The Weekend Send-Off

August 20th, 2011 - filed under: Furthermore » Feedback



Oi there! Oh hello weekend, so nice to see you here already! You bring on your wings such blissful things, sweet treats and treasures, the stuff of dreams. Wound up for play or retired for rest, going nowhere with no cares except to live best.

I’m feeling especially amorous this week, are you? Let’s list!

~~~

Le Love List


1. VIDA VEGAN CON!    Oh sweet jesus, I am over the moon and beyond excited for next weekend’s first ever vegan blogging conference right here in Portland Oregon. Hundreds of vegan bloggers from all over the world, converging in one place, descending upon a single city, gathered in a central hub of amazing food and techno geekiness. Cruelty-free, sort-of-socially-awkward, food-enthusiast writer-brainy-types?! OH MY PEOPLE!

So yes, suffice to say I am all abuzz. Can’t stop the squee. Also, very very nervous about the panel I’m sitting on (vegan parenting) because public speaking is, oh, just my NUMBER ONE BIGGEST FEAR of all time. But, *deep breath*, I can do it.

It’s gonna be so rad.


2. Self Love.    By which I mean, giving myself what I really need. By which I mean, learning how to chill the fuck out. Taking the pressure off. Easing up on the gas. Lightening the intensity. It pretty much goes agains every fiber of my being, but at some point I have to say, “Why bother caring so much about diet, focusing so much passion on “health” and nutrition, if you’re just going to keep yourself wound so tight, always at the crystalline edge of exhaustion, adrenal fatigued and running full throttle, likely to die before 50 because of some stress-induced illness?” Stress sucks. I’m tired of living with it.

I’m changing my life.

relaxing . . .



3. Raw Food Classes with Rad-Tastic World-Famous Raw Chefs!    This morning I had the pleasure of attending a class taught by Mr. “The Raw Chef” himself, Russel James, along with one of his former students and local raw expert, Teri Vlaskamp. We learned how to temper chocolate, we demo-ed raw sous vide (!!), we made fermented nut cheese and hazelnut ice cream and holy hell, a soft, springy, spongy, AMAZING raw garlic bread. Like, loaf of bread. A-MAZING.

It was so much fun, and Russell was charming and down-to-earth and a blast to learn from. I love raw classes because they always leave me so inspired. Hello?! Sous vide! Totally DIY-hacking that one . . .

Also loved that Russell used a bunch of Coconut Secret products, very timely right after I posted my review. Obviously I love the line, and it was great to see how he was utilizing some of the items.

If you’re at all interested in raw foods, I *highly* *highly* suggest you look into classes in your area. It’s such a great way to get a little exposure, gain access to a professional to answer all your questions, and of course, eat some truly amazing, inspiring food. Thanks Russell and Teri!

Oh! Also, I just so happened to sit right next to a Bonzai reader! YAY! Hi Michelle, sorry I had to run without saying goodbye, but it was so great to meet you. Welcome to p-town!

~~~

Alright guys, now it’s your turn – tell me what you’re loving this week!


My darlings, this happy little post will stay at the top of the page all weekend, so stop by any time to leave your Love List, ask a question, or offer some feedback! Or if you’re new, please introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’! This is your community, so get involved!

I hope your weekend is just as amorous and inspired as it can possibly be!

  • Kate Anderson

    This wouldn’t make my love list this week, but it definitely has in the past. EFT – the Emotional Freedom Technique – has certainly helped me unwind, feel better, let go of things that do not serve me, etc. It’s amazing for me, maybe it will work for your #2.

    1. The Bonzai Book Club. I have been DYING to talk about this book since I read it, and I’m thrilled that we can talk about it here. I especially love talking with other geeky, concerned folk who have the same ‘challenged’ views as I do (WHAT DO YOU MEAN ORGANIC ISN’T ORGANIC?!?!…among others, as you know). I really appreciate the outlet, and look forward to what is coming next.

    2. A clean house. I haven’t had enough time to clean my own house in YEARS thanks to school, over exerting myself, and life in general. I feel proud to call my own house clean. Silly, but SO fucking true.

    3. The single life. This is the first time I’ve ever had the time to appreciate it, and oh, how I appreciate it.

  • Moiramia

    Sayward – chilling the fuck out is RIGHT! I’ve been there and often still go there. But I’m definitely on the journey to finding the level of stress that keeps me productive and does not make me go temporarily insane (or sick to my stomach). I think I’m getting close! Goodluck to you on your journey :)

    Love list:
    1. hubs and i bought tix on a whim today to go to Peru for an October wedding (hopefully we can make the sidetrip to Machu Picchu!) YES!
    2. found great home furnishings on Craigslist… loooove that list. and we’re finally feeling at home.
    3. restaurant week in DC. i finally made it to Zaytinya for some delicious Greek food. um yum!

  • Anonymous

    Amen sistas on the ‘chill the fuck out’! It is my goal to find that balance also. I thought you summarized my feelings exactly. Thanks Kate, I will be looking into the EFT. AND, it was GREAT to meet you today, so fun! We had amazing food, great seats, and cool peeps.

    1. Getting spoiled by this warm, sunny, blue-skied Portland weather, the entire time – since we moved here.

    2. Eating delicious raw food and meeting new people at the RJ event today.

    3. Starting hill sprints/jogs/crawls up our new local hill. It is rejuvenating me in a strange “I feel tired” sort of way. :D

  • http://peasqueues.wordpress.com/ The Lady

    1. Summer winding down. Four month university summers are too long for my taste. I’m totally ready to hit the books again, learn more about history, and do a whole lot of fingerpainting in Art Education!

    2. My kitty cat. He’s the cutiest patootiest in the whole wide world. Even though his manners are not up to snuff whatsoever.

    3. The fact that I picked up a $7.99 dollar bottle of wine. We don’t have a Trader Joe’s here in Canada and the taxes on alcohol are substantially more than in the States, so this is a Bar-Goon. And I am a Bar-Goon.

    But the RAW garlic bread definetly intrigues me. Sandy and Danny’s friends would say “Tell me more, Tell me more.”

  • http://peasqueues.wordpress.com/ The Lady

    You will LOVE Peru and the Sacred Valley. I went there nearly six years now and built a preschool in the mountains and it definitely changed my life. If you can, splurge for the day-long Inca Trail hike. The perceived torture your body will go through hiking the 3 foot high handmade-by-the-3.5-foot-tall-Inca stairs will make the scene at the end ethereal.

  • http://spabettie.com Kristina @ spabettie

    today we loved that it was our first 90 degree day in Portland!! :) the rare time of year we are happy we DO have a pool.

    I am also So Freakin Excited about VVC… and it may seem strange as a mom to only a dachshund, I REALLY want to sit in on your talk, because its two of my favorite mamas, you and Sarah! :) it’s going to be an amazing and fun weekend for sure.

  • http://spabettie.com Kristina @ spabettie

    today we loved that it was our first 90 degree day in Portland!! :) the rare time of year we are happy we DO have a pool.

    I am also So Freakin Excited about VVC… and it may seem strange as a mom to only a dachshund, I REALLY want to sit in on your talk, because its two of my favorite mamas, you and Sarah! :) it’s going to be an amazing and fun weekend for sure.

  • Sonja Gaedicke

    At first I must admit that I’m a bit jealous about you guys in the US because of your vegan blogger conference and raw food classes. In Germany raw food is still not such a big topic… I don’t know why. You don’t find raw restaurants or classes and it’s hard to find any raw products in the supermarket. But now I’ll stop ranting because there are lots of things I’m grateful for this week:
    1. sunshine
    2. veggie-BBQ
    3. organic selfmade yeast free and vegan bread
    4. organic vegan coconut pancakes for breakfast
    5. organic almond and tonka spread (sooo good!!)
    6. cycling through the city on sunny day
    7. seeing my friends and family again after 3 months
    8. thai tea
    9. old-fashioned dates with my boyfriend
    10. seeing the avett brothers live

  • http://www.growingraw.com GrowingRaw

    Sayward, I hope that your public speaking adventure is enjoyable and empowering. No reason it shouldn’t be, you’ve so much valuable stuff to share. I’m sure your audience will appreciate you.

  • Kate Anderson

    GET IT! I hope it’s equally amazing for you!

  • Kate Anderson

    GET IT! I hope it’s equally amazing for you!

  • Minna Toots

    1. going to a “humane green festival” at a friend’s countryside with interesting people, yoga, workshops and [freegan] vegan food!
    2. the end of summer and going back to uni in a week :)
    3. that I found courage to take information technology as bi-subject…. to finally release the nerd within!

    … good luck with the public speech, Sayward! This is going to be much smaller but at this festival I’m going to have a workshop and speak about veganism. The key is to stay calm… and persuasive :D

    Happy-happy weekend!

  • Rebecca

    1. Nettle infusion (er…more like a tea…except it isn’t a tea..well, you know what I mean)! FINALLY got around to trying this and, I must tell you, I was QUITE frightened when I saw the color as I feared it would taste like it’s similarly-hued spirulina (sorry—spirulina is one of the only foods in the world, other than black licorice, that I literally cannot stomach). *LUCKILY* it had this delicious flavor that I cannot fully describe. Yum! So much more refreshing than a boring glass of plain water. I just had it and am waiting for the superpower effects to kick in! ha ha

    2. “Take Me Home Tonight”–yes, the Eddie Money song is great..but, surprisingly, so is the movie! I rented it on a whim, assuming it would be a disappointment (I tend to like bad movies though). However, it was rad! (and not in the “I like bad movies kind of a way”). Endearing, funny, a wee-smidge of gross humor, and left me with a bit of warming nostalgia…(Think “Can’t Hardly Wait” but a bit fresher).

    3. Stopping looking for work (does that even make sense grammatically?!?!). Looking for work hasn’t panned out too well so I think I will take a break and see what comes. (Don’t worry..I am making some money..but just enough to cover rent and not much else).

    4. Clearing out files on my computer! MAN..do I have a lot of crap on here! No wonder the poor thing is running at a snail’s pace.

  • tara

    I totally get you on the house thing. Mine goes through superlong, eonlike phases of messiness and clutter and dustballs-under-every-piece-of-furnitureness but then when it DOES get clean, it’s oh so nice =)

  • http://jenthevegan.wordpress.com/ Jen

    Vegan bloggers conference!? How awesome does that sound!! So jealous of you over there in the US. But I did go to the London Vegan Festival today, that was pretty kick ass! :)

  • cheli

    1. celebrated my boys’ birthdays, finally. it rained. ah well. it was sweet and fun
    2. having my whole frikin family here. sisters from 2 countries adn parents in from yet another. glad to all be bunched up once more
    3. i made cheese cake. non raw, non vegan, full of sugar cheesecake. i feel like a grown woman now (cheesecake is my mom’s thing)
    4. the rain. gentel, cool, madrid summer rain
    5. my boobs. twenty days of painful cracked nipples after, and still nursing. painful pride.

  • Kathryn B

    1. Celebrating my 27th birthday with family and friends.

    2. Spending time at the fair with my husband, boys, brother-in-law, and sister-in-law.

    3. Dinner at my papa’s house.

    Talk about a great way to spend a weekend!

  • Kathryn B

    I don’t want to let you go ’till you see the light.

  • Natalia

    1. My work has started cooking big pots of oatmeal and leaving out great condiments for the morning crew so I dont have to worry about breakfast anymore! Oatmeal + dried fruit + nuts= happy tummy! (now if only they offered alt milk in addition to the dairy swill in the cafeteria I’d be in heaven!)

    2. My daily vegan- like choices (not full vegan [yet] but def on the way!) have started to get friends and family asking and talking. I’ve found living happily by my beliefs and setting an example is much more effective than trying to cram said beliefs down the throats of others! Feels good that my carnivorous bro is asking me about veg food and practices :)

    3. Hummus!! Hummus as sandwich spread, hummus as salad topping, hummus with crackers, hummus with veggies, hummus on bread, hummus straight from the container, sharing hummus with friends, trying the different varieties of store bought hummus, making my own hummus. <3

    4. Finally got the church and pastor booked for my wedding next year! Yay!! <3

  • Natalia

    i’m there with you my house has not been clean in FOREVER!!! My busy schedule and messy roommates are to blame. Looking forward to completely overhauling once messy roommate #1 moves out.

  • Moiramia

    I cannot wait! We are planning on doing the two-day hike on the Inca Trail. I really wish I had time for the four-day hike, but we’re on a fairly tight schedule with the wedding festivities. Where is the preschool that you built? If I can swing by, I’ll take pictures of the school for you!

  • http://lovesveggies.blogspot.com/ Lindsay

    good luck speaking Sayward! You will be fabulous I’m sure of it! Can’t wait to hear all about the conference.

  • http://lovesveggies.blogspot.com/ Lindsay

    good luck speaking Sayward! You will be fabulous I’m sure of it! Can’t wait to hear all about the conference.

  • http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}

    Oh, I’m so excited for you to be speaking at VVC! It feels like only yesterday that I was telling you about it and encouraging you to put your name in as a panelist! Wish I could be there, but I look forward to your VVC report.

    Love:

    1. Raw okra seeds. I refuse to fry the stuff (although it is sogoodsogoodsogood), but my neighbor’s daughter turned me on to eating the seeds. Yum.

    2. It’s time to do another major planting on our itty-bitty farm, and I’m having so much fun designing our autumn/winter beds and sorting out seeds! I’ve even enlisted Nina’s help this year, and she’s having a blast being a part of the decision-making.

    3. I had a HUGE time management-breakfast lightbulb moment on Saturday while getting ready for my training run. Every morning I like to have my four precious ounces of coffee *and* a green smoothie, but lately I haven’t had time to drink both before I leave for work/working out. In a mad rush to get Nina out the door on time to meet our running group, I combined my coffee and my breakfast smoothie, and voila! (In case that sounds totally gross, my green smoothies lately have had a banana, pinch of raw cacao and some nut butter in them, so it just tastes like a mocha smoothie. With a really cool green tint.)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    I meant to put the BBC! Dang, I totally intended to do that. Oh well, next week. But yes, I am having such a good time – thanks to awesome people like you. =)

    I’ve tried EFT very briefly in the past, long long ago. Maybe I’ll give it another go. Thanks for the tip!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Yeah, great to meet you and to enjoy amazing, health-giving food together!

    I feel like moving can be stressful (hopefully not too bad for you this time) but it can also provide a really perfect, really concrete “new beginning”. So, I hope that you will be able to take your new life in p-town, and find that sweet spot of balance, and chill the fuck out here, ha! =D

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Wish I could tell you more, but it was a brand new recipe and I’m sworn to secrecy. Sorry Zuko! =(

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Kristina I can’t wait to finally meet you!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thank you so much. =)

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thanks for the luck Minna!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    Thanks Lindsay!

  • http://bonzaiaphrodite.com/ Sayward Rebhal

    You were the first one who told me about VVC! Awww!

    Also I’ve been wanting to try a coffee green smoothie for ages (oh how the raw foodies will gasp, haha!) but haven’t done it yet. Now I’m even MORE curious!

  • http://windycityvegan.wordpress.com Monika {windycityvegan}

    Yes, hurray for the BBC!

Subscribe to my RSS feed Follow me on twitter Find me on Facebook Find me on Pinterest