HiHoRosie's Place

Food matters dontcha think? I think so. Actually, at one time I didn't think it used to much but as the weight piled on my frame and I was becoming less active something had to change. Yardsnacker inspired and motivated me to get off my duff and start eating healthy. We'd always talked about doing it but it was finally put into action about two years ago. I've learned a lot since then, much from many of you, about how food truly affects us in all aspects. Recently, I watched a movie called " Food Matters ." Many of you may have seen it already or at least the trailer. If you haven't seen it I *highly* recommend doing so. I'm sure there are plenty of skeptics and naysayers but still I recommend watching this movie. At least, to start your own journey or to help in figuring out what is best for you. There's so much good content and information watching this that I'm glad I have my own copy to watch when I need a reminder or two. :) I have to say tha...

E3Live ...have you tried it? Do you like it? We've used it before and it's very good. You can smell the earthy goodness when you open the bottle! I will admit the taste was a bit "green" for me but it can be used in juices or smoothies so it's palatable. After drinking it, I felt so ahhh! Vibrant, healthy, energized. Anyway, if any of you are interested in trying it Michele aka Raw Juice Girl is hosting a contest for it on her blog . There are 12 ways to enter the contest, which you can read about here . Of course, I'm hoping to win too. So maybe if you guys didn't enter the contest my chances of winning will increase. ha ha! I jest! Enter. Check out her blog too. A wealth of information. Good luck to you and to me! :)

Maybe I just have that song stuck in my head but for those of you living/visiting in LA there is a new restaurant awaiting you: Planet Earth Eco Cafe in Hermosa Beach. Of course, this will be on my list when I visit one of these days. :) I would be interested in hearing if any of you try this place and what you thought. I believe in supporting and spreading the word of good establishments so let us all know. Hoping we'll get more options here in my neck of the woods. One day... Eat up!

Please excuse the absence. No excuse other than I've been super busy with home life. I know you understand. Thing is, I wish I was more active in writing because I like to have a record of my happenings to look back on, especially now that I have YS2. :) (blanket made by AnnieofBlueGables ) Speaking of YS2, he is a DOLL! Okay, I am his mom and of course I'm going to say stuff like that all the time but seriously he really is! He's fast approaching the six month mark but for now we'll just say he's 5 1/2 months old. I can't believe it actually. In a blink he's grown so much. Just the other day he learned how to roll over the other way. You see, he's been able to roll over from back to tummy for awhile now. Since he was 3 1/2 months. But, Papa YS was teaching our lil sprout how to roll back to his back. Well, then the next day he totally did it all on his own! Now, we have to be ready for him learning to crawl soon. ACK!!!!!! Because I've just been ...

I was in the process of writing a new post...long over due when I saw this video and just had to share. BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!!

Here is a story about a couple who was given the wrong embryo and their decision to carry the baby to full-term and then give the baby to the biological parents. I can't even imagine how difficult this must've been for them but soon the other couple will be blessed because of their selfless decision. Absolutely incredible. Read on if you wish (or watch the video embedded in the article).

Have you ever thought, "hey, wish I could get some raw vegan gourmet food but don't have the time to make it" or "I don't have the equipment"? Or maybe you've never had raw food before and there's no restaurant to sample at. Well, I know of a place online where you can order up to a week's worth of food (breakfast, lunch and dinner, also dessert and snacks)! Check out Pure Market Express . It's a family run business out of Minnesota who are dedicated to a raw vegan lifestyle and thought about making it easier for others to be raw and to stay raw by preparing weekly meals and shipping them out (US only). I haven't yet tried this as they just opened for business but I'm helping spread the word (feel free to do the same). I'm also interested in hearing from you if you do try this.

I recently did a review on some coconut milk I found at Whole Foods that I need to update (it can also be found at PCC if you're in the Seattle area). My original review was based on the vanilla coconut milk only; they have original and unsweetened that I had yet to sample. The vanilla I will continue to say is AWESOME! I love that stuff. It's great mixed with chocolate almond milk too. YUM! Anyway, it's obvious that the vanilla flavored one is very popular as a couple of times they've ran out so I decided to try original. I didn't care for it at all - bleh. It tasted funky, like chemicals or something, possibly from the added vitamins and whatnot??? Maybe I just got a bad one. I have no idea other than it wasn't very tasty. I'm not brave enough to try it again to see if it was just simply a bad one and I don't plan on trying the unsweetened because what if it's funky too? I'll stick with the vanilla one. I went to buy a carton yesterday but ...

I'm slowly getting around to updating my blog so you'll be seeing changes over the next whenever...I can't set deadlines for myself on things like this these days so they'll happen when they happen. :) One thing you'll notice - for you commenters - is I've added disqus . I'll be updating my blogroll and such as some blogs and links are going nowhere. That's not good. For now, disqus is as far as I go. Back to my baby. :)

I am a firm believer/supporter that the United States should guarantee paid family leave (newborn, adoptions, ill family member, etc). I mean come on already! Can you believe we are listed as one of the worst countries when it comes to supporting working parents?! In fact we rank among Liberia, Swaziland, and Papua New Guinea that have zero paid maternity leave. When I was pregnant I kept hearing about how this country or that country had great policies in place for pregnant women and/or families (some up to a year or more! Although, not certain that whole time was paid). Sure, we are "granted" 12 weeks but it's unpaid . I had to use my vacation for my time off - and depending on your employer's personal time policy may not be as much as you'd like. Sheesh. Having a newborn isn't a vacation but it is fun! :) Anyway, here's an article I'd like to pass along that shares this same view. What do you think?

Today we ventured out to our local farmer's market to check out the goodies. We didn't have anything specific to pick up but since cherries are in season we picked up a few pounds. YUM! I heart fresh picked cherries ! I'm sitting here gobbling down Rainier and Skeena varieties. You can read up on the various NW varieties here . Sorry no pics from me - my camera is AWOL at the moment. So then it got me wondering: what's so great about cherries besides their yumminess? Here's a sample: A growing body of science reveals tart cherries, enjoyed as either dried, frozen cherries or cherry juice, have among the highest levels of disease-fighting antioxidants, when compared to other fruits. They also contain other important nutrients such as beta carotene (19 times more than blueberries or strawberries) vitamin C, potassium, magnesium, iron, fiber and folate. Emerging evidence links cherries to many important health benefits – from helping to ease the pain of arthritis and g...

Spring has sprung and now summer is well upon us. Ah spring. A time for change, new directions, cleaning and re-evaluating. I missed out on spring somewhat because I was busy with other things . ;) I'm at a point now where I'm ready to make some changes that had changed during pregnancy -- if that made sense. While I was pregnant, I ate a fair amount of cooked while still eating some raw foods. Now I'm starting to feel that I'm ready to get back in the game (helps that YS2 is sleeping more at night -- three nights in a row it's been 6 or more hours at a time -- Yeehaw!). The raw game that is. I plan on easing back into it as I'm still nursing but with the help of Yardsnacker , I'm having more fresh juices, raw fruits/veggies and those yummy green smoothies. Along with that change, I'm trying to exercise, get out in the fresh air more. This seems to bode very well with YS2. He comes home all tuckered out and sleeps really well through the nights we've...

What? You mean this isn't about YS2??? ha ha! My review of Caleb is that he is top notch! But seriously this is about something else. As you know life for us is a little crazy these days with a newborn so Sam does more of the grocery shopping than I do. We sometimes take turns. But on one of his trips to Whole Foods he came home with a carton of coconut milk (vanilla) by Turtle Mountain/Purely Decadent . Hmmm...wasn't sure about this. He poured me a glass to sample and mama mia! was this yummy!! It's about the same price as a carton of organic cow milk (I think - haven't bought that stuff in a long time so don't quote me) and way tastier! They also have yogurt made with coconut milk. I highly recommend the vanilla and pina colada flavors. :) Their "ice cream" is pretty tasty too...especially if it involves peanut butter. Okay, not really raw but tasty nonetheless. It's just great to see that there are more alternatives becoming available - just wish...

Wow! Having a baby sure keeps one busy! I keep meaning to blog but life has been keeping me biz-hey! I manage some quick comments here and there via cellphone for twitter and facebook but dedicating much more than a few minutes at a time is rather challenging. I feel lucky at the moment (wink). To update you quickly on Caleb he is an absolute joy! He gets more beautiful everyday and he's so smart. I know, I sound like every other mom/dad going on and on about their babies but now I can relate to those parents. As of yesterday, he is FIVE WEEKS OLD! To keep this post short until I can write more, here are some recent pics: I can't seem to fix that one that's sideways...sorry. I do want to point out that yes, he really does smile. He smiles a lot! He's been smiling for about three weeks but it took awhile for us to capture it on camera. He laughs but only in his sleep. :) I love this boy! PS - Thanks DebbieDoesRaw for coining the nickname YS2. I don't reme...

Can't we all just get along? So I'm sitting here with Caleb as he's sleeping and was just reading some random news when I read about a funny commercial. Check it out: Maybe I was just bored. :)

Two weeks ago this day I gave birth to our son, Caleb (here's a pic from when he was a few days old). It wasn't easy getting him here but thankfully Caleb and I are doing great. I am forever grateful to my husband, Yardsnacker , for his love and support - I just wish it wasn't so hellacious on him. Also, thanks to him for donating blood and encouraging others to follow suit. Usually, I'm one who's donating blood - I've never been on the receiving end of those donations before. If you can, donate donate donate! If you didn't see the announcement/stats on Sam's blog here they are: Caleb born Sunday, May 3rd at 6:09 AM, weighed 7 lbs 5 oz and measured 21.5 inches long. And yes, he was born with strawberry blond hair. Everyone is giving me looks wondering how this could be but I'm tellin ya, Sam is the father! LOL! We don't need to go on the Jerry Springer show. Both of our mothers have reddish hair so we ended up passing all of our recessive genes ...

Today, April 22nd is EARTH DAY! I'm not the most green person but I'm trying! What are you doing to help Earth be a better place? For us, we are starting to compost. My hubby, Yardsnacker , is gardening away this season without my help :( and has created his own composting bin. It begins at home of course. Saving our organic scraps then adding them to the pile at the garden, which he turns over frequently. It's looking great I must say! And all those wormies are happy! It's full of life actually and not just with the worms. I ran across an article exposing not-so-green products currently on store shelves; products that claim to be green and earth-conscious but have been found to be the opposite. Of course, there's more out there than what's been addressed in this article. One of the culprits in this article though is Sephora. For those of us who wear makeup (I admit I LOVE makeup - love all things girlie in that sense) there's a website that that's very...

With Susan Boyle that is - I'll admit it but can you blame me? Don't worry I'm not about to turn into some crazed fan you hear about on the news (although, hubby thinks otherwise - lol!) but I'm just so blown away by her gift that I must share. So I'll try not to make every post about her but today that's just not gonna happen. I should make a category just for her. There's another song that's been released of hers. One she sang for charity 10 years ago. This video is of her recording and not her performing it. But who cares! It's all about her amazing voice. Here's a related article . Why this woman hasn't been discovered before now is a mystery but that's okay. Not sure I would've heard of her if she had been discovered sooner and didn't show up on Britain's talent show.

If you've seen the video I posted yesterday or seen it posted elsewhere because it seems to be posted E.V.E.R.Y.W.H.E.R.E. from facebook to twitter to major news sites then you know who Susan Boyle is and the sensation she has become. I love her. I do. I hope all her dreams come true! But anyway, I was reading an article on her today that shared a little bit more on her. From that article: Boyle, a volunteer church worker, still has a long way to go on the show, but she’s become an overnight media darling in Great Britain. Since her debut, viewers and readers have learned that she’s from the little village of Blackburn in western Scotland, where local kids sometimes called her names and laughed at her because of her appearance and the fact that she lives alone with a cat. A local newspaper reported that Boyle is the youngest of nine children and attended Edinburgh Acting School nearly 20 years ago, but left to care for her ailing mother, who died two years ago. Friesen reported t...

I first saw this video this morning. Apparently, I'm behind everyone else since this video has been viewed nearly 3.3 million times. I've watched it several times now and have bawled each time. Of course, that could be partly my pregnancy. ;) I cry over anything. But seriously, this is worth watching...or hearing at the very least. If you have 7+ minutes to spare please click here . This woman is incredible and I want her to be my friend, including her cat Pebbles.

In relation to my previous post with a link to an article about toxic baby formula, there was a comment left by Chris, Bitt 's husband, who reminded me that not every parent/mother has a choice to breastfeed their child/children. Some children are adopted (I'm one of them!) or there are health issues/medications, or work that prevents a mother from being able to breastfeed. Are there alternatives out there? Yes, but not many that I could easily find. If you want a healthy formula that's not animal or soy based I found you're better off making a formula of your own. However, I remembered one of our Vita-mix contestants has a business creating formula that's dairy-free, soy-free, vegan, raw, organic, healthy, and etc. Duh! I should've thought of this before! Anyway, her business is called Empress Organics . Check it out! If you know of other healthy alternatives or have recipes to share please feel free. It would be great to get the word out as much as possi...

I don't have plans or intentions to feed my baby powdered formula but reading this article today definitely seals the deal! Is nothing safe around here anymore? Sheesh!

So hubby and I are taking a 6-week natural birthing course and can't believe we only have one class left. I highly recommend this type of class to anyone who gets pregnant, even if you plan on a hospital birth. Very helpful to say the least. Anyway, last week we had to prepare my labor bag. You know the one to take with you when "this is it!" :) One thing we still need to work on to include in that bag are compilation CDs/MP3s. Music I'd like playing in my room to help create the type of environment I'd like to have while in labor and/or after delivery. Our teacher suggested you may want different genres because what you like now you might not like while in labor. I can only imagine! This morning on the way to work, we heard the perfect labor song. LOL! Listen to the lyrics and you'll understand. Besides, this guy is awesome! Makes me wonder where have I been?! I have to confess, that when I first heard this song I thought it was Gnarls Barkley singing (cool...

First off, happy anniversary to ME! My lil ol' blog has passed the one year mark. Well, it was last week on the 26th (oopsie!) but that's alright. It's been an interesting year. I began blogging with some apprehension because writing isn't typically how I express myself, although, I used to faithfully keep a journal (hand cramps!) as a teenager. With some inspiration and encouragement from my husband and sister I decided to venture into the blogging world. Or is it venturing into the dark side? ha ha! Hmmm... A lot of growth over the year. I've learned more about health, food and myself. I mean, hubby and I started gardening and I admit I actually enjoy it. My health improved, I lost weight and gained many friends. Oh, and I got pregnant too! Talk about growth....and so much for the weight I lost previously. Ha ha! At least, now I know what to do to get healthy and stay healthy whereas before, I just talked about how I wanted to get healthy but didn't know how o...

Our winner of the Vita-Mix 5200 , Andie in the Raw, posted an update on her brand new blender! So I invite you to watch her video. It's darling (well, she's darling to boot) and there's a recipe involved too.  Enjoy!

I have another product review to share with you. This time by Oh Nuts ! I tried their raw organic walnuts . I don't particularly like walnuts by themselves but I knew the almonds were definitely pasteurized and cashews are so tricky, plus we already had some at home. I also thought walnuts would be a good selection to try since hubby likes them in his salads and I like them when they're pulverized and used in something such as taco "meat." Hmm, maybe I'll share the recipe with you...later though. :) When we received them, they were fresh and tasty but one of hubby's first thoughts were they were cooked. Meaning they weren't truly raw. I actually don't know for sure. I've asked the company if all their raw nuts are pasteurized but didn't hear back in time for this post. I would assume yes, they're all pasteurized - just note that I am guessing. I do know, as they have confirmed, that the almonds are but that's pretty much a standard all ...

Whoa, two blog posts in two days from me?! I've gone cuckoo I tell ya! :) It's Valentine's Day (well, tomorrow), which means chocolate . Mmmm...good stuff. Now, most of us are aware of the many health benefits it has. Antioxidants, magnesium, potassium and so on, so here's a little video talking about this very thing. You know what I say? Go find some RAW chocolate. The doc in the video mentions for the most health benefits look for chocolate that's the least processed. Hmm, that means raw cacao doesn't it? She doesn't say that but I do. Okay, for some of us it's a little harder to find (and a little more expensive) than say your standard Twix bar but if you can, find some and splurge for the holiday! There are options out there however, I'm a big fan of Gnosis Chocolate (I highly recommend my fave, the Cool Peppermint ). Raw cacao, including raw chocolate bars, is the way to go. With the raw "candy bars" you get the most health benefit...

Woo hoo! I recently received the Kreativ Blogger Award from my blog buddy, Amanda . Thanks Amanda!!! You know how to make a girl feel special. :) I'm quite late in responding to this award but it turns out to be very timely with Valentine's Day coming up because the fun part of this award is I share with you 7 things that I love, and then I nominate 7 others for this award. So without further adieu, here are 7 things I love: 1) My husband, Sam - his love, support, and humor get me through many days (tough or not). He's taught me so much and I love that he's my best friend and companion. He's also dreamy. ;) 2) My unborn son - wow! It's amazing how much love there is for someone I've never met! I can't wait to meet him. 3) My sister, Lori - She means the world to me and I'm forever grateful she's my sister. She's the best! I'm also proud of the fact I finally get to make her an aunt. :) 4) My family/friends - I have wonderful family, nea...

I 'm terribly sorry for the long delay! I know you're anxiously awaiting the outcome of our Vita-Mix giveaway. The time is here! To watch the announcement of both winners (can't forget the Artisana Coconut Butter prize) click here . I have to say this was a very very tough decision to make. In our eyes, all those who submitted videos for the contest were worthy of the grand prize. No doubt about it. Thank you all who participated - believe me, I know how hard it is to get in front of the camera! The videos we watched were inspiring, creative, and honest and all of you had great ideas and intentions as to how this will benefit you and your family's lives. See? All deserving, which made this so difficult but alas, we only had one Vita-Mix to giveaway. The winning entry: Thank you again to all who participated. Keep checking back here because you never know when another contest should pop up! :)

Wow! Have you seen the Vita-Mix Giveaway contest videos?! You haven't? Check them out here , under video responses. This is one tough competition! No lie. We will be announcing the winners of the Vita-Mix and the Artisana Coconut Butter very soon so be on the lookout!

Just reminding you dear readers that in 4 days...that's February 5th, the Vitamix 5200 giveaway ends at midnight PST! So there's still time to submit a video. I know some of you may be a little camera shy but here's your chance to be creative! For my review of the Vitamix and all the contest rules, click here or to go directly to Yardsnacker's video, click here . Good luck to everyone!

Before I get into this review I must gripe about something. My computer is broken AGAIN! Yes, it is. Apparently, it's the motherboard causing the problems not my hardrive. Grr. So I don't know when I'll have my own computer again but thankfully, Sam's got his I can use. I just don't like using other people's stuff especially the computer because sometimes I like to spend a lot of time on it. hee hee! Okay, that's out of the way now on to my product review. What's the product I'm reviewing you ask? Well, I'm going to give you my review of the Vita-Mix 5200 ! We currently have the 5000 model but had been eyeing this upgraded version when we first saw it. I was so happy to get my grubby little paws on this. Don't get me wrong, we loved our first Vita-Mix (I think it loved us back) but when we started using the 5200, wow. What a difference (we've had the cheap blenders before and they just don't cut it). First the lid. It's so much e...