Hippie Dippie Daze

Dream A Little Dream Of Me

Tue, 19 Mar 2013 23:12:48 -0500

Hey everyone! Sorry I haven’t posted in a while but times have been hectic over here.

I’ve been on the hunt for a new apartment in the grand city of Chicago and it has not been easy, but it got me thinking.

As excited as I am to take this new step and make a new transition, I’ve noticed my boyfriend is a little more hesitant.

Today he mentioned having dreams about losing his teeth.

I’ve never really dreamt much, but recently my dreams just keep getting more vivid so I decided to take a peek into the meaning behind some of these images.

For example, losing teeth in a dream often means anxiety of a new transition-going from old to new.

I realized after this, that our dreams can tell us a lot about what we’re really feeling before we can talk ourselves out of it. What sort of dreams are you having and do they reflect your life’s direction?

The Power of Crystals

Fri, 18 Jan 2013 16:29:00 -0600

As you might have recently read, my goal this year is to deepen my spiritual presence and further my holistic lifestyle bit by bit. There are so many adventures that go along with this idea but I really wanted to share my latest experiences with crystal healing.

I recently received a book on crystal healing along with stones to coordinate with each of my chakras. The way crystal healing works is really still a mystery to many, but it’s power is undeniable. I’ve always been intrigued by the power of our energies and the consequent theory of the body’s energy centers called chakras. Our chakras can easily become out of line and consequently cause inner emotional and physical issues, which can be fixed with the healing energies of various crystals.

I have finally activated my crystals and began implementing different methods for healing myself. I can honestly that my stress levels have dwindled and positive things have come my way since…. a coincidence I don’t take lightly.

I know it’s a little taboo or too out there for some people to believe but I think if you wrap your mind around the idea and really throw yourself into it could do wonders for a lot of people like myself.

Quote of the Day

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 21:30:00 -0600

The soul always knows what to do to heal itself. The challenge is to silence the mind.

-Caroline Myss

New Year's Resolution

Fri, 11 Jan 2013 11:29:00 -0600

I know I’m a little late in declaring my resolution as the New Year has already begun, but I wanted to make sure I planned out a resolution that was both feasible and beneficial for me.

I don’t do the whole “go to the gym three days a week” stuff, but if you do more power to you! Instead, I try to focus my health in a much hollistic sense.

Alas, I resorted to the one ever-evolving element of my life— my health.

In 2005, I made a New Year’s resolution to go vegetarian, a decision that has impacted my health and my life in a beautiful way. Not only did it force me to learn about my impacts on our environment and be mindful of what I’m putting into my body, but it showed me how strong I am for simply turning away an element that was once so much a part of my life, especially living with an Italian family.

Withstanding the grilling questions that nearly every meat-eater throws at you— “Why do you do it?” (once you tell them the questions on your reasoning continue), “How do you get protein?” “Do you really think you’re making a difference when the rest of us are eating meat?” etc— wasn’t something I was necessarily prepared for, but the decision was one I had made mindfully and was prepared to defend, though I’ve never judged those who choose differently.

For this year’s resolution, I decided to focus on a similar approach. To focus on what I’m putting not just inside my body but on it and how to maintain a healthy mind, body and soul.

So here is my list of life practices I hope to envelope myself in and create a practice (daily, weekly, monthly) in.

1. Meditate more- with the stressfulness of college and work, nothing clears my mind better than a good meditation session. A new center has opened up in my town that I plan to utitlize as frequently as possible.

2. Yoga at LEAST once a week- I used to practice yoga once or twice a week for an entire semester but as schedules changed so did my abailability to attend the classes and I slowly degressed out of my beloved practice. After taking a semester of Nia (a combination of martial arts, dance and yoga) I realized how much this practice thoroughly relaxes my body and stimulates my mind.

3. Make some of my own beauty products- After making my own cheek and lip stain out of beets, my own lip balm out of beeswax and my own lemon hand scrub I’ve realized how beneficial it is for my skin and the exterior of my body to use natural, and even homemade products.

4. JUICE- I just got a new juicer for Christmas, which I could not be more excited about. I’ve already made a few recipes and the results have been incredibly tasty. I hope to make at least one recipe a week.

5. Be mindful of my interactions with others- I really tend to be the do-it-all sort of person who can never say no to anyone. This year, I want to have nothing but pleasant encounters with those I meet or have a relationship with. To do this, I need to be mindful of what I can and want to do and keep myself stable so as to project this ease and pleasant emotion onto them.

Cranberry Pecan Tortellini Salad

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 21:50:00 -0600

This could be the easiest, quickest and certainly one of the most delicious recipes I’ve made. It’s perfect for a family salad dish, a lunch meal leftover or a delicious dinner for two. Whatever it is you use it for, I assure you it will be a hit. Did I mention it’s also quite healthy?

INGREDIENTS

Salad

Baby spinach

Pecans

Dried cranberries

Three cheese tortellini

Feta cheese

Dressing

Brown Sugar

Garlic

Lemon juice

Olive Oil

Balsamic vinegar

RECIPE

1. Boil water and follow direction to cook the tortellini

2. While the tortellini is cooking, begin to make the dressing

Combine 1 tbs. lemon juice, 2 tbs. brown sugar, 1 clove garlic, 5-6 tbs. balsamic, 6-7 tbs. olive oil

3. Let tortellini cool

4. Combine spinach, tortellini and dressing

5. Top with feta, cranberries and crushed pecans

Last-Minute Christmas Gift DIY

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 00:13:00 -0600

So although it was a challenging task to take on, I decided to make a lot of xmas presents this year and even do a custom wrapping. A few of the things I did were rather tough, but others were actually super simple but also awesome!

1. Beeswax Lip Balm

This I actually blogged about earlier, but it’s a wonderful little stocking stuffer and super simple to make!

Ingredients: A stick of beeswax (I get mine from my local famers market or co-op), 1 tsp. vitamin E, 2-3 drops of Eucalyptus (or any essential oil), 2 Tbsp. almond, avocado or coconut oil

Step 1: Shave the beeswax

Step 2: Use a double-boil system to melt the beeswax

Step 3: Stir in almond, avocado or coconut oil

Step 4: Take off heat and add vitamin E and eucalyptus

Step 5: Poor in containers and refrigerate

2. Lemon Salt Hand Scrub

Ingredients: 1 cup sea salt (fine), 1/3 cup oil (almond or vegetable), 1 Tbs lemon juice

Step 1: Pour salt in a mason jar

Step 2: Slowly add in oil, it may not take the whole measurement

Step 3: Drizzle lemon juice in

3. Hanging Plant holder

Ingredients: Nylon rope, Keychain ring

Step 1: Cut 4 long, equal length strings of rope

Step 2: Attach the keychain ring halfway down the ropes

Step 3: Tie a knot in 2 adjacent strings until there is a total of 4 strings

Step 4: Take one string from one of the knots and tie it to a string in the adjacent knot until all strings are connected

Step 5: Knot all the string together at the bottom

4: Personalized mugs

Ingredients: White mug, sharpie

Step 1: Draw your design with a sharpie onto the white mug

Step 2: Bake for 30 minutes at 350F

Step 3: Let cool

Happy Holidays Everyone!

TUESDAY TUNE A friend of mine is currently on NBC’s The...

Tue, 04 Dec 2012 00:30:15 -0600

TUESDAY TUNE

A friend of mine is currently on NBC’s The Voice and has been rockin’ his butt off each week. This week he showed a piece of my favorite element- just him and the piano soulfully making “Somewhere Over the Rainbow” his own. I hope you guys enjoy this as much as I did and maybe take the time to cast a vote for this kind fellow.

The Need for Space

Fri, 02 Nov 2012 18:42:00 -0500

I’m a big homebody some days and also a little bit of a neat freak, but I was recently relaxing in my small, attic of an apartment, and I realized how much of an impact the space we’re in has on our ability to relax or even evoke emotions.

We all have those places that we like to go to get away from everything, but we also have the opportunity to design those places.

Some people enjoy simplicity. The element of space calms the cluttered mind. It also leaves room for creativity elsewhere.

Others, and this is where I tend to lean in my decor, find inspiration in so many things it borders cluttered but remains elegant.

Whatever it is that inspires or relaxes you and your lifestyle, I hope you all find time to bask in it for a moment and enjoy it.

TUESDAY TUNE This is a Colorado band that was recently at a...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 13:48:00 -0500

TUESDAY TUNE

This is a Colorado band that was recently at a bluegrass festival in my area. I absolutely fell in love with their music and I hope you will too. Here’s By the Wind Sailor by Paper Bird

Quote of the Day

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:57:00 -0500

“In the depth of winter I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”

-Albert Camus

I recently bought myself the video from the Monterey Pop...

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 17:31:00 -0500

I recently bought myself the video from the Monterey Pop Fesitval of 1967. This legendary music festival was the first appearance of many historic rock artists like Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin and more. It was the first preview of Woodstock and the hippie/rock era destined to thrive in the 1970s.

This clip especially features the aethestic of the hippie festie, and is highly akin to many of the music festivals I attend today. Personally, I’ve discovered hundreds of inspirational fashion trends and tunes I absolutely love from watching this movie.

(Featuring the Mamas and the Poppas, Jefferson Airplane, Hendrix, Joplin, The Who, Simon and Garfunkel, and other amazing musicians.)

Recipe: Stuffed Artichoke

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 10:46:00 -0500

For the longest time I steered away from cooking whole artichokes. I always thought they were out of my league as far as my cooking expertise was concerned.. little did I know how deliciously simple they can be!

STUFFED ARTICHOKE

Ingredients:

2 whole artichokes

1 lemon

1 cup of bread crumbs

1/2 cup grated gruyere cheese

1/4 cup chopped parsley

4 cloves garlic

3 tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

Salt & pepper for seasoning

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees

2. Cut the stem off of the artichokes to create a flat bottom. Trim the top of the artichoke as well and take off the outside leaf layer. Rub the lemon, halved, on the on the cut leaves

3. Combine all breadcrumbs, 1/2 cup cheese, parsley, garlic, salt and pepper in a bowl. Sprinkle over each artichoke and weave into in the leaves.

4. Place artichokes in baking pan, drizzle with olive oil, and pour in boiling water to fill 1 in. of pan

5. Rub olive oil across a sheet of tin foil, cover the pan tightly with the foil-oil side down, and bake for 45 min.

6. Sprinkle with 1/2 cup cheese and broil for 3-4 min.

ENJOY!

TUESDAY TUNE For as long as I can remember, Janis Joplin has...

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 20:42:37 -0500

TUESDAY TUNE

For as long as I can remember, Janis Joplin has been an idol of mine. A revolutionary woman figure in the frontline of rock music’s debut into the music world, Janis was no ordinary woman. I recently had a long chat with a professor of mine who was good friends with her and began re-listening to a few of my favorite tunes in a new light. He told me that Janis was not the hardcore, tough girl she played on stage but rather a fragile and highly intelligent woman on the verge of breaking. Each conversation he had with her he said he walked away feeling better for having spoke with her, he was grateful, but this emotional connection never felt reciprocated. No matter how hard you tried, she only helped you, you couldn’t help her. So I’ve listened to her songs as an emotional cry, an attempt to find some means of a connection to the world… and this song spoke to me. Give it a go.

Quote of the Day

Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:12:00 -0500

“The clearest way into the Universe is through a forest wilderness.”

-John Muir

Greek Mac N' Cheese

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:30:00 -0500

Being a college student I sometimes fall into a cooking rut, resorting to my usual, easy recipes.

But being a vegetarian often forces me to challenge my taste buds and adventure. So I thought I would combine my two food desires and make a new take on an easy recipe.

GREEK MAC N’ CHEESE

Ingredients:

4 oz. macaroni noodles

Feta Cheese

Gruyere Cheese

1 cup milk

1/4 cup flour

1 Tbsp Cinnamon

1 Tsp nutmeg

2 slices of bread

6 Tbsp butter

4 oz. spinach (chopped)

2 Tbsp Olive Oil

3 Green Onions (chopped)

3 Shallots (chopped)

Step 1: Remove the crust from the bread and grind them into fine crumbles. Mix them in a bowl with 2 tbsp of butter. Set aside.

Step 2: Begin to cook macaroni noodles only half way (about 4 min.) Drain, rinse with cold water, and set aside.

Step 3: Heat leftover butter in a medium sauce pan. Mix in flour and whisk for 3-4 min. Then add in milk and continue whisking for 10-15 minutes until mixture is thick. Remove from heat and add in cheese, cinnamon and nutmeg. Set this sauce aside.

Step 4: Preheat oven to 350F. Meanwhile, heat oil in a medium pot and add in shallots. Stir for 3 min. and add in spinach and green onions. Stir until spinach is wilted.

Step 5: Combine sauce, remaining noodles and the above spinach mix in a large pot. Then pour into a baking pan. Top with bread cumbs and feta. Bake for 30 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

Freedom, Creativity and Inspiration

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 13:01:00 -0500

There’s nothing more freeing than taking yourself away from consumerism and making your own products.

This week, I discovered a wonderfully simple way to make my own lip balm- a product I’m slightly addicted to.

Here’s how to do it:

Ingredients- 1 stick of beeswax (often found at a local co-op or farmers market), 1 tbsp avocado oil, 1 tsp of vitamin e oi, 1 drop of a good smelling oil of your choice (lavendar, tea tree or eucalyptis) I chose tea tree oil, 1 small container

Step 1- Shave down the beezwax until you have 1/4 cup of shavings

Step 2- Boil a pot of water on the stove. Place a saucepan over that pot and mix the beeswax and avocado oil until it is melted.

Step 3- Quickly mix in vitamin e and a few drops of scented oil

Step 4- Pour into a small container. I cut out one from a string of little paint holders and it works great!

Step 5- Let it cool and you’re ready to go!

Sunday Splurge

Sun, 02 Sep 2012 16:50:00 -0500

There’s nothing quite like being a kid. Everything in the world is ahead of you. You have so few problems to look back on and the little things seem so big in your eyes.

For this Sunday splurge I would like to encourage everyone to take time and buy something nostalgic.

For me, that piece of my past is records. A new record store opened up by my house and I was like a kid in a candy store finding albums of bands my dad used to play me in our car rides.

I think everyone should feel that every once and a while- go to a store and buy candy cigarettes, do a craft, run through a sprinkler, hula hoop, buy an old movie… whatever it is that brings you back to the blissfulness of being naive, go there.

Quote of the Day

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 12:13:20 -0500

“I always wonder why birds stay in the same place when they can fly anywhere on Earth. Then I ask myself the same question.”

-Harun Yahya

Green Tip of the Month

Mon, 20 Aug 2012 13:46:00 -0500

With the school year getting into full swing parents and students have the opportunity to conserve on so many levels!

Here a few quick and easy resuable tips—

1. Go through old notebooks— those last few pages add up. Tear them out and put them in a binder and you’ll have more paper than you know what to do with!

2. If you must buy paper- make sure it’s been recycled. Try cow poop paper!

3. Make your own glue— it’s really easy. You can even use modge podge as a supplement! http://doityourselfdivas.blogspot.com/2011/09/diy-mod-podge.html

4. If your glue stick is out, take old crayon bits and fill the container with them. Put it in the sun (try placing it on tinfoil for best results) to melt, and you’ll have a cool tie dye crayon stick for kids!

5. Use old pencils as garden markers

6. Take an old eraser, carve one side into a shape, dip it in ink and use it for a stamp

7. Tip: rubberband balls = great, colorful bouncy balls!

8. Shave old pencils down, put them in a bowl and douse them with some good smelling oils for a homemade potpourri. I love eucalyptus, lavender or teatree.

TUESDAY TUNE For an oldies lover like myself I feel like The...

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 23:30:00 -0500

TUESDAY TUNE

For an oldies lover like myself I feel like The Byrds often get loss in the masses. But their harmonized, nostalgic sound never fails to take me back to a pleasant time. It’s good for driving down an empty road at sunset, or swinging on the porch on a hot summer night… the simple things that signify peacefulness are the images and moments I imagine when I hear this song.

I hope you all like it- it’s a little different from my usual, but I was feeling out of the box today.

—Wasn’t Born to Follow by The Byrds