Odds & Ends (& Something EXCITING!)

First things first, I apologize for being away from the blog for the last few days.  Things - somewhat unexpectedly - got a little crazy around here.  I ended up substituting for five different yoga classes this week, Bo was busy flying, and lots of other exciting things happened too...which, of course, is what this post it all about.  So, let's get to it!

1.  We FINALLY received orders!  

For those of you that aren't familiar with military lingo, orders are the official paperwork that tells you when you will be detaching from your current base, and when you are required to report to your new base.  Thankfully for us, we got lucky!  We will be detaching from Jacksonville, FL at the very end of November, and will have to report in Whidbey Island, WA sometime in December.  Our plan is to spend the month of December visiting family and enjoying the holiday season.  Then we will jet on up to Whidbey before the end of the year!  Truthfully, we couldn't have asked for a more perfect situation.  Once again, we are blessed.

2.  I recently discovered the cutest little health food store - what I would call a "local gem" - in none other than small-town Orange Park, FL.

For the past nine months, here I have been thinking that Orange Park had nothing of the sort; and then, the other day before yoga class, I overheard one of my fellow practitioners saying that she works in a health food store right down the street.

Seriously, how did I miss this?!

Anywho, I decided to swing by and check it out.  It was amazing!  Stocked to the brim with local produce, whole grains, vegan/vegetarian fare, and herbal remedies.  Now THIS is my kind of store!  I only wish my mom or friend Paige were here to go with me...they both love this sort of place.

Wall-to-wall grains, cake mixes, and cereal!

TEA...honestly, how could anyone choose just one?!

Organic and/or local beauty products...if only they weren't so expensive.

Beautiful. Organic. Produce.

CHOCOLATE!

(By the way, the Endangered Species is my absolute favorite brand of chocolate.  The best bar - in my opinion - is the 80% cocoa one.  But the 72% Dark Chocolate with Blueberries is a close second.  

I also feel really good about supporting the company because every time you purchase a bar, you raise support for species and habitats worldwide.  Each year, Endangered Species Chocolate donates 10% of net profits to environmental non-profits that are focused on wildlife conservation and habitat preservation.  Cool, right?!)

Almond/hemp/rice/oat milks and protein powders.

3.  We bought me a NEW CAR!

We are now the proud owners of a 2007 Honda CRV!  We got a great price on the car, and it has less than 50,000 miles on it.  It also has leather seats, cruise control (a HUGE update for me), heated seats, all-wheel drive (which, was a MUST for Whidbey), an Ipod dock, and much, much more.  Needless to say, I am THRILLED!

4.  My hair keeps on growin'!

I am hoping that by my birthday at the beginning of the new year it will officially be back down to my shoulders.  For the longest time I felt like my hair was growing at a snail's pace, but now when I compare pictures from my last birthday to now, I am amazed at how much it has grown.  If you don't believe me, see for yourself below!

January 8, 2012

October 27, 2012

I feel like it will DEFINITELY be back down to my shoulders by the time I hit the big 2-9!

Question of the Day:

Are there any "local gems" where you live?  If so, what are they?  Do you visit them often?  What makes these places special enough to call them a "local gem"?!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo

Shades of Grey

No, no, no...this post isn't about the Fifty Shades of Grey series (although I have read the trilogy and enjoyed it).  I know that the title of this post might have gotten your hopes up, but today's post isn't a book review.

Nope, today's post is about food choices.  

Source

I don't know about you, but most of my food choices aren't black and white (Figuratively speaking, that is.  I'm not talking about black figs vs. white rice here).  Instead, the vast majority of my food choices come in various shades of grey (thus, the title of this post).  For instance:

Recently, Bo and I were craving rice crispy treats.  Since I'm not a huge fan of packaged foods, I decided to make my own at home.  Luckily, I found organic puffed rice (cocoa flavored, no less!) at the commissary, and I keep Earth Balance (sometimes Smart Balance) at home.  However, the challenge came with the marshmallows.  Now, I know that Whole Foods carries vegan-friendly marshmallows, but a single bag costs between $5.00-6.00, not to mention the thirty minutes it would take me to drive across town.  In the end, I bought a package of Jet-Puffed Marshmallows that contain gelatin...and I felt a little guilty.

In situations like that I feel really conflicted about my food choices.  On the one hand, I feel good about choosing an organic rice cereal and Earth Balance (or even organic butter); but on the other hand, I feel a little ashamed of myself for buying the Jet-Puffed Marshmallows.  In general, I'm not a fan of the use of gelatin (if you're interested in knowing what's in it - and how it is made - read here).  I also try to steer clear of any products that are made with dairy products that are not organic (you would be SHOCKED at how many packaged products contain dried egg whites, dried milk, etc.).

But sometimes

- OK, a lot of the time -

it is really difficult to steer clear of every product with which I have an ethical dilemma.

Sure, pretty much all produce is a safe bet (although, there again, you have to be careful about pesticides and the whole organic vs. conventional debate), and we buy organic eggs, cheese, yogurt, milk (although that's for Bo, I drink almond milk), and cottage cheese.  In general, our grocery cart consists of LOTS of fresh fruits and vegetables, organic dairy products, whole grains, meat (for Bo), and weekly odds and ends that aren't food related.  (And yes - to answer your question - buying organic dairy products and some produce costs us significantly more money than if we simply bought conventional (see dark, but relatively true, comic strip below).)

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But even then I frequently feel conflicted about things.  

For instance:

• What about the whole wheat bread that we buy - is it sprayed with harmful pesticides?  Is it grown on land that could be used for grazing happy cows?
• What about the tortilla chips that we buy?  Is the corn produced in a way that is sustainable for our environment over a long period of time?
• What about the jelly that I spread on our PB&J sandwiches - does it contain pectin?
• and on...and on...and on...

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After reading things like Michael Pollan's The Omnivore's Dilemma and In Defense of Food, and watching movies such as Food, Inc. and Polycultures: Food Where We Live, I want to be a responsible (and educated) consumer.  I want to be the type of consumer that makes the earth a stronger, healthier, and more balanced ecosystem.  And I suppose that, sometimes, I feel a little paralyzed by the fear of making an uninformed - or simply a lazy - decision that will negatively impact the earth, all the animals in it, the atmosphere, etc.

And then I think that - perhaps - I am being a little too dramatic.

Maybe what the world needs is a little more balance.

Maybe I am being too hard on myself.

Maybe the fact that I am writing this blog post is a sign that I really care, and that I am really trying to be a good steward of what I have been given.

And maybe

- just maybe -

the world

- along with all of its multi-legged inhabitants -

will cut me some slack when I buy Jet-Puffed Marshmallows.

Question of the Day:

Do you ever face an "ethical dilemma" related to the foods you purchase?  Do you try to buy organic for certain foods (or food groups)?  

I would LOVE to hear your comments and feedback on this topic!

Blessings,
Ally and Bo