Homemade chickpea tortilla bowls{vegan}{gf}

Seriously, if you don't have chickpea flour- stop what you are doing right now and go get some. 

They make my life so EASY... Oh, and delicious! 

Oil a frying pan with coconut oil and put on medium/high heat. 

Preheat oven to about 300

Take equal parts flour to water.

I did 1 cup chickpea flour and 1 cup spring water plus about a tablespoon of pink salt. 

Wisk until it's smooth and clump free.

Cook like you would a pancake. 

Flip once bubbled and cook other side.

Let them cool on a plate until they are workable.

Lots of coconut oil helps for easy flipage!

 

Oil the bottom side of a muffin tin.

{my unpaper towel needs sunning!}

Assemble them in between four tins for a bowl, or two for a taco shell.

Bake until they are as crispy as you want them!

Turn broil on for the last few minutes if desired. 

Perfection!!!!

I added refried organic black beans and organic rice with hot sauce. I was in a rush with a crying baby at my legs, but anything could go in there! 

Yum.

Enjoy!!

22months.

Dear Roman,

22 months ago were only a few hours old. You had jet black hair and green blue eyes. You weighed 7 pounds 7 ounces and almost 21 inches long.

I'll never, ever forget the moment I first held you.

You came into this world blue, and silent; your umbilical cord had wrapped it's way around your neck 3 times. 

I didn't even know, I reached for you and they just took you away. 

A few minutes later they brought you over to me. 

Your eyes look right into mine for the longest time. I only blinked when the tears welled up into my eyes too much, I couldn't take my eyes away! 

You wrapped your tiny little hand around my finger and I swear for a second it was only me and you in the whole entire world.

That was the best day of my entire life, with every day following coming in second. 

Life with you is overwhelmingly beautiful.

Fast forward to almost 2 years later!

Man, you are SO smart. 

You are so sweet, gentle, tender, timid and shy. 

You are 100% potty trained.

You sign close to 100 words, and talk almost as much.

"Daddy home"

"Mama keys"

"Football"

Are some of your favorites.

We were at the park the other day feeding the ducks and one quacked really loud. You said "bless you ducky"

You love to dance, sing and play air guitar. You love doing yoga with me.

You love everything with wheels.

Garbage trucks, fire trucks, monster trucks, trains, cars and trucks.

And HELMETS!!! You call them "dada"

You love footballs, soccer balls and basketballs.

Anything superhero is your favorite- superman, Spider-Man, ironman, batman! You love them all. 

 

You've never been a fan of sleeping.

You don't quite sleep through the night yet. You like to sleep in my arms and wake up if I'm not next to you.

You usually sleep about 2 hours at a time.

You are still breastfeeding, with no end in sight.

You are such a mamas boy. You always make sure I'm happy. If I'm sad, you hug me and kiss me and pat my back. 

Some of your favorite foods are : garbanzo beans"da balls",broccoli "trees", bananas, pasta & sauce, grapes, lentils, chickpea nuggets, chickpea tortillas, butternut squash, kale chipsand sweet potatos

You love being outside so much!!!!! You could stay out there all day and night. 

We read probably 50 books or more a day. 

You are what I've always wished and dreamed for you.

You're my dream come true and I cherish all my days with you. 

I love you!

Mama

Mom VS Mom no more

I want to start out saying this, 

I get it.

I do things different than most.

But it's not just for fun, or to be different, it's not that I enjoy being the black sheep. I'm not trying to make a statement or prove you to be an inadequate parent.

I'm not judging you for not feeding your child like mine. I'm not on a self put pedestal. 

honestly? 

Wait for it. . . . . 

I. Don't. Care. 

Really, it's that's simple.

You feed your kid cake for breakfast?

Awesome!

And believe it or not, I don't do things differently to piss you off. Or make you feel like a bad mom, or to try to compete with anyone. 

It's simply because this is something I have chosen to do with my son.

If you want advice I'll gladly give it, but if not, I'll like your picture of your baby eating an Oreo because it's adorable and I know how fun it is to watch your child eat something they find so yummy & really enjoy. 

That's mutual in mommydom.

What moms don't realize is that we have more in common than we think. 

We love our kids and want the best. Instead of dividing a line between moms who do things different; 

Remember: 

The perfect mom who does Pinterest worthy crafts with her toddlers Every. Single. Day. probably cries in the bathroom while little hands reach under the door yelling for her after a hard afternoon, too. 

The mom who has perfect hair, perfect clothes, perfect make up, perfectly matching and well behaved kids at target while you have one eye with mascara, yesterday's foundation and an outfit from three years ago that has your babies breakfast on the sleeve. 

Instead of scoffing, 

Walk by her and say something nice.

Because maybe she's just like you. 

Because maybe this is the first time in years she has felt beautiful.

Because maybe yesterday, she had yesterday's make up on too and was rocking the mom bun while grocery shopping. 

When you pass a new mom with a screaming newborn in her hands, with that look of defeat of her face. Who is fighting back tears while trying to console her baby, 

Hug her. 

Buy her a coffee.

Tell her she's doing great.

Tell her she will sleep again.

Tell her she's a great mom.

Tell her this will pass.

Tell her she's beautiful.

There's that mom who forever is posting pictures of her perfect little life, and family. Don't be so quick to judge her because she may be envying what you have, which you may not even think is worth envying.

She may be quietly going through something unimaginable. 

All moms are working a 24-round the clock-exhausting-amazing-terrifying-humbling-all-time-consuming-job 

Every day. 

Formula moms, breastfeeding moms, working moms, single moms, stay at home moms.

We all have one thing in common. 

Coffee.

Ok, what I really meant is, our heart.

Our hearts lie with our kids, they beat for them. 

Raising kids is the hardest, most amazing job we will ever do.

It's also the most important job.

I think that it's safe to say 99% of mothers who give their soul to what they do, never hear how amazing they are.

Never hear a "thank you" for waking up 34 times with a teething baby at night.

Never hear words of encouragement after trudging through the grocery store while your toddler looses his shit.

Never hear "you are doing great" after a hard day. 

What you might hear instead is  criticism from your partner, 

From your mom.

From your In laws.

Mothering is a thankless job, and after being a mom for almost 2 years, I know how intensely satisfying it is to be a mom. 

But the fact of the matter is, 

You give way more than you get

So for those moms who don't hear it enough; 

{for those boo boo kissing, late night rocking, tickle monster-ing,  keeper of mama milk, peeing in front of a small audience daily, drinking wine in the shower while crying, never ending laundry doing, late night cleaning and early morning waking, impossibly tired, without coffee you might actually die, selfie taking (because this is the first time this month I brushed my hair!!) veggie sneaking,closet chocolate hiding, counter downer of minutes til dad gets home, silly song maker uper, teacher of all things, borderline freakin lunatic moms who love their kids SO much they could explode.}

You are amazing.

You are enough. 

Through your children's eyes you are a super hero. 

You are trying your very best every day. And it is more than enough. 

( You aren't a bad mom, you had a bad day. )

I encourage every mom to try to say something uplifting to another mom as often as possible. 

Your small words of kindness may affect their world in a huge way. 

{remember those moms with the seemingly perfect lives are those usually far from it}

I encourage moms to come together in our differences and celebrate how good we are doing at a job that is the hardest on the planet.

Imagine a world were moms empowered and encouraged each other instead of judging and hating.

 We aren't so different after all.

Instagram  / hippiehails

Reese's {4 ingredients}{vegan}{GF}

I never thought that the perfection of Reese's could ever be duplicated. 

Turns out that 1) Reese's are shit. Have you seen those ingredients?!?! 

Wtf?!?! Gross.

And 2)  they are so easily duplicated while being HEALTHY {can you believe that?} easy, and NO BAKE!!

basically, you can have Reese's breakfast, lunch and dinner. 

Vegan Reese's or Veese's {see what I did there?}

For the peanut butter layer, you'll need:

3/4 cup organic peanut butter

1.5 T organic maple syrup  

2 T organic coconut oil {melted}

Mix all together and into a cupcake mold fill the liners about 1/2 full. This will make about 6 Veese's. Freeze for 15 minutes or long enough to harden.

For the chocolate layer you'll need:

1/4 C cocoa 

1/4 C organic coconut oil

1 T organic maple syrup 

Mix all together thoroughly and top off the peanut butter layer. Freeze for about 15 more minutes and enjoy. 

If you have any left overs keep them refrigerated or frozen.

The most amazingly delicious CHICKPEA NUGGETS{vegan}{gf}

Chickpea nuggets. 

Just the name alone sounds freakin phenomenal right?

I was cruisin' Pinterest and those word spoke to me. Why had I never thought of this before!?!?! The two ingredients were hummus & bread crumbs.

I figured I could put a healthy spin on it. The outcome was two thumbs up from my little boy and my big one! 

Chickpea Nuggets:

 

1 can of organic garbanzo beans 

1 vegan gluten free patty {this part is optional, but makes it so much tastier}

*i use sunshine burgers. Vegan, gluten free and non gmo verified with only a couple ingredients.

Lemon juice

1/2 onion chopped very thinly 

Fresh minced garlic{we are garlic lovers so I usually use 4}

1-4 TBSP of organic chickpea flour. {If you used a veggie patty you can use less of this. It can also be subbed with any type of flour you'd prefer!} just make sure you have enough for the nuggets to form

1/2 cup of less of lentils {I always sprout mine} {this is also optional.}

1 cup organic vegtable broth 

Pink salt. Pepper. Garlic salt.. Which ever seasonings you prefer. 

Put your lentils in a pan with the vegtable broth on medium heat and let cook until most of the broth has been absorbed. 

Meanwhile, have your vegan patty cooking. 

Take your garbanzo beans and use a food processor {I even smash with a fork when I dont want to clean the processor} and get those beans roughly puréed! Add some lemon juice, and season those suckers till they are good. I also use a teaspoon or two of tahini.

After the lentils and burger are cooked and good to go, combine all in a bowl and then add your flour. Stir lightly with your hands. It's good keep the texture. 

Roll Into balls and bake at 350 until they are done to your own perfection. I usually bake them for about 20 minutes because I like mine crispy. 

Healthy, quick & easy and fun! Enjoy! 

Chia lemonade{vegan}{gf}{sugarfree}

I love lemonade. 

I can't find one out there, though, that doesn't have 2 pounds of sugar. I made my own recipe and it turned out delightful! 

Chia seed lemonade 

2-5 organic lemons based on your preference

2 TBSP organic chia seed

2-5 TBSP organic pure maple syrup 

Get a mason jar and fill it almost full of water. Now add the juice of anywhere between 2-5 lemons {remember to squeeze them with the pulp facing the ceiling to avoid seeds dropping in your drink} if you like lemon add more juice and less if you don't. Add a tablespoon or two of chia seeds. Add in the maple syrup by taste. After you found the right amount place the lid on the mason jar and shake. Let it sit for about 20 minutes and then enjoy!

Perfect for a hot day.

Guilty free & HEALTHY

Pumpkin pie chia pudding{vegan}{gf}

If you're like me, making breakfast in the morning equals a frantic toddler grabbing at your legs screaming for breakfast right NOW!!!! Roman goes from content to starving in .5 seconds. 

So I'm all about preparing breakfast the night before. And extra points if it's easy. 

I'm all about easy.

PUMPKINPIECHIASEEDPUDDING

• 1/2 cup pumpkin 

• 3 TBSP chia seeds 

• 1 cup of {your choice of} milk 

• dash of vanilla 

• 1-3 TBSP pure maple syrup 

Any other add-ins to your hearts desire. 

Ginger, cinnamon, allspice are good in this, too. 

 

That's it. Add to a glass container, stir and put in the fridge over night. 

This is a whole house pleaser, and especially toddler friendly.

Cloth diapering 101

 Roman was a newborn when I decided it was time to make the switch into cloth diapers. I hated the thought of putting him a paper diapers filled with chemicals. 

Like a lot of moms who are interested in cloth diapers I was discouraged by the overwhelming amount of information. But I am so glad I decided to make the switch. It was one of the best parenting decisions I've ever made.

Choices of cloth diapers:

All in ones: {aio} pretty self explanatory. These diapers are one piece you can either snap or Velcro together.

Pocket: these diapers are waterproof shells with a pocket that you stuff with your desired insert {inserts below}

*Pocket diapers are one of the most popular kinds on the market*

Fitted: these diapers are usually all in one as well, but they are not waterproof. So a cover is needed to go on top. A lot of the time fitted diapers are made out of natural fibers 

Flats/prefolds: just a plat piece of fabric that you use to fold into a diaper on your baby. You can use a snappi or an old school pin. 

One size: when a diaper says it's OS {one size} that means it had rows of snaps you can adjust to fit a new born to toddler size.

Covers: these are a thin waterproof shell that goes over diapers that are not soak proof. Like flats, prefolds, fitteds and a lot of people put covers on their nighttime diaper for super soakers

Snaps vs Velcro pros & cons

Snaps are good for babies who are older and can undo Velcro.

Velcro is daddy friendly.

Velcro tends to get really worn with washes.

Snaps are hard when your baby is in that stage of refusing diapers changes.

My stash was mostly snaps and the Velcro I did have, I disliked.

Inserts: if you plan to stuff pocket diapers you will have to choose a type. Microfiber is the most common, however, unlike natural fibers, microfiber gets less absorbent with each wash. Natural fibers get more absorbent with each wash. 

{Microfiber 

Hemp 

Charcoal 

Bamboo}

Another thing to consider is your cloth diaper wash routine. Cloth diapers need to be washed in cloth diaper friendly detergent. They need to be free of:

Dyes

Fragrance

Bleach 

Brightners

Fabric softners 

Parabens

Some recommended brands:

All free and clear

Allen's naturally 

Attitude 

Bio-kleen free and clear

Bio vert perfume free 

Bum genius detergent 

Charlie's soap

Country save

Crunchy clean 

Ecos free and clear

Eco max

Mountain green 

Planet

Rockin green 

7th generation gentle care 

Sun and earth 

Eco nuts 

I used Eco nuts & mountain green for my diapers and I never had a problem. Eco nuts can be found at whole foods and mountain green can be found at cloth diapers stores or ordered online. Both are VERY reasonable priced and safe for sensitive skin. 

Are you ready to become a stripper?

Yes. You read that right. You will be stripping.

Diapers.

Every once in a while your diapers need to be stripped{rid of excess detergent that has been piled up over multiple washes}

A lot of people but specialty detergents like RLR but I always just did extra rinses without any detergent 

You will know when it's time to strip when you smell the ammonia after your baby pees in his diaper.

It will be a learning curve to learn how to wash your diapers. They will probably leak, and smell and you will feel defeated but once you find your groove, it's so easy and so worth it.

My wash routine

Roman has extra sensitive skin so I ha to take this into account. Any extra detergent left on the diapers would irritate his skin so I had to rinse more than people usually do.

Rinse 

Wash

Wash 

Rinse

Air dry

Air drying is important because drying in the dryer ages and weakens diapers so much.  When I felt lazy {a lot} I dried on delicate but looking back I wish I wouldn't have.

Accessories

Wetbags: a water proof bag-super important for on the go as well as at home. After a soiled diaper you can throw them directly into a wet bag until wash day. 

If you are exclusively breast feeding you can throw poop right into the wash with out rinsing first. With solids and formula you'll need to rinse off the poop before going into the washer. Don't be scared though! They have "sprayers" to do the dirty work for you. They hook up to your toilet and act as a mini hose to spray all the poop into the toilet without you have to get dirty. After it's rinse, place in the wetbag and your done!

Pee requires no rinsing, those can be put directly into the wetbag/wash.

Now get to the best part, diaper shopping!!!!

And careful, cloth diapers may become addicting. It was a sad day when I packed all mine up. 

Early potty training

I just want to scream it from the rooftops 

ROMAN IS POTTY TRAINED!!! at ONE YEAR OLD! 

A lot of people ask me for tips so here are the deets:

Roman was about 10 months when I bought two pottys, some cool boxer briefs and a potty book. It took about an hour for him to go pee. 

Once he did start peeing in the toilet I would say "potty" and do the sign for it.

{super easy for babies to sign}

It didn't take long at all for him to sign while he was using the restroom.

I started very gradually- putting him on the toilet when I went, before baths, before naps/ bedtime. 

I was so super gentle, and lenient. If he didn't go I said, "good try!" but if he did I got so excited! And so did he! He was so proud of himself. 

"Just like dada!" He would always say. 

A lot of people believe the non factual statement 

"You can't push them- when they show signs, then start potty training. Not sooner."

Sorry.. But that's wrong.

The key to successful potty learning is teaching them before they are dependent on diapers.

Babies are soo much smarter than we will ever know. 

Also, being consistent is big. That was my downfall.

Changing diapers is easier. I was lazy for a few months. 

But when Ro started saying "new one, mama" every time he was soiled, that gave me the push I needed. 

I started letting him pick out a super cool sticker and put it on his portable potty every time he went. And 2 for poop! Sometimes he didn't go, and still wanted a sticker and I let him. It's important to keep positive vibes only or regression can happen.

Going out with a kid in underwear was kind of terrifying, not gonna lie. 

At the glorious target I got a portable toilet seat that can go on top of those disgusting public pottys. I also took his little frog potty with me in the car. I always had him go before we went into a store and before loading back into the car. This was much easier for us, because in a new restroom he got too distracted and pee shy. 

So now, at 21 months, 

Roman is fully potty trained. He wears big boy boxers during naps and bedtimes. We have occasional accidents, of course, which is normal and to be expected. But it was the easiest thing for us and he pretty much trained himself!

All my cloth diapers are packed away anxiously awaiting my second