packin' it up - brown bag lunches

once upon a time (this spring) i went to the hospital cafeteria for a take-out sabbath lunch

it was delicious.  i loved it.  i eventually ate every bite.  i was by myself.  i didn't have to do the dishes.

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taking my own lunch

--a short(ish) history--

• i think my mom packed my lunches up until 4th grade - it was then that i discovered i only wanted to eat hot lunch - specifically haystack, burger, and pizza days - or any other day that involved ranch dressing (my love affair began young)
• i ate lunch at home (homeschool perk) until high school.  after some quality time eating at the boarding school cafeteria (mostly buttered toast with brewer's yeast + pb, jelly, and applesauce on toast -- the bread was homemade) i was back at day school where the next two years consisted of -- not packing a lunch (i just realized that not once did i eat in that high school's cafe) and a lot of taco bell runs...though there was those two short months my junior year when i was obsessed with jack-in-the-box (oh. my. word. help.)
• college - lunch?  what's that -- between a full load and two-four jobs -- lunch?
• 6 months of teaching school - hello t.v. dinners - i had a serious stash in my fridge - i tried all the vegetarian ones ever made at that time - school cafeteria - sometimes - on desperate days.
• 2 years ago. began consistently packing a lunch on a daily basis.  the kind with salad and vegetables.
• this last year - i can't live without my packed lunch.  i bring my own dinner to staff meeting.  i have created a brown bag monster (joking joking -- i still order out sometimes --) 
• summer - i make jon a lunch most mornings - as it has to withstand the heat - we are still working on adding creativity--- it usually consists of : pb+j, granola and protein bars, apple, carrots, any other random fruit we have around, juice boxes (he. is. obsessed. no joke.) - extra shake bottles of lemonade or gatorade mix and sometimes chips... 
• p.s. - every morning when i make jon's sandwich, i instantly want to eat one too -- i heart pb+j

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now that your head is filled with our lunch history...

what's yours?

let's brown bag it and you can tell me...

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there has been a lot of chatter about lunches lately

(back to school will do it every time)

here are some lunch box links

(click em!)

• blisstree: reasons to brown bag it - you probably already know, but reminders are always good
• vegetarian times: break for lunch - 21 day challenge + recipes  - need help getting started? like a plan?
• vegetarian times: a+ after school snacks   - fun for kids+adults
• peta: pack a lunch with a punch  -  quite a few quick+easy vegetarian ideas using scratch+convenience foods
• country living: the great lunch makeover - "fresh takes on the standard brown-bag meal."
• blisstree: meatless monday: 10 vegetarian recipes for easy brown bag lunch - try some new recipes?
• martha stewart: brown bag lunches - a gallery of 50 sandwich, salad, and dessert recipes
• martha stewart: kid friendly lunches - not your standard pb+j
• martha stewart: 25 after-school snacks - "ants on a log" included

aren't you excited now

summer sunshine + sunflowers

a little bit down the road from us...

summer is quickly ending

where did august go?

isn't it funny how things always seem to be twice the speed after the half-way point

i am determined to love every last drop of the next month

then- i will embrace fall with open arms and a warm heart 

-- it's my favorite season, but shhh.. don't tell summer--

last week i ran across this great little list for 

"squeezing the last drops out of summer"

i thought how nice it would be to share that link

--and then forgot--

until now

don't you hate it when you can't remember what you want to remember?

then you spend a ridiculous amount of time and energy trying to remember (or find)

lucky for me - i spent some time looking and then -- i turned to the one that has all the answers --

i googled it

guess what 

first one on the list

--then i found a few more --

here's my short list 

(click them and let your end of summer adventure begin)

how to squeeze the last drops out of summer

christine kane: 22 ways to squeeze every last drop out of summer before it ends

seattle times:  Squeeze the last drops out of summer with these ideas for kid-friendly activities

etsy: treasury - squeeze the last drop of late summer

thursday thanks

 - wash machines -- mine is broken right now.  i am thankful to the wonderful person who invented it and i am thankful to the wonderful person who will come fix mine soon.  soon.  soon.

-gas prices are a little less right now- when we were in minnesota last week this station had it for 3.44 - i hadn't seen it that low for far too long

- taking a minute to remember the past -- this is what is left of a little bitty town out in the middle of no where that jon and i drove by yesterday.  at some point it had people who lived here.  a little school.  false fronts on the store buildings.  maybe a house or too.  

-road signs -- in front of the little bitty town that was -- it goes in all four directions, pointing you the right way towards the farm you are looking for -- yep.  that one out in the middle of no where no where -- because this sign-- the one in front of the little bitty town that was.  it's out in the middle of no where - about 30+ minutes on a gravel road to get to the back to the highway - and then it's another 20-30 minutes going 75 mph to get to the next town.  middle of no where.  great place for bees to make some honey.

- for no muddy roads as we were traveling yesterday -- the person before us wasn't as quite as lucky - you can't see them very well, but we drove in the very deep tire tracks of someone who was holding their breath, hoping they wouldn't get stuck as they drove through a very very soft dirt road.

- taking a minute to "stop and smell the clover"  - that is exactly what jon said to me yesterday as we stopped, rolled the windows down and inhaled...

so nice to stop and drink it all in.  to talk about how blessed we are even in the midst of stressful moments.  to remember the good.  to love the life we've been given

 - to be challenged:  the GOOD 30 day challenge: Waste Less  -  got us set up this morning with what will work for us and our summer situation - also trying to increase my reusable container use versus ziplocks or plastic bags - which i tend to use more of in the summer because of limited storage/fridge space.

 -to grow:  "Seek out that particular mental attribute which makes you feel most deeply and vitally alive, along with which comes the inner voice which says, 'This is the real me,' and when you have found that attitude, follow it."

-- James Truslow Adams

- to be reminded: 3 ways to fully show up in your life
- to let myself off the hook--it doesn't have to be perfect: Supposed To

thursday thanks

 - family - a usual one i know, but always good to take time and appreciate... this afternoon really thinking about how lucky jon and i are to be close to our family - to talk with them often throughout the week.  to be able to spend the summer with my brother and sister.  to work on a daily basis with jon's parents in our business.
-road-tripping in a semi-truck -- high above the road - biggest windshield (which became completely covered in bugs on the eastern side of north dakota and our couple hours in minnesota) - bed + fridge (hotel on the road) - truck stops (especially truck stops at that have 24 hour Mcdonalds for midnight snacktime).

-not getting stuck out in the middle of nowhere on a really super-soft stretch of a road construction dirt road while fully loaded at 2:30am.
-vacuum cleaners
-watermelon -summer yumminess on sale at our little grocery store this week
-Scheels --sporting goods store-- why have i never been to one of these before - definitely a new favorite "summer store"

fun to be had at scheels

- veggie burgers (i love love love them) - which is why i ordered this cookbook:
"the best veggie burgers on the planet" - really excited to try new recipes out this summer

-magazines -- favorite road trip item -- well, besides my camera, but it doesn't really count
-air conditioning -- it was 93 degrees yesterday - which would be fine if it hadn't been a high of 69 two days before
- summers in montana - sometimes this is a really hard one for me, but this year, instead of focusing on what i don't have or miss (fresh summer produce, farmers market, a lawn, bbq's + socials with friends are just a few)  i am really working on embracing the joy that is living in a different place for a season -- as ali edwards says:  be "present" in the season and enjoy + know the "deliciousness of summer."
 -- two little articles on the summer season:

• ali edwards -- the change of seasons | summer rhythms (above quotes take from this post)
• incourage: six tips to enjoy a beautiful summer {at home}

today

today -
--felt like monday all day -- because i didn't go to work yesterday
--jon's alarm went off at 3:30am  or was it 3:15?
--i went to the chiropractor again
--currently watching the biggest loser on hulu while surfing the net

--loving these links:

moving: transform your body 2011  -- great little workouts brought to you by women's health and a few favorite trainers -- including my ever most favorite bob and mandy  ---and tony too (much love for him after spending an hour a day with him for 90 days...bring it!)

bob harper

mandy ingber

p.s.  i have most of bob's dvd's and mandy's yogalosphy dvd and enjoy all of them immensely 

eating:  --thinking i want make this beautiful salad soon rainbow kale slaw

contemplating: vote for your thoughts  -- a great reminder on the power of our thoughts from one of my favorite sites

two for tuesday

so yesterday i had a morning moment where i was really sure --for about an hour-- that it was friday -- but it wasn't, it was only monday...

since yesterday really was monday that means today is tuesday and it's time for two good things that i have found this morning:

i haven't been sleeping well lately -- especially the last two nights -- jon and i are pretty sure that we belong on an 11-8ish sleep cycle, but it just isn't very realistic for daily life.  bummer.  therefore, i am back to creating a new, more productive sleeping time....hmmm....

this morning i ran across a few articles to share

sleep - why you need it and how to get more of it  by dr. frank lipman
- a little long but some good reminders

winter survival for your skin -- who has dry skin about this time of year?  me me me me me  - this year i am trying to do so much better  -- i don't know about the "so much" - but i am doing better - trying to form the habit of lotioning up right before bed...

two more quick tidbits:

taco night is soon approaching -- this picture is from saturday haystacks -- yum

also, i have been using my bite guard for the past week.  it is amazing in several different ways.  one -- my jaw is much much less tight in the morning -- two -- it is causing me to realize (even more) how much i clench my teeth.  excellent.  definitely worth the money, though i wondered when i was paying my dentist bill this last month.  

today is brought to you by the number "3"

-the number of times i've changed my sheets this week...thanks to miss lulu
-the number of things i've checked off my morning list: allergy shot, library, call the grandmas (love them)
-the number of hours i am going to spend creating this afternoon
-the number of books i checked out from the library--- +1 more... - also the number of books returned
-the number of phone numbers i have to call to try and find my parents
-the number of weeks i've been in montana
-the number of projects i've finished since i've been here...-1...
-the number of pounds i gain every time someone brings home ice cream from the big k
-the number of pictures to show you today:

borrowed from this sweet girl's blog

fun summer wedding photo booth-- i can't remember where i borrowed the pic from -- doing something similar for my sister's wedding in september

wishing i could throw an ice cream sandwich party just like this cutie

more ice cream goodness found here

-the number of links to share with you:

1. the pioneer woman & stormy weather -sounds quite similar to jon&i --except where's my storm cellar?

2. tiny sparrow foundation - capturing memories for families with children facing life threatening illness

3. e&p's wedding album -- i love her style, her wedding, and the fact she loves orange as much as i do