Books and Better Living!

I ordered four books a couple days ago from a few different Amazon.com vendors. I received two already, and I'm so excited to start reading them! One is The Jungle by Upton Sinclair. I have heard so many great things about this book, especially in regards to the horrid factoring farming conditions in this country. My other book is Food Rules by Michael Pollan. Its a simple guide, but very useful. I have already flipped through a lot of it. Most eating tips are common sense, but are quite often overlooked, so it will be useful to have around as a reminder!


Part of my set of resolutions for the new year is to commit more to my going green. I have made a lot of strides in the last year, and have done a lot of research, but there is so much more I could be doing. One really important thing I could be doing is eating healthier! I intend to start my own garden once the weather warms, and I am working towards buying local and organic from a co-op not too far away. These ideas, along with Food Rules, should help my family a lot. I have also been looking up a lot of recipes online as well as making healthier versions of my passed-down family recipes. One recipe I found online is a healthier version/knockoff of McDonalds Chicken Nuggets, as well as some homemade fries. Still not the healthiest choice, but much better than actually eating out! Besides, I always throw some veggies on my plate too.


I should be receiving my other two books soon. One is The Vegetarian Myth by Lierre Keith, the other is Frugal Luxuries by Tracey McBride. I have had many recommendations for both, and am eager to get them. I am still looking through books, but Id eventually like to buy some on herbs and gardening. I have also stumbled upon a website that sells herbs, oils, butters, etc. http://www.mountainroseherbs.com sells only organic or sustainable wild-harvested goods, and all I hear is rave reviews about them, so you can imagine my excitement! Anyway, Ill update as I get more into my books or make an order. I love sharing my finds with everyone!

I hope you all have a fantastic weekend. Remember to live every day to the fullest. And don't forget to send your thoughts or prayers to those (both human and animal) in Haiti dealing with the aftermath of a tragic earthquake. If you would like to make a donation to the Red Cross, you can visit their site or text "Haiti" to 90999 and it will charge $10 to your phone bill. You can also donate via Yele, or the ASPCA. Millions have already been raised! If you can afford it, please help. Karma will always come back in full!

Amazing Grass - Amazing Meal

So I just tried the first of my Amazing Grass order, and I must say I am pleasantly surprised! I tried the Amazing Meal in the flavor 'Chocolate Infusion'. Amazing Meals are meant as just that, a meal. Use it to start of your day with energy, or fill in the gaps when you're hungry. It is chock full of healthy certified organic ingredients which themselves are full of vitamins and minerals. There is also beneficial bacteria like you find in yogurt, which aids in digestion. Its sweetened with Organic Cane Juice and flavored with Organic Red Dutch Cocoa. I had planned on making a shake with it but didn't have any ice cream, so I just added it to milk. My first impression upon opening the single serving packet was the smell, yum! It smelled just like you want chocolate powder to smell, although its very understated and mild compared to some other things like sugar-laden hot cocoa, etc. I also let my husband take a whiff, and he goes "Mmm, that smells tasty!"

Then I proceeded to add it to my glass of milk. It recommends approximately 10 ounces of liquid, I'm not sure how much I put but it was about half of my large red cup. I was a bit disappointed in how it mixed, there was a lot of lumpiness even after stirring. I think Ill try putting it in a shaker next time and see if that helps. Or perhaps adding more milk would help, but I like my drinks really strong so I didn't. Upon first taste I was a bit wishy-washy about how I felt. At first you get the delicious chocolate taste, but soon after it tasted a bit like grass. And the texture (because it was hard to mix) was sort of like dirt. Which, when you think about all the ingredients in it, makes total sense. But still it is a bummer! I think I often set my expectations way too high, rather than remaining neutral to begin with. It causes everything to fall short in my eyes, which is silly because nothing is perfect!

But consider the fact that they pack in all organic ingredients including wheat and barley grass, alfalfa, rice and hemp protein, rose hips, maca, Goji, carrot, flax seed powder, etc. We don't eat most of those things in our everyday food, and few of them taste great to begin with, so to be able to make them palatable is actually quite amazing! And after I sipped at it for awhile, the taste no longer bothered me. I did end up adding a scoop of Ovaltine to it since I had it in the cupboard, and that gave it a little more chocolate flavoring but it didn't make a huge difference.

It has been about a half hour now since I drank my Amazing Meal and I'm actually quite shocked. It may be coincidence but I had a headache before and now its gone! Also, I just feel good. I felt fine all day I suppose, but now I'm just like "lets go run around the block!" I'm sure part of it is just a placebo effect, but given what its made of I think the whole point is to make you feel great. In reality it may take drinking it regularly to make a real difference in my health, so we will just have to see. But overall, this is a very worthwhile product. And if it really can make a difference in health and how you feel, then a little aftertaste is worth it for what you get in return!

Id definitely recommend everyone to at least order the samples like I did, they are very affordable, and see for yourself. Its great to read peoples thoughts on stuff, but the best thing to do is research it yourself! As I try all the other product samples I bought, I will post on them and let you know what I think! Thanks again for reading. Stay healthy this fall!

What Ive been up to & review soon to come!

I haven't posted in a few days. I wouldn't say Ive been busy exactly, just not up at the right time or in the right mood. My husband had finally finished his on the job training for his Air Force job and has been switched to nights/12hr shifts. Huge change in our habits! We are slowing adjusting and at least they make up for it by giving more days off as well as time off on weekdays which is when we've needed it the most! Currently do to our move we have become a one vehicle family so getting anything done while he is working during the week has been impossible...so now we are able to! Yay!

On another note today I was busy busy! I was watching a friends daughter (5 months younger than my son) while she and her hubby were at the hospital. She is due with their second child soon and has been having complications. But they sent her home this evening and shes doing okay. Hopefully she can get a closer to full term before he decides to come out! I really enjoyed watching her daughter, and my son enjoyed finally having a friend of similar age. And shes such a well behaved, adorable little girl!

Anyway, just to wrap this up so I can sleep...I just wanted to let you know Ill be doing a couple reviews on some products Ill be trying. To comply with FTC I just wanna let y'all know I am NOT getting paid for this, NOR were the products free. I purchased samples with my (hubbies) hard earned money!

The first is Amazing Grass. This company makes nutritional health products mostly in powder forms to be added to smoothies/shakes. Ive heard about them before and was impressed by what people had to say so I wanted to see for myself! I bought a sample of their Superfood, Kidz Superfood, Wheat grass, and a few other things. I'm very excited to taste test and see health wise what they might do for my family and I.

The second is Aromaleigh Cosmetics. This company is owned/run by a lovely lady named Kristen and a small handful of ladies (and a couple gentleman Ive noticed!) The majority of their makeup is mineral, and it has some of the purist ingredients Ive seen in a makeup company. She responds to customers personally and is very much involved with the creation process. I'm ecstatic about this purchase and cant wait to try out the eye shadows, foundation, and lipstick samples! Its been a long time since Ive experimented with makeup and I cant wait to get back into it. Ill post lots of photos and if I can muster up the courage, Ill eventually do a video too!

Well that's all for now, I babbled on long enough already. I hope everyone enjoys the coming weekend! And thanks again for reading!

Whats up with companies and their 'line' of green products?

So here I am, watching a commercial, when one comes on talking about their sulfate-free line of shampoo/conditioner (Pantene I think). If it is so good for you, then why not make the collections you already have sulfate free? It doesn't necessarily mean the formula would be any less effective! Then another talking about how some face washes leave a residue but this new one of theirs doesn't (Olay? lol I should have written these down!). Okay gross, so although you were trying to make other companies look bad, you instead made a mockery of yourself...seeing as all the rest of your products are likely to be formulated quite similar to other companies. So how about giving all your products the 'deep clean' advantage? And then there was the Campbell's commercial with their new line of natural soups....why not nix the nasties you mention out of ALL your soups? So what gives?!

Why cant a company revamp their ENTIRE collection of products, reformulate to be more user and environmentally friendly? Yes yes, I know. Its costly and complicated to switch, but isn't it worth it? And look at all these companies that have been green and friendly all along, and their profits are through the roof! So you would think that it would behoove them to do so. But nooooo. If they could convince me these product lines were just the beginning of a complete company eco-overhaul, then I might humor them.

Until then I shall make my own soups and whip up my own beauty recipes (Ill blog on these later if you re interested!); and seek out companies that are not only greener, but hire more intelligent marketing staff!

Life is about the journey, not just the destination!

Hi everyone! My name is Ashley. This is my first (non-Myspace) blog, so bear with me as I fumble and relearn the lost art of writing and expression through words, rediscover myself, explore new ideas, vent, ramble, etc. I intend to update at least weekly, but hope eventually to treat this more as a public journal and write daily!

I would like to begin with a basic introduction and then follow it up with a general rant/explanation of who I am and whats currently going on in my life. In the near future I will branch out to cover many topics. From health, exercise, fashion, and entertainment to gardening, pets, and Eco-friendly topics. Id even like to talk some about parenting and being a military wife, and maybe a little neutral religion and politics. I'm not sure where the future will take me, so as time goes on I expect for this blog to take on many faces. Basically, this is just my life blog!

So here it goes....I was born in Texas in 1988 to both a mother and father serving in the US Army. Shortly after both my parents left the the military they divorced and I grew up with my mom as my custodial parent, but visited my dad for a month every summer. I have lived in Texas, Georgia, Arizona, Southern AND Northern California, and now Washington. I am the wife of an Airmen First Class (who is two months my junior) in the United States Air Force, and the mother to a little boy born in 2007.

I am currently a SAHM (stay at home mom) due to our new military lifestyle, but have worked for a movie theater, a veterinary clinic, and an elementary school. I attended a junior college in California for my transfer prerequisites and would like to soon start up at a junior college here in Washington, and eventually go for my Bachelors in Animal Science at a university.

I care deeply for the environment and animals, and am working towards being more 'green' and Eco-friendly. Currently I am a pet parent to a lovely cat named Duchess, a goofy dog named Zippo, as well as a crazy little rat. All of them have been adopted, and that will always be how I bring new pets into my life. I also have two horses and, although I have no professional training, am a fairly decent rider!

So yeah, that's me in a nutshell, a little bit of everything! If any of you ever want to know a little more about me feel free to ask. Or if you have a specific topic you might like my opinion on, just let me know! Thanks to all of you who have taken the time to read all of this, Id appreciate your feedback!