27/365 – All the Things

If I could do all the things…

I would get up early (before anyone else) with a smile on my face, feeling energized.

I would do my morning pages while I sipped warm lemon water and watched the sun rise.

I would do 20 minutes of energizing yoga.

I would meditate for at least 5 minutes.

I would move my bowels.

I would take a nice walk/jog with the baby, cruise the beach and stop for push-ups, squats and planks.

I would have a simple nutritious breakfast that satisfied both of us for hours.

I would drink homemade almond milk in my coffee, which would be simple and delicious to make (or already made).

I would shower and shave my legs.

I would have perfect little bite sized meals for the baby planned and ready to pull out of the fridge for her at every meal.

I would be able to put her down for a great 2-hour nap at exactly the right time every morning.

I would get my to-do list completely done while she was sleeping….

• Wedding decisions/calls
• Household chores – kitchen, laundry, clutter
• Pay the bills/reconcile/budget
• Check/respond to emails
• Make & eat lunch – a protein salad of sorts

I would give our baby 100% undivided attention when she wakes and is ready to play.

I would feed her another nutritious meal of bite sized vegetables and fruit.

We would run errands like doctors visits, grocery stores and play dates.

I would put her down for another 2-hour nap at the perfect time in the afternoon.

I would do "business" stuff during this nap time:

• Monday: Bins Be Clean sales calls
• Tuesday: Rather Be content development
• Wednesday: Bins Be Clean strategy/project management meetings
• Thursday: Rather Be brainstorming/web design
• Friday: Artist Date (personal time)

When the baby wakes up we would giggle, dance, and play in the kitchen while I cook dinner.

I would have a glass of wine or cocktail without feeling bad about it.

Baby would be just getting into her high chair to begin her meal (of perfectly bite sized nutritious food) and dinner would be in the oven/on the stove and ready when daddy comes home.

We would eat dinner while baby is still eating….all as a family.

Dishes would be practically done – just plates in the dishwasher and wipe the baby up.

We would ride our bikes to the beach for sunset or to the park to swing every night.

Bath time would be quick and it would be comfortable to bend over the tub.

Baby would fall asleep as soon as we placed her in her crib.

I would have a cup of tea (or another glass of wine/cocktail) and time to write/cruise social media/chat with a friend or family member/read…decompress.

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We would watch a show (with said tea/wine/cocktail)…decompress.

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We would play a game of cards (with tea/wine/cocktail)….decompress.

I would get to bed by 9 o'clock to fill out my daily energy tracker, draw a tarot card, practice gratitude and stretch.

Occasionally, I would want to snuggle.

I would fall asleep after 3 or 4 deep belly breaths and sleep soundly all night long.

Weekends would involve family outings on the boat, beach or exploring a new area. We would meet friends and enjoy everyone's company. I would be perfectly packed and prepared for anything we might encounter: snacks, swimsuits, towels, dry clothes, diapers, drinks, toys, games, business cards, etc.

If I could do all the things…..

22/365 – Almond Milk

Did you know that there are a lot more ingredients in your store-bought almond milk than just almonds?? Weird things, like fructose and carageenen….stuff you might not be expecting and probably don’t want to ingest if you recognize what they might be doing to you. 

What if I told you it’s super easy to make your own almond milk? Aside from soaking your nuts ahead of time (6 hours min, or over night) the whole process takes about 11 minutes with cleanup. I know because I just timed it. 

What you need:

A high speed blender

A nut bag (easy purchase on amazon)

A jar to store your milk in

1 cup of almonds (but most nuts -including coconuts, even though that’s a fruit- work in the same fashion)

4 cups filtered water (if you’re not filtering your water, your body is)

Optional: pinch of salt, pitted date or 1/2 a vanilla bean scraped

How to do it:

Soak your nuts. Like I said, overnight or for a minimum of 6 hours. Just put them in a bowl and cover with water. Use the filtered water here too. 

Drain and rinse the nuts then add them to the blender. 

Add the water (if your blender has measurements on it, it will now read 5 cups. No need to dirty the measuring cup). 
Blend. On high for about a minute. 

Line your jar with the nut bag (pro tip: use the bag inside out so you don’t get nut pulp stuck in the seams). 

Hold the bag in place as you fill the jar with the milk. 

Slowly squeeze the bag as you pull it out of the jar, leaving only liquid in the jar and pulp in the bag. (Your hands will get all over the milk, best to wash them first). 

Squeeze really hard! (Sometimes I do 2 pourings instead of just one). 

Wa-la, almond milk. Close the lid tight and refrigerate for about 5-7 days. No, it doesn’t last as long as the boxed crap….because it doesn’t have all the crap in it!

Bonus option: make almond flour with the pulp! Spread the contents of the squeezed bag out on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake in the oven at the lowest possible setting (170 degrees is ideal) for a couple of hours. Once dry and crumbly, put it back in the blender and blend on high for another minute (if you have a fancy “dry” blender, use it). Store in an airtight freezer jar for up to 6 months.