Let's Get A Physical

I got a physical/check-up today. The first one of my adult life! That's just stupid and irresponsible. But I got one and everything checked out fine. I mention it (and title my post after it) because it connects to The Yoga Girl Challenge. Yesterday was day 6 and the theme was Start A New Routine. My choice was admittedly lame, but also a no brainer. Flossing. Every damn day.

Day 6 The Yoga Girl Challenge: Start A New Routine

That brings us to today, and my roundabout connection to the doctors exam. The theme for day 7 is Thank You. I made a point to be incredibly grateful and express my thanks to everyone who helped me today, from the receptionist to the doctor, and the lab tech. who drew my blood. It was also a great reminder that we are lucky to have access to modern healthcare in the U.S. For that I am thankful.

Day 7 The Yoga Girl Challenge: Thank You!

Now, I am a complete wuss and hate going to the doctor. I do see my OB/GYN every year but I have known her for 13 years now...and I still drive all the way to KC for my check-ups because I don't want someone new. I told you. Wuss. 

Anyway, as you can imagine, going to a new doctor and getting blood drawn FOR THE FIRST TIME IN MY LIFE was nerve rattling. I was fine though--unlike the grown man drinking juice who passed  out next to me. And although the experience was painless, I still decided I deserved a little reward. :)

I headed to MaMa Jean's Market to procure one of the woven African (fair trade) baskets that I had been eyeing for months. Of course, while I was there I grabbed a few other things too.

New basket full of goodies

See how nice it looks sitting on top of the fridge?

I love it so much I think I might name it.

How about from this angle? I'm kidding. I'll stop.

Now if only I can remember to take it along when I go shopping...

I bought red clover, nettle leaf and oat straw to make herbal infusions with. I'll post photos when I get to making them.

Nourishing herbs for infusions.

I also got some new quart sized jars to make the infusions in and a couple of amber spray bottles to put tinctures I've made in for our road trip next week.

Jars and spray bottles for remedies.

I grabbed a bottle of Bragg Kelp Sprinkle for soups and salads (maybe other things?). I love this stuff. If you want to add a salty flavor to dishes the kelp will do just that. They also make an herb and spice mix sans kelp. Both are awesome. Speaking of seaweed (kelp), I have come to be disappointed in my Seaweed Bath Co. shampoo. It is drying my hair out a lot and leaving a gross residue. I'm going to try something else once I finish the bottle. I still love you seaweed, don't hate.

Bragg Kelp Seasoning.

Oh! And the main reason I went to MaMa Jean's was to get carob powder.

Bulk carob powder is cheap!

To make this...

Taos Whole Foods Cookbook

And just when I think the day can't get any better, I get home to find my neighbor at my door bringing me an arugula start which I immediately planted in the herb bed. Sweet!

New arugula start.

So that was my morning and afternoon. Pretty good if I do say so myself. Oh yeah, yesterday I gathered together my gemstones. Just the actual stones. No crystals or beads or any of that jazz. I cleaned them and put them on a plate to admire them.

My gemstones

Then I thought to myself, "I should get more variety, maybe some purple and red", and an hour later I saw this...

I'm totally going.

Well, I have an Herb Society meeting to attend shortly. I better get going. Let me leave you with this inspiring idea I saw on Facebook the other day. Little cucumber boats filled with goat cheese and sprinkled with monarda. I. Must. Do. This.

Cucumber, goat cheese and monarda boats. 

~ Love & Light ~

Weekend Review

Where did the weekend go? Zoom!!!


I have been faithfully following along with The Yoga Girl 21 Day Challenge. I believe the last picture I shared here was from day 2, so for those of you not on Instagram, I will share days 3,4, and 5.


The theme for day 3 of the yoga girl challenge was Rise & Shine! I am not usually the earliest of risers, but I love my morning rituals. Most days I will sunbathe, oil pull while reading a book or meditating, do some Yoga or other type of exercise and then start blogging. I have never been a breakfast eater and don't usually feel the stirrings of hunger until lunch time. On day 3 though, I made myself an awesome nutrient dense salad for breakfast! That's right...salad. It's not just for lunch anymore.

Day 3 The Yoga Girl Challenge: Rise & Shine! 

The theme for day 4 was Random Act Of Kindness. Mark and I had already planned to spend the afternoon hanging out with my mom, and I had been collecting bath and body care samples (cause I'm just using the seaweed stuff now, remember?) and magazines to give to her and my youngest sister. I'm not sure how random this was, but it was gonna have to do. 

Day 4 The Yoga Girl Challenge: Random Act Of Kindness

That brings us to today. Day 5. The theme is Get Rid Of A Bad Habit. One of my worst habits is sleeping in instead of going to a morning yoga class or workshop or any other morning events. I usually have good intentions, but come morning I find myself choosing the bed over anything else (What can I say? I'm a night owl). Well, I had RSVP'd "going" to an event with some of the local Yoga community today and stuck to it! The event was a kundalini sound kriya with gongs (five of them!) for the sound part. Mark even came with me. :)

Day 5 The Yoga Girl Challenge: Get Rid Of A Bad Habit

So that's where I am with the yoga challenge. But wait! There's more. On Friday I headed down the road to Wheeler Gardens & Florist. I had seen on Facebook that they were having a sale on annuals. $1.00 each! I decided to go and see what I could get for $5.00 or less. I haven't completely given up on the money plant seeds sprouting, but we haven't seen anything yet, so I thought I might as well enjoy some flowers now. Below are a few photos of the mums they are getting in preparation of Fall. 

This photo doesn't even come close to capturing them all! 

More mums!

A selection of the annuals on sale

Ultimately I decided on deep purple petunias and white dianthus. I got four flats for under five dollars and I am sure I will be able to enjoy the flowers until October. 

Nice haul for under five bucks!

Later that night after it cooled off a bit (kinda), Mark and I began the planting. I took the photo below after I had watered them so they look at little droopy. I bet in about a week they will have perked up and filled out (did that sound dirty?). :o

Petunias and Dianthus in the new flower bed. 

I love the delicate nature of dianthus.

As soon as I saw the deep purple petunias I knew they would be going home with me.

While I was outside I topped the dead flowers off the monarda (bee balm) and cut back a bunch of the lemon balm. I hope to see another round of flowers in the Fall. Also, does anyone have suggestions for dried lemon balm? I just like the way they look hanging inside to dry, but really I have no plan for them.

I hung some lemon balm to dry.

This one really shows how we live in a tree house. 

That about sums up the weekend. I want to end this post by sharing the cutest little wooden spoons (kitchen wands) by a company called My Kitchen Wand. I plan to add one of these babies to Witch's Kitchen soon! Aren't they the cutest!? Visit their website for more designs.

~ Love & Light ~

Yoga Girl Challenge

So yesterday at the end of my blog post I briefly mentioned that I am participating in The Yoga Girl Challenge put on by Rachel Brathen. I feel like maybe I should give a better explanation in case some of you would like to join in. You could always start a few days later or whenever you feel inspired.


Below is a list of the themes for the twenty-one days of the challenge. Today is day two--meditate.

21 Day Yoga Girl Challenge

Rachel Brathen is one of those celebrity yoga babes that are popping up everywhere. I discovered her through Instagram and I think she has the most online presence there. These challenges have become pretty popular too. I've seen the 30 day photography challenge, a selfie challenge and even a Fall check- list challenge. All of them sound pretty fun to me but this yoga challenge is the first one I have committed to. If you want to play along, you could check in at Rachel's Facebook page on the daily for her short explanation of the days theme. 

Mark and I will be heading out on a road trip on day #17, so the last couple of days may be challenging but I plan to keep at it. I also want to take a photo for Instagram on the days I can. If you want to follow along and see my pics, you can find me on Instagram as lmj14. Below is today's snap of meditation. 

Day 2 Yoga Girl Challenge: Meditate

So, I hope a few of you will join in or start up in your own time. I would love to see some pics!

~ Love & Light ~

Kitchen Witch Alchemy

I strained the tinctures I made in herb class a few days ago (I strained them a few days ago, I made them a little over six weeks ago). I chose the day of the full moon to do it so that they would be super charged. I also snapped photos to share the process with you.


I started with the lemon balm. This tincture is a glycerin extraction or a glycerite. Lemon balm has a calming effect and is great for anxiety and restlessness.

Lemon balm in vegetable glycerin.

Then I strained the liquid from the plant matter.

Lemon Balm glycerite.

I use plain address labels to label the glass dropper bottles.

Don't forget to label and date your tincture!

Next, I strained the culinary blend. A mix of tasty herbs from the garden. I will add a few drops to olive oil and make dressing for salads. Vinegar was used for this extraction.

Culinary blend tincture.

Finally, I strained the hops! This alcohol extract was my favorite from the three we made. I love the bitter flavor of hops.

Tasty hops!

I usually use cheesecloth to strain the liquid but I didn't have any in the cupboard. I used a muslin tea bag instead and it worked beautifully. 

Reusable muslin teabags work for a variety of things in the kitchen. 

Wow! Look at the bright golden color of the hops extract. Hops is great for improving appetite, indigestion, and helps induce sleep among other things.

Hops Tincture.

The last step was to bottle, label, and date the tinctures.

Leanne's latest homemade remedies.

And then store them in the fridge.

Homemade tinctures.

Add the remaining plant matter to your compost pile if you have one. I tossed mine onto the cliff behind Chigger Chalet to let it melt back into the Earth.

Strained plant matter.

Aaaaand-- a picture of my cutting board offerings today, because they look so colorful and tasty. 

Garden goodies.

Oh, and I'm also participating in the Yoga Girl Challenge put on by Rachel Brathen. Today's theme was #yogaeverydamnday. This was my photo. Bombed by Ms. Penny, of course. 

Day 1 of 21 day yoga challenge.

~ Love & Light ~

Kiss My Aster

I am currently reading Kiss My Aster by Amanda Thomsen. I figure it is okay to read yet another new book while I am trying to get through the Earthbreakers.


Kiss My Aster has delightful illustrations and somehow seems to make major gardening and landscaping seem totally doable. A fun and playful read.

PS For some reason when I searched "Kiss My Aster" in images, a slew of the Ryan Gosling "Hey, Girl" series also came up (If you know how much I love the Gosdong, then you know I didn't mind). This one is my favorite...

~ Love & Light ~

Lazy Days At Chigger Chalet

Coconut oil deodorant is a bust. I was happy to have found an all natural deodorant that Mark liked and that actually worked for him and then came laundry day. Yep. Stains. Stains on every stinkin' shirt he wore for a week! Luckily, it seems the stains are going to come out after another washing but that also means no more coconut oil under the arms. Isn't that the pits!!! So, the quest continues. You might be wondering why he doesn't just use what I use and for a time he tried it but it just wasn't his thing. I dab a little myrrh oil on and I'm good to go...but I have French blood in my veins so, you know.


Next, I wanna mention eggs. If Mark had to eat only one food for the rest of his life, it just might be eggs. He is half Costa Rican so it isn't really his fault, he is naturally inclined to love them (he even puts them on rice and burgers!). We buy our eggs at the Price Cutter in Ozark and we always make sure to get the Good Natured Family Farms brand. I don't love eggs near as much as Mark does but when I eat them I want the brown eggs, which is what you get from Good Natured Family Farms (I read that white and brown eggs are the same nutritionally but I still like brown better). They also put little notes inside the egg cartons. How cute is that? So if you don't get your eggs at the Farmers Market, maybe consider supporting these guys?

Little notes with updates about the chickens are tucked into every carton.

Remember those money plant seeds that someone gave me at last months herb society meeting? Well, I needed a place to plant them, so Mark and I dug up another garden bed last week. I can't really say if the seeds will grow or not, but I wanted to make a bed incorporating the weird concrete strip in front of the house so that eventually the plants will kinda disguise it. 

The random concrete strip is weird, right?

The new money plant garden bed.

In other news, we took a trip to Barnes & Noble last week and ended up in the children section for half an hour. Did you know they have way more toys than books in the kid's corner? The good stuff too! I suppose most of you guys with kids are like...duh! Who buys books anymore? Of course they sell toys! But for us it was a revelation! I spotted some super cute stuffed guinea pigs with mustaches...

So cute and weird!

Awe, look! A white one!

And as I picked one up and turned it towards Mark to show him its cute little mustache, I noticed...wait? Is that a...a butt hole?

Maybe it is a black spot on his calico behind?

Yep. It's a butt hole.

Nope, the white one has one too.

So I decided against a mustached guinea pig with a butt hole and got something much cooler. Mark found a moon that cycles through its phases. It has all of the craters and accurate topography, is remote controlled to change the settings/phases and serves as nice mood lighting in our bedroom. Below is a video I took of it cycling through the phases. 

The same company (Uncle Milton) also makes Mars and the Earth. I would love to have the whole solar system on the wall. 

While I'm talking about toys and childish things I want to share my anniversary gift. On July 25th Mark and I celebrated our first year of marriage. Mark surprised me with dinner at Giraldi's and when we got home he had another gift waiting. A stuffed Mickey Mouse doll and a Minnie & Mickey card inside a Mickey bag. I thought it was very sweet and I especially liked that the Mickey doll was a throwback vintage version but I still thought it was a unique choice of gift and then I read the card...we are going to Disney World! Yippie! I had made a comment earlier in the summer that I had never been and he must have decided it was time. I can't wait to visit the Magic Kingdom with my best friend. 

A magical gift from a magical man.

So there it is. A little update on these wonderful lazy days of summer here at Chigger Chalet. 

~ Love & Light ~

Tori Amos To Kick Off August

Saturday night was the Tori Amos concert at The Midland Theatre in Kansas City. WOW! What a lovely way to begin August. The Unrepentant Geraldines tour was quite the contrast from the Gold Dust Orchestral tour! When we saw her at the Royal Albert Hall in London in 2012 she was accompanied by the Metropole Orkest...it was just a huge, rich sound! Saturday night was a special treat though...just Tori and her piano (and keyboard and harpsichord ;). She spent the evening revisiting old favorites and doing a few loved covers (Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road!!!!!)--including only a few songs from the new album. 

She has been posting the set lists on her Facebook page after each performance and I feel like she is really going above and beyond to connect with her fans at this stage in her career. I personally have been enjoying her selfies and seeing the different outfits she wears from city to city. 

Tori Amos set list Kansas City, Midland Theatre Aug. 2nd 2014

Mark booked "our" room at our favorite hotel, the Hilton President, which happens to be one block from the venue. When we arrived in town on Saturday afternoon, we put our bags in our room and decided to head to the Cosentino's grocery store across the street. On our way back Mark noticed Tori's tour bus on the side of The Midland, so we walked over to take a look. As luck would have it, she was just arriving and I snapped a paparazzi style photo of her and her bodyguard. Before she went in the door Tori turned back to wave at the small group of us fans. 

Tori arriving at The Midland. 

The next day I saw some beautiful photos of the show in my Facebook feed that were taken by a Springfield yogini named Shanna Marie Higgs. I follow Shanna on Facebook because she is one of those beautiful and inspiring yoga goddesses (who happens to also love Tori) and she was kind enough to let me share one of her awesome photos here. Thank you, Shanna! 

Tori Amos Unrepentant Geraldines Tour -The Midland Theatre KC MO 2014 Photo credit: Shanna Marie Higgs

Before we left KC on Sunday we filled up on the best Indian food this side of the planet...

Buffet at Taj Mahal with my sweetpea. 

And picked up goodies at Phoenix Herb Company...

I need a teletransporter so I can shop here ever week! 

And popped into the Apple store to replace an old USB cord...

Apple store in Leawood, KS. 

On the way home we stopped in Bolivar to use the bathroom at a Kum & Go gas station. When we arrived, I noticed something odd...

Did you see it? That's right. A Kum & Go directly across the street from a Kum & Go!? 

WHAT? How is that even...

My "Are you kidding me?" face.

Although I always enjoy our trips to KC and I love visiting my old haunts, the best part is picking this little ball of wiggles up from the doggie hotel when we get home.

Penny is ready to go home!

So what do you guys have planned this month? I can't wait to hear about it!

~ Love & Light ~