Thursday, September 10, 2015

Chickens.

There are countless reasons why adding chickens to your life are beneficial. Despite how gorgeous this girl is seen here, eggs, fertilizer and reconnecting with the human spirit are all bonuses. This is one of the latest additions to our family.

Monday, August 31, 2015

The Medicinal Mushroom: Ophiocordyceps sinensis

Strange looking I know, but according to  ancient Chinese and Tibetan literature,  this fungus inflamed caterpillar has been known as a cure all for centuries. I was introduced to it while enjoying an evening of hors d'oeuvres and champagne. Imagine that beautiful backdrop and then out comes the caterpillar fungus. With claims to improve energy, appetite,  stamina, endurance and sleeping patterns, cordyceps sinensis is highly valued by Eastern practitioners. I was intrigued to find out more.

What you are actually looking at is fungus that have parasitized ghost moth larvae and produced a fruiting body from the head. It is not produced commercially and found only in certain regions of the Tibetan Plateau and the Himalayas,  making its ownership a bit of a status symbol amongst herbalists.

Unfortunately, this precious herb is now on the endangered list as overharvesting and exploitation have dwindled the numbers. People are catching on to its natural uses and demanding more of it.  To the West, it is known as the medicinal mushroom and used for many medical purposes as well, including the treatment of some forms of cancer.

I was up close and personal with the cordyceps and however true the claims may or may not be about it, there's definitely something magical about going on there.

Saturday, August 22, 2015

Coming 2015: Star Wars Theme Park


Disney just announced that they will be opening a Star Wars Launch Bay attraction at their Hollywood Studios and Disneyland, California theme parks. Star Wars: The Force Awakens will open in 2015.

Click here for more photos of the planned park and may The Force be with you.

Sunday, August 9, 2015

From The Homeschool Archives

While doing a cabinet clean out, I came across this angelic little gem from the homeschool archives. It's old school writing practice. The children would tell me whatever sentence they wanted to write. I'd give them a perfect mother example to follow, and off they'd go copying the text numerous times. This one chose to write about angels because he is one...most of the time.

Labels

#giveback (4) #happynewyear (1) #shopsmart (2) 1795 (1) 2014 (1) A Life in Frocks (1) accessories (2) act 2 (1) action carts (1) activities (2) actors (2) advice (1) affirmation (1) Africa (1) AIA (1) aide (1) Air New Zealand (1) airports (1) Albert Einstein (1) Ali Harper (1) Alice in wonderland (1) all natural remedy (2) all-natural (2) ancestors (1) angels (1) animals (3) annual (1) apple. ios 7 (1) archaeology (1) architecture (2) art (14) artists (1) arts (1) asia (1) awareness (1) Azature (1) babies (1) back to school (1) balance (1) battery farms (1) beach (2) beach life (1) Beach to Bay (1) beautiful (2) beauty (5) bedrooms (1) Bees (1) benefits (2) Beverly Hills Manners (1) big family (1) big mushrooms (1) bikes (1) blue penguin (1) book (1) books (6) books. reading (1) boutique (1) Brooklyn Botanic Garden (1) buddha (1) bugs (1) buildings (1) bumper stickers (1) busy life (1) busy mom (2) butterfly (3) calaveras (1) calm for kids (1) capsules (1) cat (1) cathy de la cruz (1) celebrate (1) celebration (2) celebrities (1) celebrity (1) cell phones (1) chanel (1) change (1) charity (5) charity:water (1) chickens (1) children (28) children's relief (1) Christchurch (17) Christchurch city council (1) Christmas (3) Christmas 2011 (1) Christmas in the Park (1) city life (1) clarisonic (1) cleaning (1) climate change (1) clinical pediatrics (1) clothes (2) clouds (1) clutter (1) CNN (3) collectibles (1) compassion (1) Conde Nast (1) conservation (3) cool (2) cost (1) Cotton On Kids (1) crafts (4) creative (1) creativity (2) culture (2) cute (2) cyclone Pam (1) dads (1) daily walk (1) Darth Vader and Son (1) date night (2) dead battery (1) decor (1) decoration (2) decorations (1) desert (1) design (1) dessert (1) disaster relief (1) disney (1) display (2) Distinctive Assets (1) diy (1) doctors without borders (1) dogs (2) donations (1) drama (1) dreams (1) Duchess of Cambridge (1) earth (2) earthquake (1) easter (3) easy (1) eating out (1) eco friendly (3) eco store (1) ecological (1) ecology (1) ecoluxury (1) education (2) eggs (2) EIU (1) elephants (1) emmy's 2013 (1) energy (2) enviornment (1) essential oil (1) etiquette (1) events (2) exercise (3) exhibition (1) extenstions (1) fall (2) families (3) family (46) family life (10) family time (5) family tips (1) fashion week (1) father's day (1) feathers (1) Festa (1) fighters (1) fire (1) fire. (1) fitness (2) flies (1) flower (1) flowers (11) foliage (1) food (4) FOUND My Animal (1) francine wheeler (1) fresh flowers (1) friends (1) friendship (2) From Saks to Salvation (1) full moon (1) fun (10) fungi (1) fungus (1) funny (2) gaiam (1) gallery (1) game of thrones (1) games (1) garden (1) gardeners (1) gardening (3) gardens (3) gerberas (1) germaphobe (1) germs (1) ghandi (1) gift (1) gifts (4) glitter (1) go carts (1) Golden Globes (1) goodie bag (1) graffiti (1) great quotes (4) green living (1) grooming (1) growing (1) gun laws (1) Guy Sebastian (1) Hagley Park (1) hair (1) Hanmer Springs (1) Happy New Year (1) Harlequin Players (1) hats (1) healing (1) health (6) healthy (4) Her Majesty Queen Rania of Jordan (1) herbs (1) heritage (1) hipster (1) history (2) holiday (3) holiday travel (1) hollywood (1) Holocaust (1) home (2) home school (1) homeschool (4) household (1) housing (1) Huffington Post (1) human nature (1) ice cream (1) ideas (3) images (1) imagination (3) Imagine Youth Theatre (1) insects (1) inspiration (6) Instagram (7) international (1) j.d. salinger (1) jack (1) Japanese (1) Jeanette Walls (1) Jeffrey Brown (1) jenny packham (1) kailo chic (1) Kate Middleton (2) Kelly Doust (1) kids (40) KidsFest (2) kiehl's (1) learning (2) leaves (1) Lego (1) legos (1) Lena Carpenter (1) lessons (1) life (11) life quote (2) lifestyle (2) lillies (1) lily (1) lin yutang (1) lisa gache (1) literacy (1) literature (1) little boy reacts (1) liveability survey (1) lizards (1) Los Angeles Holocaust Memorial (1) love (6) lucky (1) lunch (1) lunches (2) Luxcity (1) luxury (3) magazine (1) magic (1) magic grow (1) manicure (1) manners (1) maple syrup (1) Martha Stewart (1) mason jars (1) mediate (1) Melissa and Doug (1) memoir (1) mess (1) messy (1) mexican (1) Mexican art (1) mindfood (1) Ministry of Awesome (1) models (1) moms (11) monarchs (1) moon (1) More FM (1) morning (2) morning walk (1) most expensive nail polish (1) mother nature (9) mothers (3) movie (1) movie stars (1) moving (1) Mozart (1) mums (2) mushrooms (1) music (4) music appreciation (1) nars (1) National geographic (2) natural (1) natural disaster (1) nature (14) nepal (1) nerds (1) new year (2) New York City (1) New Zealand (18) Nikon (1) no flex zone (1) noaa (1) nobel prize (1) nominees (1) note writing (1) nutcracker (1) nye (1) nz (1) nziff (1) o'shaughnessy (1) Obama (1) october 20th (1) official portrait (1) opera (2) Oprah (1) ornithologist (1) oscars (1) otoño (1) outdoors (9) oxfam Australia (1) paint (1) paper scraps (1) Parenting (1) parents (3) party (2) patrick modiano (1) Paul Emsley (1) Paul Revere (1) peace (1) pedicure (1) people (1) peppermint oil (1) perception (1) performance (1) periodicals (1) pets (2) photo shoot (2) photo shoot. real life (1) photographs (3) photography (28) photos (3) pictures (1) pinterest (3) pizza (1) planet (3) planting (2) plants (3) play (2) playing (2) poem (1) polyvore (1) pools (1) portfolio models (1) portraits (1) positive (1) praying mantis (1) preservation (1) Pritzer Prize (1) production (1) projects (2) protea (1) protection (2) purple (1) puzzles (1) quality time (1) quote (1) quotes (5) Rachel Young (1) railroad (1) rainbow (1) rainbow paper (1) rainbows (1) reaction (1) read (1) reading (5) reading time (1) real life (35) recycle (2) red cross (1) reduce (1) relationships (1) relaxation (4) relief (1) relocation (1) rescue (1) resolution (1) reuse (2) rides (1) Robert Clark (1) rockets (1) rocky (1) rooms (1) roses (1) routine (1) Running (1) sad truth (1) safety (3) sale (1) Sam Adams (1) Savory Salvations (1) school (1) science (2) science project (1) seasonal (1) Seattle King Street Station (1) self care (1) Self Magazine (1) shadows of shoah (1) shells (1) Shigeru Ban (1) shop (1) shop smart (1) shopping (14) sidewalks (1) silly (1) silver fern (1) simple (2) simplicity (1) skin cancer (1) skinnies (1) skulls (1) sky (1) small farm (1) smart (1) smart people (1) smart phones (2) smocks (1) Snow White (1) soap play (1) sombrero (1) sons (1) spa (1) sponges (1) spray paint (1) spring (3) spring clean (1) star wars (1) storing (1) street art (1) stress (3) study (1) style (6) styling (2) succulent (1) summer (2) sun (2) sun smart (1) Sunflower (1) sunglasses (1) surf life saving (1) sustainability (1) sustainable sponges (1) swimming (1) table manners (1) talking (1) teaching (1) technology (1) The Breeze Walking Festival (1) the court Theatre (1) the flock (1) The Glass Castle (1) The Ode (1) The Press (1) The Sandwich Swap (1) The Valkyrie (1) theme park (1) things to do (1) thoughts (1) timaru (1) time capsule (1) tips (6) toilet paper rolls (1) top one percent (1) toys (4) traditions (2) trains (1) transformations (1) travel (1) Twitter (1) tyrion lannister (1) umbrella (1) United States (1) uv rays (2) values (2) Vanuatu (1) vintage (1) Violin (1) virtual age (1) visit (1) Vogue Australia (1) walking (2) water (1) we are the music makers (1) wellness (1) white (2) whole living (1) wildlife conservation society (1) Willowbank Wildlife Reserve (1) wind (1) winter (1) wisdom (1) wives (1) women (2) wood (1) work (1) workout (1) world (1) writing (1) Yes To Carrots (1) yoga (2) youth theater (1) Zoe Zadokierski (1)