Coming soon(ish)...

Please bear with us as we redesign Eco-Babyz and spend some time analyzing our vision for this beloved corner of the internet! We'll be back soon with more life stories with our three children, homeschooling adventures, healthy living and wellness, and living a life by design - not by default! If you're still here after following us for the past 8 years, THANK YOU! We're looking forward to reconnecting :)

A Satisfying Summer | #SummerCravings #Prana #Stonyfield

I remember summer as a kid and a teenager. All these plans, elaborate bucket lists, road trips, missions trips, sun drenched beach days totally carefree. Now I'm thankful if I get an uninterrupted five minutes to wallow in the sun while intently watching the kids play on the beach. Now that they are seven and four, they might even let me take a nap while they build Legos. These days summer is less about elaborate plans and more about getting through each day with as much outdoor time as I can squeeze in between work and with as little whining as possible. The latter some days completely illudes me. 

So what do cute jeans and organic yogurt have to do with a satisfying summer as a mom of two? For the most part - both are just convenient, making my life easier! The prAna jeans I'm wearing in the photo above are a new favorite to dress up or down. When in doubt - jeans. Having a comfortable, stretchy, well-fitting wardrobe staple like this definitely makes my summer easier. Maybe not for beach days, but you'll see me at the playground, running errands, or at a client meeting in these classy organic cotton blend Kara jeans. I've tried on countless pairs at the store, none of which I liked. Then I went by the size guide at prAna and received these, fit me perfectly!

On a typical day you'll see me in the Kara jean in our kitchen, frantically trying to clean up the after-breakfast mess while thinking of looming deadlines. I will then pause - because dessert is sacred around here. Or so my kids have declared. I'll reach for the Stonyfield Organic Greek Whole Milk Yogurt in our preferred Vanilla Bean flavor. Kids have nicknamed it "better than ice cream". Which says A LOT. I've got hubby totally hooked on it. Okay, I'll admit I am very very weak at saying no at any given time to this particular yogurt. It's that good. My willpower is defenseless. At least I don't have to feel super guilty after it. Yes, it's sweet, but not nearly as much sugar as something else I'd have as dessert! We love it so much, I've even used it as one of the layers in Baby E's birthday cake - it was a hit!

I am so happy to finally have a greek yogurt at my disposal that is whole milk - it's so hard to find! We have long stopped buying low fat dairy products, it's been a decade at least. The fat is good for you, especially for little kids' growing and developing brains! It's definitely now a regular item on our food shopping list, but treated as a decadent dessert rather than "just yogurt". We also love the Stonyfield Organic Greek Whole Milk Plain Yogurt, it's perfect for creating dips and using in various recipes

What does your satisfying summer look like? Tell us!

See the Whole Milk Greek lineup at Stonyfield

Just for my readers - coupon code SCS16ANBO will get you 15% off at prAna

 valid until 7/7/16

Disclaimer: I was sent the prAna jeans and some Stonyfield coupons so that I could rave to my readers about two of my favorite brands to Eco-Babyz readers. 

Family Travels and Great Outdoors: Asheville, NC

 

One of the reasons we love homeschooling so much is because it gives us the opportunity to travel whenever it is convenient and affordable for us as a family. Both of us being self-employed means irregular work schedules and a lot of responsibility on our shoulders. We don't take breaks nearly as much as we'd like to! (Yet!) Since both businesses are kind of in their toddlerhood, they require fine tuning and constant supervision. 

This fall we were blessed to take a short break from the toils of daily life and breathe in the fresh air of the Blue Ridge Mountains. A trip we've been putting off for years, visiting family that has been inviting us over for what seems like a decade. We were greeted by atypical Asheville weather, rain for three days. It didn't stop us from enjoying it, but it kind of sealed the deal on having to come back in the spring or summer to really enjoy the outdoors. 

I'm in the "my kids could live outside" camp. Most days I'm on the same page with them, or want to be. When it comes to running a household and a full-time business though it's so hard to balance their need for the outdoors and my need to get things done! Can you relate?

This is why this trip was so important, for us to just pause our work and truly enjoy being outdoors with our kids. I think subconsciously we all crave more of this as parents and caregivers. Our lifestyles have become so unavoidably indoor and isolated, especially for those of us up north. It is a great challenge for any parent to make intentional decisions to be outside with our kids. 

It was different when I was mostly a stay-at-home-mom, working part-time only fifteen hours a week online. We were always outdoors. The kids got so used to that, and I'm thankful I was able to be with them where they really wanted to be - outside. They were never locked up in a building for long parts of the day. Now I have to be even more intentional - being a full-time business owner mom to two active kids who need the outdoors. A balancing act for sure. 

Our trip to Asheville re-centered my desire to be outdoors with them more. I knew it all along, but it can so easily get lost somewhere among clients, contracts, photo sessions, marketing plans, never ending meal making and food shopping trips, and well - LIFE. We all need reminders like this - don't we?

I was cherishing and gulping down these moments. 

Hiking up a mountain (yes, she was so tired she crawled on all fours).

Taking in the beautiful views. 

Realizing just how high up we are. 

Relishing in how much the kids love, no how much they need this. 

Realizing how much we need this.

How do you make time for the outdoors with your kids whether you are a stay at home parent, working parent, or business owner?