Things I Love: July

July held some big changes for us; we moved our family across the country from California to Florida and are now living with our in-laws for a few months.

Things have been relatively good although there are definitely things I *really* miss about California. I miss the weather — it’s so HOT and HUMID and full of nasty mosquitos in Florida! It’s hard to even get out and go to a park because it’s so hot, even at 9 in the morning. Plus, there are no such things as seasons over here. It’s either ridiculously hot or hot. That’s it.

I miss the farmer’s markets — I still haven’t gotten out to a farmer’s market over here. They are either at the worst times of the day (at night) or early in the morning but about a 45 minute drive. I will make it to the one 45 minutes away, I just got a tad bit spoiled having a farmer’s market walking distance on one day and a market about 15 minutes away on a different day. I’ll have to get there right when it opens so we’re not walking in the blazing heat.

I miss my very *few* friends (this includes family members whom I consider friends) — I finally found a couple people who have kids Andrew’s age and who I really connected with. Then I moved. I actually felt like I met a lifelong friend so it really sucks that we’re not close enough to hang out. Yes technology is a great, but it’s definitely not the same. Plus, it’s hard to find time to Skype when you have kids and a 3 hour time difference.

OK. Now that I’ve got that out of my system (thank you for listening to me) here are the things I really do love now that we’re in Florida.

• We’re closer to the beach. The beach is my ultimate get away and it’s only a 30 minute drive!
• We’re able to go diving again. We haven’t gone yet but the fact that we are able to, makes me excited!
• We have a backyard, with a lake front. We’ve been able to get a blow up pool for Andrew, bicycles, scooters and a mini t-ball set. We are able to play outside when it’s not hot and we take old bread to the dock and feed the fish and ducks.
• We have help with Andrew. What a huge relief! Grandma & Grandpa help take care of Andrew so Scott and I can actually have time to ourselves.
• I’m closer to my mom which is always a good thing!
• Cheaper raw milk and eggs. We were paying $14 a gallon for raw milk and $8 a dozen for eggs in California. Now, we pay $6/dozen for eggs and $9/gallon for milk!

Other Things I Loved in July:

• Are you still using conventional toothpaste that has fluoride and other unnecessary ingredients in them? Jump on the natural toothpaste bandwagon, I promise you’ll like it. If you are not sure what to switch to you should read this article about natural alternatives to toothpaste — there are 12 ideas for you!
• Hot summer days call for refreshing drinks like this watermelon lemonade!
• Do you love your foaming hand soap so much you won’t give up the expensive conventional kind? You should really try this easy, homemade DIY foaming soap. It consists of 3 simple ingredients and one simple step!
• From reading my blog, you should know by now that Monsanto is not my favorite. I love this “Dear Monsanto” article. It’s short, sweet and to the point.
• Are you making a cake any time soon and want to learn how to make it pretty? This post has a great cake decorating demo to make your cake prettified.
• Quit buying store-bought salad dressing because they contain yucky ingredients that you shouldn’t be eating. If you need a homemade dressing, you can try this homemade creamy Italian dressing. It looks delicious!
• Have you ever wondered if where you live impacts your health? This article maps out the best and worst places to live and how it affects your health.
• In this article there are five excellent reasons to ditch your sports drink and it also offers a healthy alternative.
• Learn how to make your own “better than lysol” spray and rid your home of toxic cleaners.
• Ever wonder what it really means when you pick up a Crayola box of crayons and it says non-toxic? Is it really non-toxic or are there hidden meanings? Read this article to find out.
• Junk mail sucks! It’s such a waste of time and resources. In this article you will learn how to stop junk mail from coming to your door… and inbox!

What have you loved about July?