thank you // edible schoolyard

Before we get down to business today, I want to extend a HUGE and ginormous thank you to everyone who repinned, reddit and shared my bucket list. My blog saw a big jump in activity and I'm so grateful to everyone who passed it on! It is so much fun to watch people enjoy and participate in something I created. I'm really just speechless by it! So thank you :)

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In other ATL news, last week I had the pleasure of attending an Edible Schoolyard event hosted by SPARK, a local elementary school. If you're unfamiliar, the Edible Schoolyard started in California a while back, and has spread across the U.S. It allows kids to spend time at school gardening, then they use the vegetables grown on the local level (get the full story). 

SPARK spent all fall growing kale and spinach and then harvested it last Monday morning. Monday night, the kiddos donated all of the produce to Murphy's (yum!), who used it in their salads, then donated a percentage of the sales back to the school.

Everybody wins! 

I had so much fun being there, especially while watching how excited the kids were to try kale for the first time, learn about healthy eating and enjoy the fruits of their labor. 

I'm going to start volunteering at events more - and maybe even help in the garden if my schedule permits. I'm so excited about the new opportunity, considering it combines a lot of my favorites things (healthy eating, being outside, children, the Highlands...).

If it's your jam, you should find one in your neighborhood and do it, too! And then tell me about it. :) I really can't encourage it enough! It was so refreshing, and I only wanted to steal like 10 of the kids.

Just kidding.

Kind of.

just because you deserve it

As I've delved deeper into the unglorification of busyness, I've also begun to explore the idea of rest, and the thought that everyone deserves to do it.


My family is excellent at many a thing, but resting is not one of them. We're an early bird, non-nap-taking, never stop going sort of clan.

Even when I had mono I didn't miss a day of school. My english teacher made me go home for one afternoon. Apparently it's contagious? :)

There is a theory out there that seems to be gaining some ground lately. It's that IBS, from which I've suffered for 10 years, can be attributed to too much exercise and not enough rest. This summer, I saw a new doctor (who suggested veganism), that also suggested this might be an issue for me. And so, I have been working tirelessly on getting more rest. Really, it's exhausting. It's much easier for me to be on the move constantly than it is to slow down.

To be honest, I wasn't particularly successful at it until I broke my foot. Now every day is a day off from running. (and spinning, swimming and yoga. whomp)

But, as I'm embarking on this resty adventure more, I'm noticing that while not everyone may be ailed by my same need to workout, a lot of people struggle with allowing themselves to be indulgent. It's this attitude that we don't quite deserve the good things - all the best - to get that massage, to turn off the cell phone at the beach, to eat a nice dinner out.

Why is this?

I think part of it has to do with the fact that in all of our busyness, these indulgent things are the first to fall away. And eventually when you stop doing them enough, they stop feeling natural.

When I first met my roommate, Katie, she took a bath most nights. It was her time to unwind and recharge. Her Katie time. But now, she's planning her wedding, studying for the CPA and travelling for work. And she hasn't even taken a bath in our new house. I told her last week that I was worried about her, and all of mankind, because if Katie, bath taker extraordinaire, can't find time to give herself the break she needs, we're all in trouble.

She said she'd work on it. Because she knows she works really hard, is a better version of herself when she takes time to recharge, and deserves that break in her day. And that's a lesson we should all  remember.

oh happy day!

Ever since I was a tot, I remember l.o.v.i.n.g this day. 

In fourth grade, I was reaalllly sick on Halloween, but I refused to tell anyone how bad I felt, because I knew they wouldn't let me trick or treat. And what's fall without trick or treating, nahmean? 

I'm a little bit disppointed in myself today, because I didn't do anything too Halloweenish this season. No Haunted House or pumpkin patch or apple picking. 

The day just snuck up on me! 

To make up for it, some of my friends are coming over tonight for fall festivities (+ vino) and to help pass out candy to the kids in the area. It's not a total grand slam, but for last minute plans, it'll be pretty happy. 

I hope your day is so scary and fun and full of candy!

PS Just to confirm, I did watch Hocus Pocus. I haven't totally fallen apart.


boost

On Sunday I made the incredibly rookie mistake of going to the grocery store after church. If you're unfamiliar with this, it's when every single person that isn't at brunch decides to do their shopping. Literally, I think people who don't even live in Atlanta come here to buy food, because those aisles are jammed. 

I kept almost cart colliding with this guy and by the third time, we were making jokes: about being on the same track, how we must eat the same foods...

You get it. 

He was there with his mom, who, at first, I think was wondering why I was talking to her quite possibly 20-year-old son. But then, by the fourth or fifth time it happened, she was in on it, too. I think our grand finale was something about sharing one cart, or something along those lines. 

It was the perfect way to end my week of unplugging, because, I'm often very attached to my phone while grocery shopping. Talking on it, looking up recipes, checking Twitter while I wait at the meat counter. But this week, I was actually paying attention to the people around me, and while I will probably never see those two again, it felt so good to establish a connection with them. A silly one, yes. But a connection, nonetheless. And as someone who thrives and shows love via communicating, it was nice to have an added layer of love to my Sunday morning.

This week is healthy eating. I'm a pretty clean eater, and three veggies a day would actually be a reduction. So instead, I'm making an effort to be more intentional about my meal planning. It's probably more of a budget-conscious move, but that's certainly not a problem. I'm really bad about taking enough food to work during the day, and for some reason, lately I have gotten even worse. So when I was at the grocery with my new pals, I actually planned out enough food for lunches. I also made a pot of veggie-stocked chili to eat each night. 

I think it's going to be one of my favorite weeks of the challenge.