Solar Tube Sun Tea--Alternative Energy--Hell Yeah!

Hey guys!

Remember that cool solar thermal water heater I showed you?  If not, you can watch that video here.  Then check out my current video:

Today I'm showing you the sun tea I made in one of the solar tubes!  You can pretty much cook whatever you want in these tubes--they become a solar-powered oven that gets up to 300-400 degrees.  My boyfriend, Owen, takes them out on the boat while fishing and fills them up with hot dogs, chicken or veggies so that he has a hot meal when he starts getting hungry.  These are perfect for camping or RV life too!  Once you cook your food in any kind of solar oven, you realize that sun-cooked food is oh-so-much-better than food cooked in a conventional oven.  Soooooo much better!  If you don't have a solar tube, you can always email me to get your own or you can make a solar oven out of a cardboard box, tin foil, and saran wrap.  Search youtube for videos, because there are a ton out there!

Run Like a Kid, Not an Athlete

Have you ever watched your kids or dogs run?  They look so carefree and happy, like they are simply enjoying the speed and movement, and the sensation of wind rushing across their faces.  Have you also noticed that they aren't timing themselves or tracking their distance?  That would take the fun out of it.

A few weeks ago, I started running....um, jogging.  Ok, ok, more like jog-walking.  Never before in my life had jogging felt so good.  It had always hurt.  This time I paid special attention to my breathing, which made the experience so much more enjoyable.  Proper breathing made jogging feel like a moving meditation, where I could clear my mind and enjoy the trees swooshing past me.  I timed myself and tracked my distance.  I jog-walked a 13:48 minute mile for my very first time ever.  Not bad, but I definitely expect more of myself.  So for the next week or so, I set out to the same park with my Gymboss timer and pedometer, beating myself by a few seconds each time.

10 Ways to Live a Free Life

I've had a couple of people say to me now, "You just seem so free.  I'm jealous."  It got me thinking.  I AM free.  I have my bad days like anyone else, but I live a very carefree, joyful life.  There was a time when it was the opposite.  I was miserable and weighed down.  So, I've been asking myself, how did I get here?  This is how:

1. Free your mind. My mind used to be a repeating loop of negativity, worry, anxiety, planning, poor self-talk, fearfulness, analyzing, ruminating, and excessive dwelling.  It took time and consistent effort to break the loop.  It took self-awareness and educating myself.  After many years of hard work to break away from my conditioning, and after many years of yoga and meditation, I can happily say that I have become fully aware of my ego.  

My Mom's Patio Garden

A love of gardening runs in my family.  I inherited my green thumb from my mom and she inherited hers from her mom.  Last week, my mom sent me these photos of her patio garden in Germany.  She has a beautiful little patio that is private, sunny, and lush with plants.  Across the way is a yard full of chickens and rabbits.  I love soaking up the sounds and listening to the neighbors speak German, trying to figure out what they are saying to one another. I hope you enjoy some of her pictures. :)

I want to see your gardens too, so post them on my facebook, twitter, or email me at liveitupfit@gmail.com. <3

Her tomatoes

Tomatoes

Grow Your Own Food Year Round in a Grow Tent

Do you love the taste of tomatoes picked fresh off the vine?  How about the taste of ripe, sun-warmed strawberries?  Or the delicate texture of fresh-picked zucchini flowers that are so rare to find in grocery stores?  

Gardening is a daily adventure.  Everyday, you'll find a new bud or fruit growing on the plant you've painstakingly cared for.  It is a joyful experience.  It is peaceful.  

Gardening has the power to calm the mind and connect you to the earth.  New meaning is brought to your meal when you've cared for the food you're about to eat.  You become more mindful of your food.  Eating becomes a sensual experience as your senses become more aware of the texture, fragrance, and the explosive flavors.  Fruits and vegetables that are fresh off the vine taste immeasurably better than their counterparts at the grocery store.

Isn't it a shame that we only get to experience these pleasures once a year?

Falling Back into Bad Habits and Finding Success in Adjustment

 "Failure finds success in adjustment."--Unknown

The quote above is one I keep close on my path to any goal.  If I am not finding success in a project or goal I'm working on, it can be easy to think the whole thing is going to flop and I should throw in the towel.  That was my old way of thinking.  These days, I remember this quote and the mentor who gifted it to me.

How to Save 70% on Your Power Bill with Affordable Solar Technology

Hi guys!

I am so excited to bring you today's video!  In this video I'm showing you how you can cut 70% of your energy costs and potentially live completely energy independent with this simple and affordable solar technology!  This technology rocked my world when it was introduced to me.

Living It Up with Our Fishing Poles!

Hi everyone,

I just wanted to check in from fishing with my man in Gig Harbor!  It was a gorgeous day and I just had to share the view with you.  We even reeled in a few salmon, but released them since they were just a bit too small to keep.  I may not have caught my dinner, but any day you're catching is a great day. :)

Btw, I want to hear from my fishermen and women out there.  Who are you? Where are you from? What are you catching?  And I want pictures!  Post them to my facebook or twitter.

Hope you're living it up today:),
Mon

Fill Your Life with Music That Feeds Your Soul and Makes You Happy

Enjoy :)

How to Treat Fungal Diseases in Your Garden & Garden Check In

My zucchini :)

Hi everyone!

It has been a month since I planted my super simple container veggie garden, so I want to bring you an update and show you how everything is doing!  Check out last month's video so you can see the progress for yourself!  Then check out the current video:

Vegan Recipe: Spicy Mexi Salad

This has been my go-to salad for the last week and I think you're going to love it.  I made one for my boyfriend the other day, he stopped, looked at his plate, looked back up at me and said, "Babe, you make being healthy so much fun!"  I would have to agree. ;)  If you don't enjoy it, why do it?

Ingredients

Heaping portion of spring mix salad greens

1-2 cups cooked quinoa

1 bell pepper (yellow, orange and red are my faves), chopped

Small handful of all-natural tortilla chips, crumbled

Salsa, as much as you want as a dressing

Shredded cheese, optional

Don't stop here.  Get creative.  How about some black beans, nuts, meat (if you're not vegetarian like I am), carrots, tomatoes, celery, cucumbers...the possibilities are endless.

How To

Add each ingredient to your plate, in the order listed.

Enjoy. :)

Just Listen

Just listen.  Love this song.  

"The Thing About It"

by Sweatshop Union

Change Your Language and Change Your Life

I'm a reformed Negative Nelly.  My life used to be full of pain, struggle and suffering (& consequently, anger), and I didn't understand how bad things could keep happening to me when I was a good person.  It wasn't until I learned how our thoughts, and more specifically the words we use, directly affect the quality of our life.  I used to think this was woo-woo nonsense until I gave it a shot and started seeing dramatic changes in my life.  DRAMATIC changes.

WHAT YOU FOCUS ON EXPANDS
What are you focusing on right now?  Are you worrying or anxious, thinking about the things in your life that you DON'T want?  Flip it around with this question:

If this is what I DON'T want, then what DO I want?