Back to the Earth

During these cold winter months I miss gardening; I miss talking to my worms and digging my hands through rich brown soil.  I miss participating in the growth cycle of all sorts of different plants and I miss benefitting from their growth - the fresh-cut flowers, the vegetables, the cheerful greenery...

But I'll settle for these encouraging articles about other people enjoying the process! I love these kinds of stories of people who are expanding their lives to include more conscientious lifestyle choices and community building. And I'll also settle for the scrumptious act of dreaming and planning what will be peeking through my dirt come spring.

Good bye January... hurry up and come spring! I'm ready for you!

{this moment}

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama).

a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember.

if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

wishing you a lovely weekend!

One

What a difference a year makes! Happy birthday to the sweet girl who has brought so much joy to her MamaM.

Bundle Up for Free Admission to Utah's Hogle Zoo on Wednesday, January 26th!

For those of us who live in Utah - it wasn't too cold outside today, was it? Hopefully, the weather will last (or improve) for this Wednesday when Hogle Zoo offers free admission. Supposedly the zoo is a different experience during the winter because many of the animals who live in cooler climates are much more active.

Hogle Zoo offers free admission the last Wednesday of every month from November to February so if you can't make it in January, maybe you can plan for February. For more information about Hogle Zoo, click HERE.

Deal of the Day! $20 for $40 Worth of Organic, Natural, Green, and Eco-Friendly Products from Abe's Market

Just thought our readers might be interested in today's deal from Mamapedia (another daily group buying site) - $20 for $40 worth of goods from Abe's Market which is an on-line natural goods store. Click HERE to get the deal. Unlike Groupon, I believe that this deal lasts for several days but there is a limited quantity available. Just remember to always read the fine print (like when the certificate expires or if it can be used on shipping) and check out the website for Abe's Market HERE to see if the have products you are interested in.

kokeshi love

I recently finished knitting a little kokeshi doll for Mayumi - a late Christmas present and a project that I've had in the works for almost a year. I purchased it as a kit from Purl Soho during my last trip to NYC.

I have a soft spot for these little limbless dolls. The historical purpose of kokeshi is a bit ambiguous - some believe they were used as massage tools, some say they represented children who died, some say they were good luck charms. I gravitate towards the theory that they embody a wish to give birth to a happy, beautiful baby. I am always looking for some good fertility mojo!

In the spirit of my kokeshi love, here are some lovely little creations I came across on the web:

from A Forest Frolic's shop

from Asial's shop

from Little Pink Plum's shop

from Sarai0989

 from pinceaumagique

from temple7e

from labeba

from 26Seven

from Kokeshi Designs

Let me know if you find any other kokeshi creativity out there!

3 Things: Pet peeves

It's been a while since we wabisabi mamas have done a 3 things post, but it's time for a comeback. Today's topic: pet peeves.

1. Long toenails: Wughh! Long toenails creep me out! I hate it when my toenails are so long that they crush against my shoes or get caught on a blanket when I move my foot across it. I usually keep mine excessively short (probably someone else's pet peeve) and am never satisfied on the rare occasion I get a pedicure because the aesthetician never files them down short enough. And I'm sorry, but I just don't think toenails should be long enough to get a french manicure.

2. Willful ignorance: There's this super-right guy at work who always forwards me ridiculous political e-mails. Besides being a completely inappropriate action for the workplace, does this guy really believe that stuff? Obama is not a Muslim and who cares if he is!

3. Merge-before-the-merge-ers: Utah drivers have a special place in my heart relating to this matter. They just don't understand the merge, which is fine with me, because I get to pass the sometimes miles-long merged traffic lane until I get to the real place where the merge is supposed to occur. At that point, I sometimes get angry looks from the already-merged drivers who don't want to let me in (mad that they weren't smart enough to merge at the merge?). It is honestly confusing.

What are your pet peeves?

{this moment}

a friday ritual (inspired by soulemama).

a single photo capturing a moment from the week. a simple, special, extraordinary moment. a moment to pause, savor and remember.if you're inspired to do the same, share a link to your 'moment' in the comments!

wishing you a lovely weekend!

Deal of the Day! $20 Amazon Giftcard for only $10!

Has everyone else discovered social buying sites like Groupon and Living Social? Well, today on Living Social, you can get a $20 Amazon giftcard for only $10!! That is 50% off!!! Click on the link below if you are interested:
https://livingsocial.com/deals/21336?ref=conf-jp&rpi=4620827

Disclosure: I do get credit if you click on the personal link above but if you just want to get it on your own, just sign up for Living Social and see today's deal - I think it is nationwide.

Oishii: Miso soup

Don't you love going to Japanese restaurants and starting off with a steaming bowl of miso soup?

I think many people (including me) get  intimidated by Asian foods because they are not familiar with the ingredients, but this soup is actually very easy to make. It does involve a couple of ingredients that might not be available at your local grocery store, but don't get scared! I found this website that gives a great basic overview of the two less-familiar ingredients needed for miso soup: dashi stock (the Japanese version of chicken stock) and miso paste. The recipe I linked to also includes wakame, or dried seaweed, but you don't have to use that (I prefer my miso soup without seaweed). 

Let me know if you give it a shot and how it turned out!