a proper post about it and all we did, but for now we are here at Thursday and I can’t use excuses.
I did manage to get a few things done, not all on the list but they should have been!
Along with the regular household chores and things, I think I did alright. This weekend we have the holiday parade that Lola is in, and then it’s 4th of July on Sunday. I am hoping to get some more project based things done in regards to the living room…stay tuned.
Hope you all had a great week! Peace!
Using the True Random Generator over at Random.org, the lucky winner of our very first giveaway is:
I have a special surprise for you all, and all it takes is one little comment. One of my favorite online retail outlets is Hip Mountain Mama. I just love everything they sell, their philosophies on life and their solid family love. I’ve been a part of her movement, One Small Change (where you are challenged to make one small environmentally friendly change a month), for several months now as well. Their love for the environment is a way of life and she is spreading that love through community. Suzy is the sweetest gal and is always positive…a trait I find very inspiring. Even when things are rough, she finds the silver lining and runs with it. As a result, Hip Mountain Mama has seen enough growth that Andy was able to quit his day job to devote full time to continuing their family business. What better way to make a living than doing what you love with the people you love the best! And the bonus is you are sending a positive message not only to your own children, but to the community in general. It is quite possible to live an environmentally friendly, sustainable and simpler life and not want for anything extra. If anything, Suzy and her family are proving that they are happier than ever! What a huge inspiration!
A little bit about their family in their own words:
“We are Andy, Suzy, Magnolia, and Sienna. We are a young family on a journey towards living a green, natural, simple, and sustainable lifestyle. We live in Colorado where we love to hike, camp, and explore the Rocky Mountains. We enjoy crafts, gardening, healthy cooking, and spending time together in the great outdoors.”
I had the honor to do a little interview with Suzy about Hip Mountain Mama and their life in general. For your enjoyment:
“How long have you been in business?
• I started the business in August of 2008. My husband joined the business in November of 2009 making it a true family owned and operated business.
What are some of your inspirations?
• I am inspired by nature. I feel so at peace and happy when I am in nature and it really makes me want to be kind to Mother Earth and help spread the message. Sitting by a water fall or rushing river, walking along a wooded path, or sitting around a camp fire all inspire me to be a better person.
Tell us how you encorporate family life with operating Hip Mountain Mama.
• Since we are a family run business, running the business and family life go hand in hand. Andy and I sit down each morning with our coffee and plan out our day. We decide what needs to be done with the business as well as with our kids and talk about what we would like to see the day look like. If I have a lot of work to do, maybe Andy will take the girls to the park, or maybe it is a day we feel we can take a few hours and go for a hike. These morning coffee meetings help us tremendously because we know what to expect out of the day and end up getting a lot accomplished while making sure our kiddos are nourished.
What are 5 words that describe your life?
• fun, chaotic, adventurous, loving, peaceful
Tell me a little of your thoughts on “community”.
• I actually have a ton of thoughts on community….I’m like a community junkie. I thrive on getting together with like minded folks and creating spaces where people can come together and feel like they are a part of something. I think, as humans, we intuitively want to be a part of either one or many communities. It’s empowering and fun!”
For more on this family’s life and adventures, as well as the other online communities Suzy has started please see her blog at Hip Mountain Mama Blog. It is such a beautiful journal of their life and truly peaceful in her descriptions of their adventures as well as all the photos. (Is it okay to be a teeny bit envious? hahah!)
Now for your surprise! Suzy and her family are being super generous and offering up a $30 Gift Certificate to one of you! All you have to do is leave a comment by Wednesday, June 30th 11:59 P.M. CT and I’ll pick the winner with the random generator on Thursday, July 1. Easy peasy! For a second entry, become a follower and leave a separate comment letting me know. (If you are already following, leave a second comment as well and I’ll add you twice).
I promised you a treat and I know you will LOVE shopping at Hip Mountain Mama dreaming of all the ways to spend this great gift.
Thank you so much Suzy. I am so happy to be working with you on this and help spread the word on your wonderful business and life. Namaste!
Peace!
Comments now closed. Winner will be announced today – Thursday, July 1.
