#WomenCrushWednesday Alice Waters & The Edible Schoolyard Project

Alice Waters

Born April 28th, 1944

Alice Waters is most famous for founding the Edible Schoolyard Project. She owns Chez Panisse, a Berkeley, California restaurant that is famous for organic, locally-grown ingredients and California cuisine. Waters studied abroad in France in college, and this is where her love of market fresh cooking came from. Upon returning to the States she was a political activist for a short time and this led to her food activism. After graduating, Waters returned to Europe and traveled to Turkey, France and London. She founded the Chez Panisse Foundation in 1996, whose mission is to transform public education by using food to teach, nurture, and empower young people. Waters is a crusader for organic food as she believes it enhances the quality and taste of the food and beneficial to the environment and people's health. 

The Edible Schoolyard Project was established in 1995 at Martin Luther King Jr. Middle School in Berkeley, California. Students at the middle school are involved in growing, harvesting and preparing the foods from the garden. Waters also developed the School Lunch Initiative which aims to bring school children into a new relationship with food by making a healthy, fresh, sustainable meal a part of the school day. There are currently 5 other Edible Schoolyard Projects across the country in New Orleans, New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco and Greensboro, North Carolina.

Waters encouraged President Bill Clinton to plant an organic garden at the White House, but unfortunately it did not happen. First Lady Michelle Obama planted her organic garden in 2009 with objectives from her Let's Move Campaign. 

Waters has written 11 books, won a dozen honors & awards and serves as board member for various organizations. She has one daughter, Fanny and has been married twice. Waters is an inspiration in organic and healthy school lunch activism. She is relentless in her effort to provide all children across America with knowledge of where their food comes from, harvesting and preparation. Her vision will continue to shine through for the future as people are fed up with GMO's, fast food, chemicals and coloring in food and above all, finding a way out of childhood obesity.  

References: 

http://www.myhero.com/go/hero.asp?hero=alicewaters

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alice_Waters

For Mind, Body & Soul - A Beginners Guide to Yoga

Happy Monday!

I just completed another Midday Yoga class at my school. I LOVE this class and had been looking forward to it since Wednesday. I have been taking this class for about two weeks and can already tell that it is improving my back and stress level. I'm more aware of my breathing, muscles and posture. Doing yoga midday relaxes and prepares me for the rest of the day. 

Here is a list of the top 10 reasons YOU should start doing yoga!

1. STRESS relief

2. Inner peace

3. Increased strength

4. Weight loss & waste management

5. Increased overall energy

6. Improved sleep

7. Heightened mental and intuitive awareness 

8. Improved hormonal balance

9. Brain synchronization & brain fitness

10. Whole body detoxification

What's not to love? Yoga is for your mind, body and soul. It is a health plan that focuses on 3 very important aspects of YOU.

Mind, Body & Soul

Anyone can DO yoga!

I think the most important part of the learning process for learning how to do yoga is to do it with someone else who has experience with the positions and breathing styles. It can be daunting and stressful when searching the internet, checking out books or watching videos. There is a lot of information to dig through!

Plus, who doesn't like wearing yoga pants?

And don't forget to eat well, drink plenty of water and get enough sleep.

Here are some helpful links to get you started:

History of Yoga

Health Effects of Yoga

Effects of Yoga on the Mind

Effects of Yoga on the Soul

Blessings, peace and joy this week,

Miss Maully

My 5 Things - How to Restart those New Year's Resolutions

I know we all start the New Year with some really fantastic expectations of ourselves and by the end of the month they start to fade away into old habits. I decided to kick old habits to the curb and refocus on my main goal and a few side goals as well. Each month I will edit the list for changes or accomplishments and post my results. So here is the first set of My 5 Things that I'm throwing to the world. Enjoy.

Here is my list of 5 Things I'm trying to get into the habit of doing:

1. Drink more hot tea

2. Meditate at least 2 times a week

3. Workout 4 days a week

4. Keep up my healthy and clean eating

5. Always donating or giving away stuff I don't need or use anymore

I made 5 things to focus on at once rather than a ton of things. These are my 5 things for the month of February. 

I'm drinking some hot green tea right now with a little squirt of honey in it. I LOVE hot tea and there is this super delicious Indian restaurant that has the most AMAZING hot chai tea that I can't stop thinking about!

I've always really been into meditation, but can never put my eager desire into action. I love the benefits and mindfulness but somehow I pass over the opportunity. Do you meditate? It is such a beautiful form of relaxation and finding your inner truth. 

I've started working out at my school and already am hooked. I LOVE exercising and I'm trying to reach my goal weight of 130 (That's ~60 lbs to loose, hopefully by August =).

I started out eating super healthy and clean and then the brutal blow hit. It is very hard to eat healthy and at all when you can't afford to buy groceries for awhile. So that's the point I'm at right now. 

I'm always trying to de-clutter and organize. Just want to get rid of stuff that's not used anymore and that is taking up space and cluttering my mind!

So all you have to do to re-inspire yourself to follow through with your New Year's Resolutions is to:

Step 1: Take one really important goal.
Step 2: Surround it with a few smaller goals.
Step 3: Don't try to do everything at once and don't overload yourself with dozens of complex goals.
Step 4: Start simple. 
Step 5: Write your 5 Things on a few sticky notes and place them where you will see them everyday.
Step 6: Never give up!

For me, this month is all about Mindfulness (*hint for next post*} of soul, mind and body. 

Stay tuned! 

So what are your 5 things to focus on for February? 

Let me know in the comments below!

Peace, love and blessings,

Miss Maully

"The Most Eclectic Blog"

Miss Clean Eats - Clean Eating in 2014 {Research}

Writing has always been one of my hobbies. I used to write poetry and short stories when I was younger, and then my passion turned to papers, research and blogging. {I wont talk about the "Notes" I used to post on Facebook.} 

Another of my passions has been eating. And while it has served me well in the sense of trying very diverse foods and encountering multiple foodgasms, I have indulged a fair too many times. The days of surrendering to my sweet tooth are gone. So are the days of french fries, fried food, pizza, additives, un-natural coloring and all that nasty crap that I never ate growing up. Since living on my own my health and diet have taken a turn for the worst and I'm ready to change the "Freshmen 15" lifestyle and use my creativity and love for flavors and textures into a Clean Eating and Free Wellness Center Membership at my School type of thing.

This crafty and oh-so-busy momma is taking in the reins to focus on school, my family and my health. I have the rest of my life to worry about and right now hobbies are not big on my list of things to worry about. Although I do take the occasional day to unwind and get creative, Serious Crafting is on hold-for now. Nursing School will demand A LOT of my time. And what better way to fuel those early morning workouts and late night studying sessions than a new eating and exercise lifestyle. My goal is to reach 130 lbs and tone my body. I also want to permanently change the way I consume food. 

Don't get me wrong, I love all the gardens for lawns, organic, plants, and sustainability impact on the environment stuff. It's been in my blood my whole life. My parents buy organic everything and It really sucks that I can't afford all that yummy gourmet stuff. I plan to...someday when I have my career and can afford to spend more than $180 a month for a family of three. 

While my clean eating may not all be organic, it will definitely follow the guidelines for clean eating like Produce, Protein, Plant based fats and whole grains.

I am so exited to be starting this journey and can't wait to STICK WITH IT! I'm so ready to be fit and healthy and feel great! 

This post is the introduction to my New Year's Resolution and I hope that you will join me in Clean Eating in 2014. 

Remember- You only have to do something 7 times before it becomes a habit. =)

The Plant-Based Dietitian
Julieanna Hever, M.S., R.D., C.P.T. , also known as The Plant-Based Dietitian, is a passionate advocate of the miracles associated with following a whole food, plant-based diet-the established effects of which provide positive healthful benefits.

Clean Program Blog
Dr. Junger describes how he became aware of the toxicity of our planet. He also explains how detoxification and cleansing have been around for thousands of years, but the knowledge has been lost, and right now it’s more important than ever to reclaim this information. Most importantly, Clean is a manual for readers to learn how to turn on and work with their own detoxification systems to restore and maintain optimal health. << LOVE the blog, just not the price of what they are selling...OUCH!! 

Spinach for Breakfast
The purpose of our blog is to provide those currently practicing the Clean program or those just looking for clean eating inspiration, with an organized forum of go-to recipes from a variety of sources. << GREAT Ideas!

365 Days of Clean Eating
I am not a Dr, a Nutritionist or a professional in the health field.  I am just sharing my own passion for food and health and what I've learned over the years. << TONS of really delicious recipes.

Top List of Clean Eating Websites & Blogs
Not all of these websites or blogs are specifically focused on eating clean, but they have been included in my Top List of Clean Eating Websites and Blogs because they all provide valuable information, whether it be healthy recipes, nutrition tips or just general healthy eating and cooking tips. << PACKED with info. 

I will be researching recipes, information and different chefs for the next month to be prepared for my debut in January. I have already had Clean thoughts running through my mind.

Follow my journey with me! Join in on Eating Clean in 2014!

xoxo

Miss Maully

Kindness-- The Temple of Light - The Maulism Movement {My Spiritual Journey}

I'm sitting here with a couple margaritas in me thinking about what I should write about...

OK...that's what I started writing about last night. If you have a Jose Pepper's near you, I urge you to go and try one of their fresh margaritas made with all natural lime and lemon juices, 100% organic agave nectar and Jose Peppers' own tequila. I know I'm trying to sell them here, so here's the catch. They are $2 all day Monday and Tuesday!! At least where I live. 

So I was super tired last night and couldn't think of what to write. Tonight however, I am on a roll with the words. 

Coming Up: I am planning a Thankful Thanksgiving post over my Thanksgiving break. 

Rosetta's 1st birthday is Monday and her party is Sunday. <3

Christmas Theme Posts
Winter Posts

Tonight we are going to talk about Kindness.

Kindness- the quality of being friendly, generous, and considerate.

When I was in grade school  there was his giril who was younger than me by a few years. I'm going to change her name and call her Matilda for this story. She wasnt cute, bubbly, fashionable, rich and skinny like the rest of the girls that went to my grade school. She had shoulder length mousy brown hair, a pudgy face, her mouth was filled with quite a few silver fillers and fake teeth. She talked funny, wore baggy t-shirts and shorts and was on the rounder side. She also had this awkward walk where she threw her weight around as she took steps. Let's just say it was not graceful. She came from a lower class family, her mother was a larger woman who didn't wear makeup or try to dress nicely. She was shrill and drove an older model station wagon, one of the wooden ones. 

Everyone made fun of her, for everything I just mentioned above. She was in Y-CARE with me and lived in my neighborhood. I didn't talk to her much but I judged her and made fun of her as well. I talked behind her back, laughed at her and ignored her- just like everyone else. Then one day, a few years later at the pool I saw that her mom was wearing a handkerchief on her head. 

I can't remember if it was then that we realized she had cancer or when she passed away.

I think Matilda only lived with her mom and grandma. {Maybe mom's boyfriend?} However she didn't live with or even see her dad for all I know. It was then that I began to feel bad for how myself and everyone else had treated her. Not just because that something bad happened to her, but because all that time we were teasing her and ignoring her she was dealing with her mom dying at home. I never knew if she was close to her mom but it doesn't matter. It matteres that I still feel guilty for how we treated her becasue she was different and "weird" but she was dealing with some deep problems that none of us could fathom or even want to try imagining what it would be like. 

The moral of my story is to always be kind to everyone {yes, there are exceptions like murderers and rapists and child molesters}

You never know what their story is, what they come home to everyday, what hides behind closed doors. Maybe she just wanted us to say hey to her or include us in our games. Maybe that would have made her day and she could have a glimmer of hope. 

I've been to low points in my life, have you? We think there is no way out and people can judge us and be mean- at any age. 

Kindness is so much more than a definition, kindness is an act of truth that you bestow to the world to make it a better place to live in. 

Kindness is the key to happiness. Refrain from bullying {another sermon}, teasing, degrading and judging {another sermon} anybody. You do not know their story and therefore cannot judge them.

I think to myself when I catch myself judging, "How dare you jump to conclusions about the way they are living their life?" I try talking to people like random strangers, cashiers, servers...I want to know their story and find the soul in the body. I try to connect with people and just be kind to everyone I meet. That one simple "have a nice day" or "hello" or "how are you feeling/doing today? could be a chance for them to feel appreciated, hopeful and warm inside. 

Kindness is free and unfortunately we lack the most basic kindness to one another. There is more than once I have seen glares and sideways looks my way. More than once I have given those glares and looks.

Kindness is FREE. 
TREAT OTHER THE WAY YOU WANT TO BE TREATED.
PUT YOURSELF IN THEIR SHOES.
TRY SEEING THINGS FROM THEIR POINT OF VIEW.

It can be hard. You may not even realize that you are doing it. But every time you find yourself judging another person, saying hateful things to them, ignoring them because of how they act, speak, talk or dress, catch yourself. Keep a reminder on a sticky note or on your phone, Hell, tie a sting around your finger. 

Instead of bashing them, say something nice about how they look, about their children, car, purchase, friendliness, honesty... you can find the good and human/humble part inside the outer surface of first impressions and possibly make a new friend!

Try this for 30 days, a week, a year...a lifetime. 

You will start to notice that your attitude and outlook will change. 

Kindness is so important yet so easily forgotten. These holidays, make it a priority to keep Kindness at the top of your list and KEEP it there when the holidays are over. 

Peace, Love, Happiness and Blessings,

xoxo
MissMaully

{L.L. in the Temple of Light.}

Compassion-- The Maulism Movement {My Spiritual Journey}

Compassion

It is a word often used, overused and miss-practiced.

Compassion is the understanding or empathy for the suffering of others. This definition is very broad.

It says others, but I feel that you must first love yourself to have compassion for yourself AND everyone else. You must understand your suffering, mistakes, bad days and problems. Feel compassion for yourself and embrace this change. Don't harm yourself or beat yourself up. Love yourself, learn, grow and adapt to practice compassion with yourself. They say you cannot love until you love yourself. 

To have compassion for someone else comes naturally for me. Growing up I always asked my parents, "why can't they see it the other way, why can't they put themselves in that person's shoes and change their opinion?" I guess having compassion for other people is not everyone's cup of tea, especially those greedy CEO's and people in power. It seems that they forget to put themselves in other people's shoes and they surrender to not caring about what happens to people less fortunate. 

One of the Pillars of Living is having compassion for ALL living beings. Humans, animals, plants...even your boss, the person you dislike the most and all the beings living in terrible conditions. If you do not understand what someone is going through then put yourself in that person's shoes and think and reflect. An important thing to remember is to count your blessings everyday and realize that not everyone has even the most basic needs. You may complain about frivolous  consumerism ideals while whole families go without dinner tonight, tomorrow, and the next night. Thousands of people live off pennies a day in other countries. Here in the United States, children go hungry as well and do not have health insurance. 

Everyone has a story and everyone is on a journey. We all have our own struggles. Someone's struggle may seem unimportant to you, but it is the biggest challenge of their life. Your struggle may seem this way to someone else. And I'm talking about real struggles here. Not things like you you really want an expensive fur coat or that your having a bad hair day or you messed up a manicure. I'm talking life struggles like living in a landfill, being sold into the sex trade and not having clean water or food to eat every day.

I'm also talking animals. Not I'm not one to preach my beliefs, and I don't preach my Meat is Murder stance, but maybe I should. Maybe I should start opening discussions about my beliefs to get other people to talk to me. We need compassion for animals. You need compassion for animals. They are bread, raised and murdered for your consumption. They have feelings, emotions and attachments just like we do but yet that is all pushed aside for your benefit. No one cares how the animals feel because they can't talk...right? They are second class citizens. I'm talking about the BRUTAL MURDER of the meat industry and the pain and suffering these animals go through. They have a heartbeat but we kill them and they can't even fight back. We don't even THANK THEM for loosing their life to feed us, we just act like it is GIVEN to us. Have compassion for the animals, for all living creatures big and small. Put yourself in the animals shoes and then watch some videos on the meat industry. Have compassion for ALL LIVING CREATURES. I'm not going to tell you to stop eating meat. I'm telling you to do some research and learn why you must have compassion for the animals. Have compassion for the animals in the circus, the animals shot for fun and the animals murdered for your consumption. 

You must have compassion for the plants and nature. They are living beings too. Plants and nature get overlooked because we take them for granted. Do you remember science class? Everything on this planet works together to survive. Plants may be at the bottom of the chain, but they are the most important aspect of the cycle. Trees provide us with clean air, water provides us with nourishment, animals eat the plants to survive, and they do all this with no force from us. We on the other hand, destroy thousands and thousands of rain forest  pollute the skies with toxins, and dump waste in the ocean. This is our only planet, please, please, please, show some compassion for it and stand up for your Earth! Don't let a useless pipeline be placed where it will cause endless amounts of damage, don't support dumping, pollution, deforestation, or ANYTHING that will destroy the precious gift of nature. 

Have compassion for ALL living beings. Catch and release fish, trap mice humanely and let them go. Know where your meat comes from, know what environmental threats pose and always know what the other side is feeling, experiencing and loosing. You can help. You don't have to donate a dollar a day. You have to love all beings equally and help out those that need it. The Dali Lama said,  "If you want others to be happy, practice compassion. If you want to be happy, practice compassion." It may not lead to world peace and there will be those that cannot and will not be phased by practicing compassion  I hope there are only a few of these people because I believe that is it human nature to practice compassion  I think that some of us have forgotten it or have pushed it aside in pursuit of attaining personal goals. Spread the word of compassion, practice it yourself and never forget that the Spirit will reward you for your humanity. Be humble, be kind, be generous, be understanding. This is the greatest gift you can give yourself. 

~This is the end of the Compassion Lecture~

~I would love to hear your thoughts, experiences or questions~

xoxo Miss Maully

Anything Goes in August {Musings Pt. 1}

Wow, the time has flown! I really got out of my groove over the summer. But I am trying to expand what I write about so that I can post more! 

I'm exited to share a few things with all of you! 

1. My business is growing...very slowly but I have my online website set up now. You can view all of the current items for sale and purchase them using PayPal! Head on over to www.missmaullyco.com and see what you like! =)

www.missmaullyco.com

2. We adopted/rescued two adorable kittens from a friend. They really help complete our family! {for now!!} 

The orange one is Oliver and the Tortie is named Olive.

3. I'm on the job hunt. It's bittersweet but exiting to be looking for a change. The final straw for me is that my boss, the store manager, is quitting!! I know that the store will be going downhill and I need to get out before work starts overriding my schoolwork. We also need the $$. 

4. I start school again next week. I am really exited. I love school, learning and meeting new people and seeing people that I know. I am so ready to get my degree and get out and move on with my life! I'm ready to be able to support my family and be financially stable and have a job that I love doing. This will be the last semester of all but 1 of my pre-req's for the nursing program and also the semester that I find out if I will be accepted into the nursing program. 

5. Rosetta is NINE MONTHS OLD!!! My, how time goes by soooooo fast. It seems like yesterday when she was born and she is almost ONE!!

I'm trying my hand at some new adventures. The first one is meal prepping. My first attempts went pretty well and I am going to continue to learn and grow and become a pro.

Bean & Cheese burritos

English muffin and deli thin pizzas {these are mine}

Boiled potatoes, tuna salad, egg muffins, {so freakin' delicious} pepperoni English muffin pizzas for the SO and waffles.
So far this prep had saved SO MUCH time, was so easy and I barely prepped anything!!

The second one is writing. I used to write all the time. Well, I used to do many things all the time. Either I have become lazy or...I've become lazy. It doesn't matter that I have a child, I need to find time to do the things I want to do or need to do. I come up with all these plans and ideas and they ALWAYS fall through. I at least want to TRY and SUCCEED, even if it is a small gain. 

Some things I am focusing on right now:

1. School

2. Spirituality

3. Personality

4. Involvement {I want to do some volunteering with my Honor Society}

5. Writing & reading 

I am still young, and even though I have a child I am always on the prowl for enriching my life, learning and growing. I am still finding out who I am and I don't believe that that journey ever ends. I am involved with tons of things and I love it that way. My daughter ALWAYS comes first. Most of the things I do for her like Climate Cadets, school, work...I have to have some me time and do things I enjoy too. And some of those things are stuff we can do together like events, day trips, going outside, etc. Most of my work is done on the computer after she is in bed. That's my time. During the day I {when I don't have school or work} I clean and prep meals while I watch Rosetta. My life has daily challenges but I wake up each day ready to face them and know that I am blessed with what I have. 

I want to do a new series called My Spiritual Journey--Maulism Movement. I started it as a FB page but I think it would be more appropriate here so that I can write to the extent and length that I want to.

Alrighty mommas, I'm out and off to plan some topics to blog about. Have a great night!

xoxo Miss Maully