A DAY IN THE LIFE memorial day crab feast

Memorial Day is kind of a strange holiday, isn't it? I mean, the purpose of the day is really serious—to commemorate the soldiers who gave their lives for our country. Most of us celebrate the day with BBQs and picnics. I guess it makes sense to want to spend Memorial Day with friends and family. I know I always do. It seems like the best way to honor everything I'm grateful for.

Our family had a great day on the farm in Pennsylvania, where we're staying till our new baby's born. Ali, my mom, some friends from QVC, and a few of our neighbors celebrated with a crab feast at our place. We chowed down on bushels of Old Bay-seasoned crabs and fresh corn on the cob. Rumi Joon and her new friends splashed around in a kiddie pool, and a few of us tried our luck at fishing in the pond. (Plenty of fun, no fish!) 

We did a taste test on two cheesecakes—one that my mom made, and one we got at a roadside stand. As usual, my mom’s won. When the sun started sinking, we took a walk around the farm to work off all that food. Rumi Joon and I finished off the night with a snuggle in the hammock. 

On the more serious side, President Obama spent the day honoring Vietnam War soldiers at Arlington Cemetery. I love this quote from his speech:

“For all of you who carry a special weight on your heart, we can strive to be a nation worthy of your sacrifice. A nation that is fair and equal, peaceful and free."

I'd love to hear about how you spent Memorial Day. I'd also like to know what you think we can do to make our country more fair, equal, peaceful, and free. Share, please!

WORKOUT WEDNESDAY with For Two Fitness

Staying active during pregnancy is super-important. You can’t overdo it, but just the right amount of exercise increases your circulation, which then carries more oxygen to your baby. Here are my tips for safely working up a sweat.

Be Classy

The exercises in prenatal classes are modified for pregnancy, and the instructors are trained to make sure you don’t overexert yourself. My faves are water aerobics and yoga, and I also love hanging out with other moms-to-be.

Can We Talk?

While you’re pregnant, you should never be so out of breath that you can’t talk while you’re working out.

Keep Cool

Pregnant women have higher body temperatures, and when we exercise, our body temperate goes up even more, especially around the core. Be careful not to overheat when you’re exercising, and avoid exercising on very hot days. 

JOSIE LOVES the chalkboard mag

I am such a fan of Pressed Juicery’s new blog, The Chalkboard. So I was thrilled when they asked me to be their guest editor for the month of May. From posts on how to create an eco nursery, to healthy recipes and easy workout tips, it seems like The Chalkboard has a piece of helpful advice for every active woman. When The Chalkboard peeps came to our office to shoot my guest editor video, they even brought us a crateful of yummy juices from Pressed. A sure way to win me (and the rest of the JMC crew) over. 

ECO TIPS Office

1. Pack an Eco Friendly Lunch!

When packing lunches for you and your family, say goodbye to plastic baggies which are super wasteful and can pose a threat to marine wildlife. Instead, pack snacks and sandwiches in these chic, eco-friendly containers by LunchBots. They are made of stainless steel so they are lightweight, durable, and resusable. 

2. Save paper!
The greatest waste of paper we face here at JMC is printing out handouts for meetings. While it's great to make sure everyone is in the loop, many of our printouts end up in the trash. Lately, we've been printing out half as many handouts, and everyone has been sharing. After the meeting, we send out the electronic file in case anyone missed out on getting a copy. Also, print on recycled paper!

3. Get a Plant Friend!
Plants are not only a great way to brighten up your office space, they also absorb indoor pollution, improving the quality of the air that you breathe for the majority of your day. Look for plants that are hardy and won't miss a day or two without watering over the weekend. Lemon Balm is one of my favorites to have in the office. It has a light, fresh scent and it's a very robust plant, so it will grow voraciously without much effort. 

ECO TIPS Travel

Since Earth Day is coming up, I thought it was a great idea to kick off my new feature, Eco Tips! I'll be giving you some of my favorite tips on how to stay green. 

With the launch of Model Citizen, I've been in planes, trains and automobiles this week. So what better topic than travel, right? Here are my three tips for making your excursions easy and eco.

1. Pack Lightly! 
When I am traveling around the world, I try to pack as lightly as possible. The heavier the airplane, the more fuel it takes to get airborne. Plus, I am happier and more energetic when I'm not weighed down by my bags. To cut down on the bulk, I try to pack lightweight clothes like maxi dresses and cardigans that are in the same color family to make mixing and matching easy. I also try to limit the pairs of shoes I bring to three: one comfortable pair for walking and wearing on the plane, one elegant pair for fancy dinners, and a third pair I just know I can't resist bringing. If you're worried about running out of clothes, bring a travel size bottle of laundry detergent. You can wash your clothes in the sink and hang them to dry in the shower during the day!

2. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! 
Air travel can really  dehydrate your body. To make sure that I'm drinking enough water, I bring my favorite refillable water bottle in my carry-on.  It needs to be empty to get through TSA, but as soon as I pass through security I go to an airport restaurant and ask them to fill it. Then when I'm on the plane I ask my flight attendant to fill it for me again. It's a great way to keep track of how much water you're drinking. When you reach your destination, you'll be less fatigued and jet lagged.  

3. Think local!
One of the best things about traveling is getting the opportunity to experience new environments and cultures. Get out of the hotel and check out the natural wonders around you. Go to the beach, the forest, or the hills. Check out life beyond the city center. It will give you a new understanding of your destination. You should also try to eat locally when you're travelling to get the most out of your trip. If you're in a city with a food specialty, go check it out! If you're experiencing a new country, swap out familiar imported foods for local fruits and vegetables. And visit restaurants run by locals! You'll have an entirely new set of sensory memories to bring home with you, and you'll support the local infrastructure of your vacation spot.  

Photos from Simply Bloom, Klean Kanteen, and  Ika Bags

JOSIE PICKS Growing Your Garden

Don't you love the longer days? I feel like spring has officially arrived when I can dig around in the garden until the early evening. The interesting thing about my yard is that it's tiered up a hill so it feels like there are always nooks to discover and patches to help grow and change. It's great to watch Rumi get her little hands dirty and when this baby comes along, hopefully he or she will enjoy sitting outside, too. I imagine the whole family sitting in the spring breeze, enjoying the sunshine all together. How exciting!

Do you have a garden? What do you grow?

Lillys Cottage Vintage Gardening Books

Cushion Chicago Vintage Green Wood Tool Caddy

Every Eskimo Vintage Watering Can

Cubits Organic Seeds

Small batch production Organic Apron No. 1

Callooh Callay Vintage Gardening Tools

PINTEREST with Josie

Isn't Pinterest an endless world of inspiration? I could spend hours looking for color, texture, recipes and all things beautiful.

If you aren't on Pinterest yet, what are you waiting for? Let's inspire each other!You can follow me HERE.

Have a wonderful weekend. I'll be nursing a cold and pinning.

BEHIND THE SCENES Going Green with Glamour

Sending you love from New York as we shoot for Glamour's Green Issue which you'll see in April! The wardrobe of choice? Giant leaves! Should be interesting. It was a great day hanging out with some other Green Goddesses, the lovely Trinette Faint, Summer Rayne Oaks and Tata Harper as we sifted through piles of shoes and planned on how we're going to save the world.

xoxo,

JOSIE'S PICKS Winter Night In

Sure, the weather has been balmy here in Los Angeles, but I know for many, it's winter! And there's no better way to spend a chilly evening then cozying up with family while sharing some tea or hot chocolate, cookies and a few books, don't you think? These fun Etsy finds make for a great night in and I'm especially loving the recycled and handmade twig lamp that gives off just the perfect amount of light.

How do you spend winter evenings? Any favorite organic hot chocolate or tea recipes?

Old School farm Vintage Senango Cups

Luncheonette Vintage Drama Queens Book Bundle

Whimsy & Spice Earl Grey Sandwich Cookies

Solstice Home Vintage Wool Plaid Throw

The Light Store Hanging Recycled Twig Lamp

Old School Farm Vintage Enamel Coffee Pot

IN THE KITCHEN Go Go Green Smoothie

What better way to start 2012 right then to go a little green, right? And what better way to green out than by starting with changing the amount of greens you get. I came across this recipe in Whole Living and while they just call it Green Smoothie, I'm going to name it Go Go Green Smoothie. It's full of vitamin K (in kale), vitamin C, fiber and potassium which is a great way to start the morning. Trust me, you're not going to notice the parsley or the leafy greens—this smoothie is awesomely yummy and good for you.

Do you have any smoothie or fresh-pressed juice recommendations? I'd love to try them!