This and That

It's been only a couple weeks since I snipped the mint down to its roots and re-potted it – separately so it wouldn't kill my flowers in the same basket. And it's already broken the surface (pictured above)!

I'm so happy I didn't kill it. I know mint is hard to kill, but I really thought I might in the process of moving it. Success!

On the other hand, I've failed miserably at my efforts to meditate every day. I might have set my sights too high. I meditated twice in the last week, so if I can just get myself to do it more, I'll mark it a success.

Just Breathe.

As my friends and family well know – I can become stressed out easily. Stressors include a sink full of dirty dishes, my phone constantly flashing at me, a full inbox, a long to-do list, etc.

I love my cats, and as much as they can help relieve my stress, they also can cause some of it – knocking things over, getting into the trash, attacking on me when I'm trying to eat.

Getting myself to relax and not think about everything I need to do is difficult, but necessary.

I used to meditate more frequently, and it's something I intend to take up again. There's something about sitting there, focusing on your breathing and simply being.

Of course, when I try to clear my mind, I'm flooded with thoughts of things I need to do, memories, and other randoms. Never know what's going to come to me.

I meditated for a short time this morning and was actually able to get past most of my thoughts and let go. But meditation – I believe – is something that takes practices.

So this is me stating publicly my intent to meditate every day for the next week and see where I am then.

Organic Fruits and Veggies on a Budget

This morning I was watching "The Doctors" on ABC, and they were discussing organic fruits and veggies – when to pay the extra for organic.

I try to buy organic when I can, but being on a limited budget, I can't always justify it.

Turns out, some non-organic fruits and veggies have been found to contain more traces of pesticides and others.

According to The Doctors, it's more important to buy the following items (dubbed "The Dirty Dozen") organic because they usually have thinner skin and are harder to wash:

• Celery
• Peaches
• Strawberries
• Apples
• Blueberries
• Nectarines
• Bell Peppers
• Spinach
• Kale
• Cherries
• Potatoes
• Grapes

 And because it's still important to get plenty of fruits and veggies in our diets, if we can't buy everything organic, the following items (named "The Clean Fifteen") are generally less tainted due to a thicker skin:

• Onions
• Avocados
• Sweet Corn
• Pineapples
• Mangos
• Sweet Peas
• Asparagus
• Honeydew Melons
• Cabbage
• Eggplants
• Cantaloupes
• Watermelons
• Grapefruits
• Sweet Potatoes
• Kiwis

I thought that this info was pretty interesting. Though unfortunately for me, most of the produce I buy fits into the first category.

Source: The Doctors, ABC 

Herb Garden

For my birthday in May, Matt gave me a flower planter with flowers, ivy and mint in it. I'd been meaning to add some more herbs to the collection and really get my balcony garden going.

Today, I took advantage of the holiday by hopping over to Trader Joe's and picking up some basil and oregano to add.

All the pots came from my parents' garage – they were sitting around collecting cobwebs.

Since May, the mint had strangled the ivy. I didn't want it to get to the flowers too, so today I re-potted it. Hopefully it'll grow back quickly so we can continue to use it. (Great for use in Pimm's!)

We chose basil and oregano since we can see ourselves using them in cooking. I'm also looking into trying to grow spinach since we eat a lot of it – so growing our own would actually save a lot of money.

As soon as I acquire more potting soil and get the new herbs re-potted, I'll have a solid start on my little garden! :)

P.S. We decided on Maggie for the kitten's name!