And the winner is....

Tonight we had a date night. We visited 4 grocery stores in 1.5 hours. I know a select few will be interested in the outcome. As I've been reading about how to make better choices in our produce/meat selection I've also had to think about budget! BTW: We have eaten everything we received in our co-op and could have used even more! It is well worth buying this much fresh produce. We have also discussed what is most important to our family- organic produce OR organic, natural, grass fed, no hormones or antibiotic meat. So off we went to the store to figure out what we should do. Pretty clear where we are headed...

Here is an example of the list of wonderful things we get from the Co-Op (every 2 weeks):

Basic Share $50

Beans, Green, 1LB
Bok Choy 1
Broccoli 1 bunch
Carrots 2 lb bag
Cauliflower 1
Cucumbers 1.5 TO 2 LB
Lettuce, Red Leaf 2
Spinach 2
Tomatoes (Regular) 2
Banana, Green 3.5 – 4 LB
Berries, Strawberries 1 lb
Grapefruit, Ruby Pink 2LB OR 2-3 ct
Mangos 2
Peaches 5-6 ct
Plums, Black & Red 1 LB

So we took this list and compared prices. We also compared this weeks list but I won't post both. The prices are tax included and both lists came out about the same in price.

Co-Op= $50.00

Whole Foods= $57.41

CM= $54.8

Sprouts= $25.5

Kroger=$41.7

So, we are now on a quest to find the best meat and we will probably switch to buying produce at Sprouts by using the Co-Op list. We will either use our co-op for meat or farmers market. Good meat is REALLY hard to find at all 4 stores. CM had the best selection. I feel really good eating the way we have been these past 2 weeks and am excited to continue. Hope this helps you if you are looking for a new grocer :)

Credit when Credit is due....

Thankful today for family and community. I have had a few moments of missing our baby today and have thought back to when community and family stepped in. I don’t know if I’ve written about the fear that can come with exposing my heart and life concerning infertility and miscarriage. We don’t get to be the couple who surprises other’s with news of pregnancy b/c everyone knows our doctor appt’s, hormone levels, sonograms etc. This is wonderful for the most part. It did however, become a sinking and fearful feeling as we drove home that day from the dr. office. What do we tell people, who do we call, and Oh My Gosh-We have A LOT of people to tell. That was an overwhelming feeling. It was a sinking feeling and all I wanted to do was crawl in a hole and die.
After taking a few hours to ourselves we thought of someone to call within our community group. It was scary again making that phone call-not in a scared of the dark kind of way but in the – I’m about to be vulnerable again and expose every emotion going through me kind of scared. I made the phone call when I collected myself and thankfully that is all I had to do. 1 phone call folks.

And this is what followed:
Everyone in our community was notified in minutes.

They called my boss at work to let them know what was going on.

An email was sent out to people around me to let them know what to say and what not to say and tips on how to deal appropriately with the situation.

Meals were set up for us for 2 weeks- I couldn’t believe that.

Scriptures and encouragement were sent through text.

Cards showed up in our mailbox

The WM staff was notified as well and so many of them served us during that time.

My desk is still covered with scripture today from an unknown friend who wanted my welcome back to be a good one. It was VERY difficult for me to come back to work and the scripture that covers my desk was such a great surprise.

I also had a surprise song/dance when I came back.

I want the people in my life to know how very dear they are and were to me during that time. Everyone around me made my loss seem real and valid. They didn’t pretend it would all go away or that it wouldn’t be life changing-they embraced it, embraced me, embraced us and walked through it with grace, patience, love and humility. Family and friends are priceless in those moments. Thank you.

NEEDED: Recipes & Ideas

I've been thinking of changing a few things about the way we eat for a while. I also looked up nutrition + infertility (specifically PCOS) and it would be a great idea to eat better! So... we are officially going for it. We joined an organic co-op here in Dallas and we're diving in. I thought I would be overwhelmed by the amount of produce but I think we can do it! We get a new bin (above) every 2 weeks. We can even get our meat, eggs and dairy from the co-op but I know I can find it cheaper at the store. Also, when you compare the size of organic produce to the HUGE produce you see at the store, it kind of makes you think twice. So on that note, I need new recipes. We will not be eating many carbs. Mostly fruit, protein and vegetables. I would love to know your favorite recipe, salads, quick fix, and snack ideas! OR where you go to look for your recipes and ideas.

I would really, really appreciate it and so would some of my friends!

Our week

Here is a look at our last 4 days in pictures...we arrived in San Diego Thursday morning and because of the time change we were starving! We went straight to In & Out burgers. Thank you Cali!

After eating and unpacking we headed to the zoo. It was a perfect day for it. We went to the gorilla's first. They had a little baby to see but it hid in the bushes most of the time. My favorite animals which I don't have a picture of include the giraffe, koala bear and polar bears.

Next we headed to La Jolla...the beach! Praise the Lord for beaches. I think I convinced Blake the beach is one sure way to brighten my spirit! I LOVE it!

Here you will see my b.i.l. and his breakfast plate. Yes that's right, we all ate off of it for a total of 3 meals that day. The place is called Hash House a GoGo...look it up and shoot them an email to start a location here (pref. Oak Cliff-bishop arts). This started our Friday morning...

We enjoyed the beach that day as well and then went to Stone Brewery that evening. It was a lot of fun and a great place! It has a full restaurant and bar. The weather was perfect and we had our samples of several different kinds. I forgot I do not prefer Stone brew's but finally found one I was able to enjoy.

Enjoying the weather, scenery and drink....

After Stone we went to extraordinary desserts. As soon as you walk in there is an assortment of desserts to choose from. I didn't know I needed to choose my dessert before sitting at the table. I really wanted the dessert below but instead got another chocolate/rasberry sweet treat. All the same, it was a fantastic place with great Chai as well.

On our last day we stopped to get donuts and then went to a national park. Don't ask me which one..on a cliff, you pass a cemetery on the way. Anyway, it was pretty and we were able to see a few historical things such as old bunkers and a lighthouse.

Last stop-the beach. Blake learned how to ride the skim board. It was a lot of fun watching he and Tucker try. He finally got the hang of it though. I enjoyed the sun and water without a lot of activity!

We love the beach and hope to go back soon (instead of the cold vacations we sometimes take)...I actually got to enjoy it for 3 days in a row. The weather is perfect in Cali and it would be mighty tempting to try and move their to chill at the beach every day-we had a great time!