A Family of Mycophiles?

Mycophiles? Say whaaaaa?

Mushroom lovers, friends. Suddenly, we've got a whole lotta 'shroom hunters out here. 

It all started innocently enough.

My husband, the outdoorsman, has always had an interest in learning about edible plants and fungi. Last year, he purchased a book about hunting, identifying and preparing wild mushrooms—and people, let me tell you...the man is into it.

A handful of morels from this season. DELISH!

At first, I have to admit that I was incredibly unnerved by his new hobby. 

Obviously, any hunter must use utmost caution when identifying wild mushrooms. But my fella is no fool. His research was extensive and thorough, and the more knowledge he absorbed, the more he began to teach our friends and family about safely hunting, collecting, identifying and (when applicable) cooking local 'shrooms.

And I have to say that, during mushroom hunting season, our dinners have been AMAZING!

Just last night, we enjoyed the GIANT morel I found on Mother's Day, stuffed with crab and goat cheese. I'm drooling with the recollection. Completely y-e-s!

My BIG score of the season so far- a 6 1/4 inch tall, 2 1/2 ounce yellow morel 

My favorites so far? Morels, chicken-of-the-woods and hen-of-the-woods have a lovely texture and are so incredibly savory. Can't wait to find some good ones! Will report for sure.

Once I got past the initial fear of the unknown, I found myself really getting into this new hobby. It's important for adults and children alike to learn about their surroundings, to respect the process of thorough research and safety when it comes to making identifications in nature.

My first success this season- a lone black morel

And then there's the total THRILL of finding what you seek...

Such a wonderful excuse to get outside to enjoy the raw fruits of nature.

Morel season is coming to an end out here in eastern PA, but the mushroom hunting is only getting started, friends. You know I'll keep you posted along the way.

What's YOUR favorite kind of edible mushroom?
Happy and safe hunting everyone!

XOXO From My Hearth to Yours- Cally

P.S. Again, obviously NEVER eat any wild mushroom unless you are 100% certain you have properly identified it, that it is cooked and safe for human consumption. 

De-funk-ify: Cleaning Tile Grout

Funny how, whenever I'm about to throw a party, I suddenly notice serious funk that I've been ignoring overlooking for far too long. 

Funky tile grout BEFORE

While going through the motions of my standard sink/toilet/countertop cleaning the other day, I realized that the grout in our downstairs bathroom was looking pretty foul. 

As always, you know me—I got to researching.

We're a modern family, steering away from harsh STANKIN' chemicals, so I was on the hunt for a safe, natural way to take the funk outta that grout.

And I found it. Easy peasy, friends!

My husband always insists that I save all old toothbrushes. His hoarding came in handy here, as I grabbed an old child's toothbrush, a bowl of baking soda and a spray bottle full of a 1/2 & 1/2 white vinegar/water mixture.

Simply wet the toothbrush and disperse baking soda onto grout.

Make a thick paste by combining baking soda and vinegar and scrub into the grout.

Then spray the white vinegar/water mixture onto the baking soda. The mixture will begin to fizz. Use your toothbrush to scrub your bubbly concoction into the grout. 

For stubborn stains, I let the mixture sit for a few minutes and then reactivated with another white vinegar/water spritz before scrubbing again. 

Result? Sparklin' white grout!

I was so impressed with how safe and effective this method was, and would absolutely recommend giving it a try before holding your breath through use of expensive, harsh, noxious cleansers. 

Heyo white grout! AFTER baking soda and white vinegar/water treatment

Try it and report. You're gonna be psyched at the results, and the fizzing reaction makes this process kind of (dare I say) fun!

Here's to spiffing up your grout without the headache of horrendous chemical stenches. 

This method really worked—on the walls, the floor, the backsplash!

Booyah!

Have a wonderful, squeaky clean day, friends...and if you have any other great, safe ideas for household cleansers, send them our way!

XOXO From My Hearth to Yours- Cally

Ride Safer Travel Vest

Hi friends!

Last week, we took 4-year-old Kaira on her first plane ride out to St. Louis. 

Now we're minimalist carry-on-ers, so the idea of hauling Kai's massive car seat in addition to our luggage seemed rather daunting. 

But you know us...

After considerable research, we found the Ride Safer Child Restraint System as an alternative to our standard car seat and decided to give it a go.

Entire contents of Ride Safer Child Restraint System

We ordered the system in advance to ensure that the restraint felt comfortable and secure. 

The Ride Safer travel vest and attachment fit easily into the bag that came with the system. We stored everything inside a backpack to carry onto the plane. No problem at all! The system is incredibly portable and easy to use.

To use, we simply strapped and tightened the vest onto Kaira and placed her in the center position (the safest spot) in the back seat of the car.

Then, we carefully inserted the standard seatbelt through the designated slots on the vest and secured it with the velcro covers.

After extensive research on various boosters and other travel systems, we found that Ride Safer provided the most logical security for our 32-lb. peanut. The system also includes a padded head cushion, which made us feel more secure when considering side impact protection.

The Ride Safer vest was perfectly comfortable for Kaira, wonderfully easy to use during our trip and was an ideal alternative to toting a massive carseat through the airport and onto the plane.

We are very happy with our purchase and will absolutely keep this travel vest on hand to use if we ever need to leave Kaira behind when we take the family vehicle that houses our standard carseats. It's comforting to know that the Ride Safer vest is on hand to keep our kiddo safe in any vehicle.

Our family is no easy sell, but we are incredibly impressed with the security provided by the Ride Safer system.

If you're searching for an alternative to traveling with a standard car seat and have any questions about our experience with this travel vest, we'd be happy to help in any way.

Sending you best wishes for happy travels, friends!
XOXO From My Hearth to Yours- Cally
*This is not a sponsored post. Just writing about a product that worked wonderfully for our family.

Real People Feature: Katie

Who are you?

I am a woman; strong, bold and beautiful. 

I am a lover to my wonderful man, and a mama to Juba, my Rhodesian Ridgeback.  

During my weekdays, I am an acupuncturist, a practitioner at Boulder Community Acupuncture Clinic, where we offer quality health care at an affordable cost.  

Katie and Tim on the summit of Grand Teton, WY

My weekends take me to granite walls or sandstone cracks of the desert, where I get to do the most fun activity in the world, rock climbing.    

What is the best advice you've ever given or received and why?

The best advice I have received is, “Shit or get off the pot."  

It came from a retired Scottish/Catholic monk turned international investment banker who is currently residing in the Bahamas on a boat. Simply put and direct, this advice has helped me make many life decisions. It keeps me moving forward.

The best advice I've given is learned through experience, the good and the bad— have a sense humor.  

Katie in Bhutan

Nothing gets you through the darkest of nights or the lightest of days like humor. It brings every moment back to earth. Humor is grounding. It opens your heart and frees you from the moment. You have to laugh with yourself, your family, your friends, your situation because the present moment is fleeting. Why not enjoy it?  

Laugh hard, laugh loud. Find the light in the moment. It is always there.

What has been the greatest challenge in your life and why?

The greatest challenge in my life was learning the essence of my freedom. I learned this surviving and persevering through three of the most heinous years of my life.

Bhutan

When I was 26, I fell hard for a man and our relationship went south before it ever made it north. The day I met him, I didn’t trust my instincts. I hesitated saying yes to his dinner offer. My intuition was screaming red flags but to no avail; I was wooed. He started out as a perfect gentleman but soon turned manipulative, abusive, and controlling. I was naive and had been struggling for a while “finding myself."  I had just quit my job and started a 3 year graduate program learning the ancient art of Chinese Medicine and found myself in an extremely difficult predicament.

Nine months into our relationship he got in a significant amount of trouble and roped me into the situation. I spent the next two years fighting him, fighting for my freedom, fighting for my rights, fighting for my future as an acupuncturist. I couldn’t breathe, cried every day, was bound to him. 

Castle Valley, UT

I thought things could not get any worse until they did: a dear friend committed suicide, my house was robbed, I lost my car, my finances were drained, I discovered that my ex had been unfaithful and my father (who has since passed) was very sick. The challenges were endless until one day in August, 2010...

After a long hard fight with little resolve, I was driving home with my friend Emma- completely broke and broken. We looked at each other and just started laughing. It was so ridiculous. It was so incredibly unfair. Nothing made sense. But I was finally free. Free from him. Free from lawyers. Free from the unknown. And I never looked back.

Sunset in Bali

Nothing brings perspective to life more than when you lose everything in your fight for freedom. I was face down in the gutter and it took awhile to stand up and crawl out, but I did. I preserved and became an excellent acupuncturist, a bad-ass rock climber, a surfer and world traveler. 

Post graduation, I traveled all over the world. I was fortunate to spend a good amount of time in Bhutan, studying the ancient art of Tibetan medicine and experiencing the many different cultures of Asia. 

Now, my dog is happy and I have met the love of my life. Nothing and no one can shake me. I control my happiness and my life.

Climbing South Platte, CO

What has been the greatest joy in your life and why?

The greatest joy in my life is chocolate chip cookies. They are pretty darn good; but really the greatest joy in my life is my family, my love, Tim, and my dog, Juba. They are the light of my life. 

Juba has been with me since he was 12-weeks-old. Not a day has gone by in nine years that he has not loved generously and shown me how to delight in the simple joys of life. He is truly the most amazing companion.  

Tim is my other greatest joy in life. I dreamt of Tim a month before I met him—he literally is a dream come true, tall and handsome, gracefully fearless, humble, kind, compassionate and the most enthusiastic person I know. He fills my heart and calms my soul. I am grateful for each day I get to spend with this man. 

Our second date was a 5 day climbing trip to Yosemite, the beginning of many adventures far and wide that followed. We live big together, follow our dreams and unconditionally support each other.  

Katie and Tim in Indian Creek, UT

What is one thing you have not done that you really want to do and why?

I really look forward to having a big family, full of happy, healthy children. Motherhood is a the greatest endeavor a woman can experience. I look forward to the blessed opportunity to create life and experience that journey with my love. 

I also really want to learn to fly a plane...because that would be so freakin’ sweet!

Castle Valley, UT

*****

I love Real People Features- learning about others and the events that spark positive change—those that become catalysts for moving forward in a healthy way.

To me, Katie's story is about freedom. While preparing her feature, I've thought so much about her journey. I keep going back to her commentary about laughter, how sometimes when we feel really down and out, a bit of gut-wrenching giggling is just the thing we need to remind us how alive we really are in that moment.

And now I really want to go on an exotic vacation to climb some really BIG rocks as well.  How about you?

Thank you, Katie—for inspiring others to keep their heads up no matter how rocky the road may seem, for reminding us that love and light surround us and that the view from the top is well worth the climb.

Send us a picture of you flying a plane someday soon! We'll send you some congratulatory chocolate chip cookies, girl!

XOXO From My Hearth to Yours- Cally

P.S. If you'd like to participate in a Real People Feature, send me a message at cally@frommyhearthtoyours.com or comment below. We'd love to hear from you.

More than Most

We play that game.

I love you.
I love you more. 
I love you most.

And then, for no reason at all on a sunny afternoon, Kaira looked up at me with her big greenies and said,

"Mommy? I love you more than most."

Suddenly, my heart held so much emotion that I thought it might explode.
There couldn't possibly be more most than this.

Here's to loving without limits.
XOXO From My Hearth to Yours- Cally

Shock vs. Electrocution

We've all said it...

"OW! I just got electrocuted from touching that lightswitch!"

Truth be told?
No. You didn't.
Just the facts, friends.

My jack-of-all-trades fella has straightened out this ole English teacher, for sure.

Turns out, the word electrocution means DEATH by electricity. So if you're able to complain about getting zapped, unless you're a moaning ghost with a message from the great beyond...you've been shocked- not electrocuted.

In the event of an emergency, it's important to describe the situation using accurate terminology—and in order to maintain safety, it's vital to be able to properly interpret the wording of warning signs.

Although every good story probably hides a smidge of embellishment, the next time electricity passes through your body and leaves you to tell the tale, remember that using the wrong word can drastically change the meaning of what has transpired.

Most people can get down with a little added drama in their stories, but the difference between an electrical shock and fatal electrocution is cuh-raise-zee to confuse.

I feel pretty silly having erroneously reported that I've been electrocuted many times. Duh. Don't think so.

Special thanks to my man for straightening out my whack vocabulary.
Have a shockingly wonderful week, friends!

What words have you been using incorrectly without knowing?
XOXO From My Hearth to Yours- Cally

After Hours Puzzlin'

Each night, from 8-8:30, homegirl KaiRosie gets time to herself. She reads, plays with toys, pretends to be Harry Potter, writes notes and...

she does puzzles.

Lots and lots of puzzles.

Spying on Kai puzzlin' with FIVE different jigsaws

I go upstairs and find them lining the floors, and as slippery as they are in the dark—can't complain. Puzzles are good for the brain!

Unless you wipe out on one on your way to the bathroom and smash your head against the wall...

Cleaning up is good. 

Although Kaira has mastered these puzzles, the cleaning up part—not so much.

Showing off her completed Melissa & Doug puzzle. 

Yet still, we all really dig these jigs!

I honestly believe they're great to have around, at all stages of kid-dom. 

Such great challenges in spatial organization, fine motor skills, problem solving and planning. 

Kaira's late night favorites are her Melissa & Doug wooden puzzles and her Ravensburger Disney Princess jigsaws. She has also been rocking out a simple Curious George lunch box tin puzzle for quite some time. 

Need to justify all those PIECES strewn all over your rug? Check out this article from Parenting Today about why puzzles are good for your child's development.

Let's get brainy!

There's nothing better than watching the wee ones start piecin' it all together. 

Have a wonderful Wednesday, friends!
XOXO From My Hearth to Yours- Cally

*This is not a sponsored post. We're just super psyched to see our pipsqueak taking such an interest in puzzlin'!