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The Perfect Kind of Summer Visitor

June 4, 2012 0

Tomorrow afternoon, my nephew Taven will be traveling by himself from Salt Lake City to stay with us in Florida. I don’t know who is more excited – me, the mister or Eben. Taven will be staying with us a little over a week and we are already wishing that he was staying longer! We will be spending the entire week sailing, paddleboarding, body-surfing, skimboarding, and visiting our local nature centers.

Since our family left Salt Lake City when Eben was only 6 months old – Eben hasn’t been able to spend a lot of time with his cousins, especially one on one. So, this trip will be extra special for him – a bonding trip!

Did you ever travel solo far from home when you were a child? Where did you go? The first time that I ever traveled by plane was on my honeymoon! I think it is super brave of Taven to want to travel solo at such a young age. Have your children ever taken a solo flight? What are your thoughts?

photo via Magnifique Photography

Paddleboarding + Dolphins + A Secret Beach

June 4, 2012 0

To kick off our summer break – we spent five hours paddleboarding as a family. We launched our paddleboards from a new-to-us, area a few minutes north of our home. And we knew immediately that we were going to have a fantastic day when within five minutes of paddling we came upon a pod of dolphins. They stayed a few feet ahead of us at all times – but I kept wishing that one would come over to say hello (you know like they always do in the movies. Hah!) It was an amazing experience, I couldn’t help but gasp “Oh, Oooo, and Ah” over and over again – it was really magical.

After the pod swam out to deeper water, we continued on our paddleboarding adventure. It was a really mellow day and we only bumped into a handful of other paddleboarders and kayakers while on the water. We spent an hour paddling up a narrow kayaking trail, then as luck would have it – we came upon a bench where we saw a couple of kayaks parked. From the bench there was a winding trail through the sea grapes, we decided to carry our paddleboards and check it out. We came upon a secret beach – there were only two other people there in the far off distance. We spent the afternoon swimming, laying in the surf and eating our lunch. Really, it was one of the best days that we have had as a family – it was so relaxing and peaceful.

Have you ever had that happen – where you go off on an adventure for the day and find something really spectacular along the way?

p.s. I didn’t have my camera because I am always so worried I will drop in the ocean – I really need a waterproof case. However, the photo above is exactly what the pod looked like. 

photo via Cheetah100

How to Make Fruit and Vegetable Infused Water in Mason Jars

June 1, 2012 0

Summer vacation is here and you know what that means – you’ll have children coming in and out all day long grabbing frozen treats and lots and lots of drinks. Save your money and the environment this year by making homemade refreshing fruit-infused water for the kiddos. By making these beverages in mason jars, you can store a lot of them in the fridge and your child can easily grab a fruit-infused cooler anytime. I have a stack of these at Eben’s eye level in the fridge, making it easy for him to grab on the go! They aren’t filled with sugar like fruit juice, but still provide enough flavor to please kids, mine included! Jump over to Inhabitots to learn my top three favorite fruit and vegetable infused water recipes.

How to Make Organic Lemon Blueberry Cupcakes

May 29, 2012 0

Cupcakes are my favorite treat for birthday parties, especially when they have organic ingredients and whole fruit inside. For my son’s 11th birthday party, I decided to try a combination of local, organic fruits that are in season here in Florida. We thought that lemons and blueberries would be a great combination and it turns out we were right, they were a hit! I think I received more compliments on the cupcakes than the birthday party itself! Read on to learn how to make these super yummy organic lemon blueberry cupcakes for your next party and find one-page printable recipe here.

— I made a second batch of these to take to a birthday party over the weekend and again a huge hit! You will love them! 

Have a Lovely Green Memorial Day Weekend + A Few Green Things

May 25, 2012 0

Hello, Friends. It’s Memorial Day weekend! It is HOT here in Florida, and the only thing that I can think of that would be perfect for the weekend is the beach. We plan to wake up, grab the paddleboards and hit the ocean! Also, Eben and I have been making ice pops all week long – I think that we will probably go through many this weekend. Our last batch – organic peach, I will be sharing the recipes soon!

Tonight, we are going to a birthday party! Mr. Sweet Greens is working late, so I am taking a date – my father-in-law! Do you ever do that? Since the mister works Saturday evenings, Eben an I usually spend that time with Grandpa Sweet Greens – I like to tease that he is my “other husband”!

While I bake up another batch of my organic lemon-blueberry cupcakes for the party, here are a few green things you might enjoy.

– A baby rhino was just born on Kariega Game Reserve!
– I love when schools use gardening to teach children how to eat nutritious food!
– Wouldn’t a seashell house look at home on the beach?
– Ever wondered what cows do on Memorial Day weekend?
– The mister and I have started to talk again about building a storage container home!
– What can I make with organic strawberries this weekend?

Have an amazing weekend and I will see you back here on Monday!

xo,
Sweet Greens

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