Behold the Power of the Goat...

Today, Scott and I went on a little field trip. Are you ready to get a little wild and crazy? How about a little "Indigo Wild" and crazy? 

If you spend any time roaming the aisles of Whole Foods or HyVee (anyone else like to spend hours in the grocery store? No, just me...oh), you may have come across Zum products. I have made several Zum purchases in my days, but I only recently realized that the Zum factory is right here in Kansas City (Thanks Ma)! Well once I figured that out, Scott and I jumped in the car (zum, zum) and headed right on over. 

The Indigo Wild factory is located in the Crossroads District. They have been at this location for 3 years, but have been making Zum for 16. They ship products all across the country and even internationally. 

You can schedule time to take a tour of the factory which is pet and fun friendly. Tours are Thursdays, which doesn't work out so well for us 9-5ers, but I am thinking this may warrant getting a group of my girls together and taking a half day off of work. By the time we left, I was ready to apply for a part time job. 

Even though we couldn't take a tour today, there was plenty to see and buy. The factory has a little shop with sale bins (score!) and smells oh-so-good! I mean who couldn't get behind a company with this mantra:

"Before Indigo Wild touches your body, it touches these bodies. No worries, we're not showering with your soap singing "I'm Too Sexy" before we ship it off to you. We're talking handcrafted, handmade, hand-mixed, hands-on…which is all pretty dang handsome.
So take a spin with our handy work. It's mixed and mashed with 100% pure essential oils, shea butter, meadowfoam seed oil, soy wax, goat's milk, botanical extracts and other jujulicious ingredients. It all helps to carry on some karma and magnify the mojo. Then it's flashed by the butt of a gnome, danced over by a shaman, kissed by a fairy and blessed by a goat." (source)

You can read more about Indigo Wild and Zum here .

It is feeling a little more like winter today in KC. Scott and I have been making our way through a big pot of "Midsummer Corn Chowder with Basil, Tomato, and Fennel." I have only made a handful of the recipes in Veganomicon  so far, but they have all been delicious.

  Enjoy your weekend peeps!
-M

Wink, Wink

Howdy!

"Howdy, Ma'm" is what greeted me as I got out of my car at the gas station this morning. Contrary to popular belief, most mid-westerners don't say "Howdy," but coming from this older gentleman it made me smile. Then, as if it couldn't get any better, he opened the door for me and winked. Not just a <wink>, but a <wink,wink>. I would be lying if I said I wasn't taken aback just a little at first but, once I realized it was harmless, it made my morning commute awesome.

So on my drive from the gas station to work, I officially (yeas - 1, nays - 0) decided that I'm bringing back the <wink>! Thus far, I have tried it out on two unsuspecting victims. The first person said "What's wrong with your face?!" (rude). The second person made a 90 degree turn and walked away from me as fast as her little legs would carry her. I'd try to explain myself, but I can't find her. I think she might be hiding from me.

I may be down, but I am not defeated. I'm still adding the <wink> to my arsenal of nonverbal cues; however, maybe it should be used with more discretion. Unless you're 70 and drive an old Ford F-150. In THAT case, you can wink at ME all you want! Maybe then you and I will drive off into the sunset.... Partner.

Happy Thursday <wink, wink>

-M

Not So January

Hello Friends!
For those of you living in the Midwest, I hope you have been outside enjoying the past few days. It has been beautiful here in KC, and I have been taking every opportunity to get outside and play in it. This morning we took our dogs out to Saeger Woods Conservation Area for a little hike. We went out to Saeger Woods several times last fall, and our girls enjoy it each time we take them. The trail is around 2 or 3 miles. This morning was a special treat as the girls were able to walk off-leash the whole time! They were in heaven, and Scott and I can claim the "Good Fur-Parent" award for another week.

In addition to our little hike, we went running. This is huge for me as I haven't been out since October of last year. I have been battling a hip injury, but it felt so good to stretch my legs today! I'm hopeful I can continue to ease back into it. The rest period over the last couple of months has been tough, but I feel like I am coming back to running with a new energy. I ran a 15K back in September and it was a struggle to stay motivated throughout the training. I think the forced break has helped me realize I need to focus on the fun of the run rather than putting too much pressure on myself.

 The bottom picture is accurate and I have race pictures to prove it!

With all that exercise, I decided we needed treats around this place and I knew just what to make... Mama Peas Snowball Cookies. I made them into bars this time; otherwise, I followed the recipe exactly. These are so good and a healthier version of the traditional no-bake cookie.

 I just noticed that all of these ingredients came from Trader Joe's - I love that place - it's a sickness really.

 In the pan ready to cool! I may or may not have licked the bowl...

And there you have it...now excuse me while I stuff my face! I hope you have a great rest of the week!
-M

Blind Date

I set a goal for myself to get this blog up and running by the first of the year. I did manage to get it created, but then left it for the last couple of weeks. I thought about it several times, but somehow managed to leave it void of any content. What is it about putting your thoughts and feelings out there that leaves us all (or maybe just me) a little shy? I gave myself a pep-talk and here I am.

Now, I have only been on a couple of blind dates in my life. My soon-to-be-hubs was one of them :). I remember that mix of excitement and nervousness before our first date and, as weird as it sounds, this feels a little the same. Seeing as I am betrothed to my last blind date, I have high hopes for you and me. So, for our first date I am taking you to one of my favorite spots!

The first weekend of every month in Kansas City Urban Mining Homewares opens its doors for fun vintage shopping. To say I love it would be an understatement. I lurve it!

This sign was calling me like a beacon in the night! :) The bobcat in the background is what I use to take home all my wares! Just kidding! (sort of)

Inside you will find two floors filled with anything and everything you could imagine! From unique furniture pieces to vintage clothes to collectibles - it is wonderful!

This weekend I bought vintage dishes (right now I am loving mismatched place settings and for $20 I couldn't say no). I also bought a beautiful blown glass decanter.

I also saw this gem below - any guesses on what this is??? It is called a "Permanent Wave Machine" . Can you believe women used to attach themselves to this contraption and crank up the voltage?! The things a girl will do in the name of beauty! It looks like a torture device!

Other interesting finds this weekend included an atari (with both joysticks) and a WHAM record. "Careless Whisper" anyone? ;)

Do you like vintage shopping? Any recommendations for me in the KC area?