NoHippyChick

Guilty Clip of the Day

2010-12-18T10:43:00.000-06:00

Camping Trip: Prepared for everything.... except man

2010-10-11T12:39:00.000-05:00

This weekend was a 4 day weekend for us so we decided to go on our first camping adventure as a family. We have used a tent before (to stay at a retreat) but we basically just used it for sleeping so I don't really count it as camping. We found out that just 20 minutes from us there is a state park in Iowa called Lake Manawa State Park and you can camp right on the lake. Awesome! Off we went! It

No Impact Man

2010-09-22T14:15:00.001-05:00

How on earth have I never heard of this guy before!? I just watched the documentary about this family and geez-louise- I am the wife!! She cracks me up- in fact- husband and I have had the exact same argument that the Beavans had about coffee. I laughed out loud- it was like verbatim- hilarious. Also- he totally copied me =) Check out his website- it's got a lot of great information and watch

The lazy vegetarian: Tamale Pie

2010-08-16T13:13:00.001-05:00

This recipe is super easy and can easily be doubled making it a great potluck dish. I love those veggie crumbles because they always fool meat eaters when they are in a casserole (or "hotdish" if you're Minnesotan) or stew. I've also made this with 2 cans of black beans and eliminated the crumbles for a 'less-processed' version and it was delicious too. Again, for my Minnesotan friends, this has

Homemade Natural Deoderant Video

2010-08-07T07:08:00.001-05:00

So here it is! My first "how to be a hippy" video... very exciting! Below you will find the recipes I used. Please let me know what you think, maybe I'll get some more videos up (here is the direct link if the video is not working above.) Don't worry- I'm new but I'll get the hang of this! Pit Goo: 1 part cornstarch 1 part baking soda 1 part coconut oil A few drops of your favorite essential

Fancy Pants

2010-07-19T12:51:00.001-05:00

I recently bought the book Handmade Beginnings: 24 Sewing Projects to Welcome Baby by Anna Marie Horner and I can't say enough about how much I love it! Such cute, simple projects and Anna Marie has introduced me to the world of quilting which is helping (sorta, not really...) with eating up my ever-growing stash of fabric. I made a pair of the quick change trousers for my bug and her BBF (best

High School Reunion

2010-07-13T17:51:00.001-05:00

My high school ten year reunion is this year and time for some reflection on where my life is and where I wanted it to be. wow. Who knew that I would end up so incredibly happy with my life now when... ...I live in Omaha. Nothing against the midwest but during high school in California, I don't think I could have even pointed Nebraska out on a map. ...I'm a stay-at-home-mom. Yeah- I wanted to be

Knitting

2010-06-02T09:09:00.004-05:00

Hippy chicks knit. They just do. All of my hippy heroes knit (check out Amanda Soule's amazing blog at www.soulemama.com. I want to be her when I grow up!) I should knit. Oh- but I really, really suck at knitting. Erg. I just don't have the craft stamina for knitting. It takes dedication, and patience. My crafting style is more like "I-need-it-quick-so-I-can-show-off-what-I-just-made" which is

The lazy vegetarian: Indian night

2010-04-09T08:00:00.001-05:00

Megan's Lazy Aloo Gobi with Pumpkin Pie Spiced Rice I never met a spice mix I didn't like. Curry purists will tell you that you should make your own mix but I just buy a big container of premixed curry and use it liberally. A mix may contain cumin, coriander, turmeric, pepper, Ginger, coriander and/or cardamom. If you like one of these spices more than the other (I can't get enough cinnamon in

The lazy vegetarian

2010-04-08T18:22:00.001-05:00

I am the laziest person when it comes to cooking. If the recipe has more than 5 ingredients or more than 3 steps, I lose interest pretty fast. I also hate when a recipe calls for some ingredient that you are only going to use once for this one dish or worse when a recipe calls for a cup of something that comes in a can. Triple erg. That's why I love Sandra Lee. She always uses a can of this or a

Airstreaming

2010-04-07T11:04:00.000-05:00

So this is going to be a weird post... Husband and I have been batting around the idea of living full-time in an RV for awhile now. It started off as kind of a joke- we just thought the idea of getting rid of all of our furniture and living like nomads for awhile just sounded really awesome and fun. I mean- how great would it be to just take off on friday and go somewhere awesome every weekend.

I am a winner!

2010-03-31T19:25:00.000-05:00

This is so funny and random but I had to post about it as I don't think I've ever won anything before but I entered a contest that one of my favorite baby clothes stores had on facebook (My Baby Rocks) and I won a super cool organic onesie for my favorite bug! Super day! Also, it has been in the 70s here for the past few days and I am loving life! Also, I'm thinking of getting a chicken.

yeah, it's been awhile...

2010-03-31T08:45:00.000-05:00

I feel like half my posts are me apologizing for being gone for so long. You would hate to live in my head- it is a guilty, guilty place and it is turning this lovely blog into a guilty place so from now on no more pressure but just writing whenever I can. yay!! Now onto the guilt for my swiffer wet jet... I went to the WalMart the other day (don't look at me like that- we don't have a febric

Hippy Church Day

2010-03-28T18:37:00.001-05:00

Headed to church to ask forgiveness for buying a swiffer wet jet. I love that swiffer wet jet. Shame on me.

A Tale of Two Viruses

2010-01-31T19:39:00.000-06:00

erg and double erg!! I haven't been able to get online for the last few weeks because we got a terrible virus on our computer which I attempted to fix with all of my techie prowess (which equals none) and ended up erasing too much from the computer. Anyhoodle- we ended up having to get a new computer. Erg. But the happy ending to this story is that I should be back to our regularly scheduled

Plastic is evil

2010-01-08T08:45:00.000-06:00

I'm totally convinced after seeing this episode of The Colbert Report. Captain Moore found a floating island of trash that is twice the size of Texas just floating in the Pacific. Erg. Check it out: The Colbert Report Mon - Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Charles Moore www.colbertnation.com Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Economy Yikes! It makes me so sad that we have been so

Book Review: Sewing Green

2010-01-07T08:41:00.000-06:00

I was at the book store last month and had to have this book Sewing Green: 25 Projects Made with Repurposed & Organic Materials. I have been on a serious sewing kick because of this book. Most of what is in this book is common sense; buying material at thrift stores, repurposing things you would be throwing out, etc. But there are some great projects in here like making an apron out of a man's

God, I love ziplocs!

2010-01-05T08:31:00.000-06:00

Yes, this is a post about the majesty of ziploc bags. They are magical and lovely and I've decided that they are way too convenient to pass on. I made this realization after the last two weeks of the never-ending food parade that has been going on at my house. Erg to holiday hippy weight, but it is soooo cold here that I needed the extra layer of blubber! Seriously, it was -18 degrees here last

Christmas Update

2009-12-30T13:16:00.000-06:00

It has been a busy couple of weeks here at hippy headquarters and I am sure it has been busy for you as well. Just a few more days and we will be back to our regularly scheduled hippy programming. In the meantime I just wanted to pop in and say Happy Holidays and Happy New Year! (Or is that Hippy Holidays and Hippy New Year?? Hmm?? Is it? Wow... maybe my gift to you guys this next year will be no

UPDATE: Handmade Xmas Gifts

2009-12-14T22:20:00.002-06:00

Wow! You hippies are sooo creative! There were some great suggestions and I am going to be stealing these and claiming them as my own ideas to be sure... Here's a sample of the awesomeness: Hippy Lola suggests "You could take a bunch of jars and fill them with the dry ingredients for cookies, then tie a patch of fabric around the top and include instructions. Voila! instant cookie mix." Hippy

Handmade XMas Gifts

2009-12-10T09:06:00.001-06:00

This year, the family and I are trying a new thing: making each other Christmas gifts. It seemed like a great idea at the time (take the focus off of shopping for the holidays and put it back where it belongs) but now I am rethinking this idea. I should have started like January of last year making gifts as I think I will be lucky to finish one before December 24. Eeek! Maybe everyone will just

Back from Colorado

2009-12-01T21:00:00.002-06:00

So good to be back! Our trip went so well and the bug did so good on the car ride. Our family is being really supportive of our new-found hippy-hood. Woot! They did think that the knitted plastic bag bag was a little weird (more on that later) but they were nice enough to not make fun (they are so polite =). And they even let me spread potato peelings in their yard. Awesome. Also, I would like to

Happy T-Day Hippies!

2009-11-24T08:05:00.001-06:00

The fam and I are heading to Colorado to spend the week with Grandma. Yay for car trips! We will be back to our regularly scheduled super bloggy program next week. In the meantime let your hippy out and enjoy some well deserved tryptophan related activities (a.k.a. napping).

Way to go Air Force!

2009-11-20T09:55:00.001-06:00

So, I was on base the other day visiting my husband's office and look what I happened upon: Cardboard, plastics, cans-- Oh my! Apparently, they have one of these recycle stations on each floor. Air Force... your hippy is showing.

Chili Cook-Off Update

2009-11-19T21:49:00.001-06:00

I totally forgot to tell you what happened at the chili cook-off!! ....Yeah, I didn't win. Boo. But- good news! No one knew that my chili was veggie and it was super delicious. Yay! Also, husband named it "Very Exciting, Good, and Noteworthy" Chili. Get it? V.E.G.A.N. Chili? ....Yeah, no one else got it either. Oh, and the guy that won made a brisket and then added chili to it. Being veggie

Really, this has nothing to do with anything....

2009-11-18T02:45:00.001-06:00

...But have you ever had one of those days? It's currently 2:30 am and I'm awake, have just cleaned the kitchen and my dog has an ear infection (which was the original "awakening"). I can already tell that today is going to be rough, but I soldier on hippies! Silver lining= I have cleaned the kitchen and therefore can spend my day napping. Sweet! Can I tell you that it is crafting week here at my

Diaper Pail Madness

2009-11-17T10:53:00.000-06:00

Check out this super sweet diaper pail I made. This would be a good way to repurpose a trash can (or just jazz one up). Unfortunately, I had to buy the pail but ended up saving some cash by decorating it myself. First I made a pail liner out of some water resistant fabric. Then I used stencils and spray paint (for plastic, it is best to use paint suited for plastic like Krylon Fusion, it's a

Back to Veggieville

2009-11-13T07:12:00.000-06:00

Here's the story about my yo-yo vegetarian diet... it's very exciting so dust off the edge of your seat and here we go!Both husband and I used to be vegetarians because while he was in law school, he was challenged by one of his professors (a vegetarian) to read an article by Alastair Norcross called "Puppies, Pigs, And People: Eating Meat and Marginal Cases". (To read the article in full, click

Chili Cook-Off Update

2009-11-12T17:49:00.003-06:00

Tomorrow is the much anticipated chili cook-off and husband's response to last night's vegan chili first try? "Eh... it's good for vegan." Great. There goes my hopes for an award winning veggie chili. I really want to prove to these carnivores that vegan chili can be so good you won't even miss the meat! I can do it! right team?So, tonight's 2nd attempt will include this recipe for "The Best

Nature: Veteran's Edition

2009-11-11T17:30:00.006-06:00

Have you hugged a veteran today? No? I can wait... seriously, you still have time and I'll be here when you get back.Done? Sweet... let's carry on...Today husband had off from work so we spent the day in true hippy fashion: eating lunch at this incredible veggie place called McFoster's Natural Kind Cafe. (Yeah, I'm back to the vegetarian stuff... more on that later) It was so yummy. Then we went

Repurpose: Men's socks

2009-11-10T07:52:00.000-06:00

I always keep a bin of socks that have either lost their mate or are too holey/dirty whatnot. I usually use these for random cleaning jobs around the house but hippy friend Neva had another suggestion: Baby legwarmers!So of course I had to try it and this is what I came up with:They work great and look so cute. I just cut off the foot and attached some rick rack to the top and bottom and they

The diapers have arrived!

2009-11-09T09:40:00.004-06:00

And look how good I am already! Ok, so it's going to take a little practice but you can see where I'm going. I wish someone would have told me how easy these are. Honestly, we've been using them all weekend and except for having to do an extra load of laundry everyday they aren't any more work than disposable. Yay me! We got a kind of sampler pack that we can return after 21 days so we have a few

Awww... Nature!

2009-11-06T08:15:00.001-06:00

Isn't nature great! After leaving Minnesota I was afraid that trees would be in short supply but turns out, no, that is incorrect. There are trees in Nebraska! You just have to pay to go see them (sort of a joke). Super hippy friends... introducing Fontenelle Forest! My tree escape!Plus, they have a ton of fun things for the kiddos... like look at this sweet tree house!

Yay for Super Sweet Secondhand Stores!

2009-11-05T19:05:00.003-06:00

I love that being an earth saver is usually good for your wallet. There is this fabulous store here called Big Wheels 2 Butterflys. They sell used kids clothes but everything is really nice there. I mean, you don't have to check it for spots or tears, they are pretty picky. So I got the bug some winter stuff: 4 pairs of pants, 6 onesies, a pair of overalls and a sleep-n-play all for $18!! Yay!

Mornings at My House

2009-11-04T09:05:00.005-06:00

I hate mornings, like I really hate mornings. I would sleep until noon if I could and now that the little bug is here, she likes to wake up early... not to mention waking up for her midnight "snacks". It's hard to be mad at her though I mean, I get to wake up to this:Pretty darn cute right, and yes... her hair most always looks like that.So today was recycling day and I've been wondering how are

Diapers

2009-11-03T11:34:00.004-06:00

So my little bug has been in disposable diapers for the last 5 months. Yeah, I know... I'm awful and hate the earth. Honestly though, the thought of having a baby was so overwhelming at first that I couldn't even fathom adding more work for myself. But upon more research over the past month or two, I've changed my mind. Turns out, disposable diapers are pretty bad for the environment and account

Kids Are Trashy

2009-11-02T12:10:00.003-06:00

Ok... not literally trashy but the amount of stuff that you have to (or feel like you have to) purchase just for this one little being is incredible. I mean, pacifiers, bottles, cloths, cute baby shoes they are never going to wear but that I can't stop buying, breast pumps, burp cloths... well I think you get the idea. But then, you can't be completely sustainable can you? I mean, I'm not going

NoHippyChick Mama!

2009-11-01T11:27:00.001-06:00

Ok, ok it's been awhile! Let me catch you up on the past year of my life:1. My husband joined the airforce! I know! I am now a military officer's wife. Stepford here I come!2. I had a baby! i know!! Her name is Charlie, she's 5 months old and darn near perfect. I love her absolutely and after the initial shock wore off... I've got another reason to be more hippy-like. Baby!3. Oh! And we got

My First Bus Ride!!

2007-09-02T15:24:00.001-05:00

Yeeeeee!!! I totally took my first bus ride on Friday, to the Minnesota State Fair. And yes, we did take the real bus too, not just the free, fun, bus to the fair. Sam and Matt were good enough to accompany me and we took plenty of photographic evidence. I'll be honest, I was a little nervous, but everyone was very nice. Here is my picture timeline:This is me walking to the bus stop... I've got

10 days!!

2007-08-31T12:01:00.001-05:00

10 days have gone by since I last posted! erg! Matt and I have been moving, moving and more moving, and this afternoon is the last day of our moving plight. Thank the hippy gods! I can't believe how much stuff I had! It felt so good to get rid of a lot of it. Matt and I got rid of almost half our stuff. I can't tell you how much of a relief it is to get rid of stuff you don't use, and only have

Project ideas?

2007-08-10T16:11:00.001-05:00

So, my boss just walked by and told me I need to update my blog today so he can read it this weekend. Oh! And that he wanted to post a hamburger on here but thought my hippy friends would get mad. I said "Hippies don't get mad yo! We are a peaceful people.... that's just how we roll." But then I rethought...I mean I'm not totally a hippy yet right, I can still shank a fool!So, I need some help. I

Moving

2007-08-07T10:17:00.002-05:00

I am the worst hippy ever! I haven't updated my blog forever! Erg.... Anyways, here is my excuse... I'm moving this weekend. I hate moving! It's so final. Also, I find out how much crap I have bought that I never needed. The new hippy in me is appalled!! APPALLED!!! Boxes and boxes of things that I haven't looked at since our last move (2 years ago!!) But it has to be done. Our new place is 6.2

Hippy

2007-08-07T07:43:00.000-05:00

Phew. I was a little worried that my entire blog was built around a misspelled word. BFF Dan told me that hippy actually means someone that has big hips (that would also apply here), but according to the American Heritage Dictionary:hip·pie also hip·py (hĭp'ē) Pronunciation Key n. pl. hip·pies A person who

Plastic Bottle Herb Garden

2007-08-06T14:54:00.000-05:00

I found this great project in this book "ReadyMade: How to Make [Almost] Everything: A Do-It-Yourself Primer" by Shoshana Berger and Grace Hawthorne (also check out their very cool website at readymag.com.) It uses all of those pesky plastic bottles we have and it cost me about $3 to make. I just put a note up at work that said I was collecting bottles and I had enough in less than a week. I

Bus Update

2007-08-05T16:02:00.001-05:00

Erg... I just had to cancel the bus and Fringe Festival trip with Marie and Dan because I have this badass headache. Dang. Hopefully we can reschedule and I'll make sure and update you on our adventures!Oh! Speaking of the Fringe Festival (insert shameless plug here)... you should go see my friends', Ellen and Sam, and the rest of the cast of "Streaming Twin Cities, or I'm an artist what's your

"WE" Culture

2007-08-03T10:23:00.000-05:00

All of Minnesota experienced a horrible loss on Wednesday. The 35W bridge collapse was a staggering tragedy. I know that all of our thoughts and prayers are with the victims and their families.As more and more of the amazing stories are coming out, I can’t help but feel an incredible pride to call myself a Minnesotan. The ordinary people that found themselves in an extraordinary situation and

Worm Evacuation

2007-08-02T09:45:00.000-05:00

Ahhhh!!! I added some new worms to my worm bin last night and when I woke up this morning, I noticed that there were two worms a-wigglin' on my kitchen floor. Weird...but maybe I dropped them and didn't notice. I opened the door to the cabinet under the sink and worms are everywhere! As I opened up the bucket and worms like popped out onto the floor. I'm not exaggerating. It was disgusting. Seems

Taking the Bus

2007-08-01T16:08:00.000-05:00

Hippies take the bus. (They also bike!) As a true hippy chick, I need to start taking the bus. Problem is...I've never ridden the bus in my life.I'm not kidding... I really have never ridden a bus. I've heard that there are lots of bus crazies and weirdos and that it's a generally horrid experience. But my friend Sam does this kind of thing all of the time! And she's really pretty and hasn't

Ode to Air Conditioning

2007-07-31T16:40:00.000-05:00

Oh Air Conditioning!How I love thee,You keep me from meltingand sweatingLo! How I hate sweating!I love youand will never turn you offno matter what that dumb hippyinside my head keeps muttering.I will just push her down deep, deep, down.And continue to bask in the glory that is theAC.

Baby Shower Gift

2007-07-30T16:10:00.000-05:00

I ran into my first ethical dilemma this weekend. It seems that we were invited to a cousin's baby shower, but I didn't get the invitation until the day before. Oh great! I can either buy the baby something used, (pretty sure mom would hate that!) Or try to make something on the fly. I thought to myself “I am a very crafty individual; I have a degree in art for goodness sakes! I can totally do

Tomatoes!

2007-07-27T16:01:00.000-05:00

Yea! The tomato plants T-Gro put in while she was here have beared fruit! errr. vegetables... what are tomatoes anyway? Anyhoo... here's some pics!!

Worm Bucket

2007-07-26T15:35:00.000-05:00

I read on the internet about how 5-10% of our household waste is kitchen waste that could be composted. I found some really great internet articles about composting, and my mom sent me some information about how she composts but I have two problems: 1) We have a really small backyard, and this could lead to some potential irritation with the neighbors as composts have a distinct (I don’t

Veggie Tales a.k.a. Meatless Sorrow

2007-07-22T15:04:00.000-05:00

God! I miss meat! I actually had a bacon daydream today when I was driving. I don't even like bacon. I was really imagining myself frying up some deliciously crispy bacon and then eating piece after piece for like dinner. Now that I'm writing it, I'm kind of getting grossed out... but at the time... man alive... I can only think of what the guy stopped next to me at the light was thinking. Maybe

The Rules

2007-07-21T14:15:00.001-05:00

#1 Buy nothing except things you absolutely need to survive which would include: food, water and shelter. This includes: no fast food, no new clothes, etc. Exceptions: Materials may be purchased for DIY projects. Example: If I really need a new skirt, I’m allowed to purchase the material to make my self one. This has two benefits: 1) I will only take the time to make something if

No Hippy Chick

2007-07-20T14:11:00.000-05:00

I am so not a Hippy Chick! I don’t recycle, I buy lots of crap I don’t need. I love meat, and don’t care about the animals. I drive everywhere, even to the grocery store which is 3 blocks from my house. I kick puppies for fun, ok I don’t really do that last part, but I might as well have… I’m selfish, materialistic, and incredibly vain and I’m sick of it! I refuse to believe that because