bring joy

Losing weight from juicing & a whole foods vegan diet {guest post by Wendy Simkins}

We need it to sustain life. We need to be filled & nourished by it. And we need the community that comes from eating with others. Our food choices affect everything from our moods, to our quality of sleep, our weight, our energy levels throughout our day as well as so many other things tied to our physical, emotional, & spiritual well being. All this taken into account, food, for good or bad, is powerful stuff.

I don’t often have others share their before & after stories on but when Alanna, a loyal & longtime reader (& commenter) in passing mentioned her sister, Wendy, who had transformed her life (quite literally!) after switching to a mostly whole foods, vegan diet, I knew I wanted others to know about it. I asked her to share her story.

Wendy worked in the fast food industry for...

15 minute frozen peas and carrots recipe + the awesome list (February edition)

slim + slender, simple cooking

After I wrote this post, it was if the God was laughing, saying, “Oh, just you wait, my dear!”

Because, a few days later, one of my sons began throwing up. Then, as if on cue, one by one, the vomiting sickness spread like wildfire.

(ie. gastroenteritis), but it didn’t come & go in 24 hours like I expected (how lovely would that have been). No, it stuck around & wouldn’t go away. Four of the five kids were sick for a week(!). So much laundry, & yes Melissa D., I’m glad I kept my dryer–no way I could have line dryed FIVE loads of laundry a day.

Though frustrating, this is not unusual–according to the Mayo Clinic, gastroenteritis can last up to 10 days, & you can carry the bug for even longer. And all of this happened while Joseph was working 16 hours day on a massively important...

10 frugal weight loss tips

slim + slender, weight loss

Since it’s the new year, everyone’s committing to healthier eating, losing weight, toning up.

Which means…lots of money is being made at gyms (I recommend listening to this podcast episode on why you may want to think twice before signing up for a membership) & spending even more money on weight loss products.

Which is fine, I guess for the average consumer, BUT, you’re not the average consumer, are you? Here at , we embrace the DIY, frugal, can-do philosophy & spirit. If you can do it yourself, or learn how to do it yourself great. If you can do it yourself, AND save money at the same time (which is often the case), even better.

So when it comes to weight loss & embracing a healthy, active lifestyle, . I want you to take ownership for your health, without forking over a lot of cash in...