Target Clearance Haul

I went to Target recently for a couple items and noticed an overflowing amount of women's clothing on clearance. So, I went back with my friend that evening, sans baby. It was glorious! Check out your Target for clearance if you need clothes. There are shirts, blouses, tank tops, pants, long and short shorts, dresses, skirts, swimsuits, and light sweaters. If you live in a place that's cool for the fall and winter, then this clearance might not be too helpful, but you could layer!

I got seven shirts, two dresses, and two pairs of long shorts for about $80!! Breastfeeding my baby made me more slender than I was pre-pregnancy, so I really needed some clothes to accommodate my new size. I'm slowly weaning my kiddo now, so I'm hoping I don't instantly regain fifteen pounds. 

My goal for this shopping trip was to find clothes that I would feel comfortable wearing all day around the baby. Since I used to teach, I have lots of clothes, but they're too nice, and some are too big for being a mommy all day. I also wanted to find things for the rest of summer and that I could layer with this fall. I definitely accomplished that. I got some slightly loose fitting tops that can be worn with or without layers. I also got one dress that has pockets, is looser-fitting, and has a high neckline so I don't have to worry about showing off my cleavage with it. I also got a fun dress that I probably won't wear around the baby, but it fit me so well that I couldn't pass it up.

Costco Haul at my new location

**Disclaimer: I wrote this post a couple weeks ago and thought I had already posted it. Apparently not.**

I have been to Costco 3-4 times since moving here; I have only been here three weeks, too! Costco is about two minutes away from where we're currently living, which is part of it. Anyways, I was impressed by the tasty and organic offerings the first time I went, but the organic section multiplied recently! This Costco has a green label for everything organic so you can easily scan for organic options. In addition to the organic chicken and baby carrots I have gotten before, this Costco also has organic grass-fed beef, which I have yet to get, but certainly will soon. This week there were several different types of organic greens, broccoli, raspberries, blueberries, and strawberries. Here's what else I got this week:

Organic raspberries for around $4

Annie's organic mac and cheese; 15 boxes for $15

12 baby food pouches for $10

Giant bag of gluten free organic pasta for $7

Organic chicken for around $20

Sterling Chardonnay for $9

For comparison sake, a dozen organic baby food pouches on Amazon run $14-18. I purchased two boxes of Annie's organic mac and cheese on sale at Target recently for $2 each. I'm hoping the little guy likes cheesy pasta as much as he likes cheese!

If you want your Costco to carry stuff like this, put in your request and ask your friend to also. If your Costco doesn't carry Victoria's marinara sauce, request it!! It's the best sauce in a jar, anywhere! Seriously, you have to try it; it's make of like six ingredients, which is why it's so delicious.

Our First Produce Delivery Box

When I lived in Orange County, I never ended up subscribing to a produce delivery box because they all required me to pick it up farther away then I wanted to travel and/or I had no choice over what I would get. Since we moved to the Central Valley of California, the heart of agriculture in the US, I figured I could find something I would be happy with. Within a couple weeks of moving, I did a Google search for "produce box delivery [city I live in]" and found The Farmer in the Dale.

We received our first box of produce on Monday:

I particularly like this produce delivery company because much of their produce is organic, and it's local, of course. I got all this for just $20! One head of organic Romaine lettuce, three organic summer squashes, two bunches of organic carrots, three of the most beautiful organic broccoli bunches, Yukon Gold potatoes, and a bunch of white nectarines. 

We have tried everything except the potatoes so far, and we're pleased with all of it. It tastes great! The lettuce is a little wilty because it's so HOT here, but it tastes wonderful still.

If you haven't tried a produce delivery box before, I highly recommend it! Do a Google search like I did, and I'm sure you could find something, or ask around. It's much fresher than most produce found in grocery stores and it supports local farms. Check it out!

Garden update after moving

I brought five plants with me when we moved: basil, Romaine lettuce, green bell pepper, zucchini, and squash. The zucchini and squash seem to be slowly withering, while the others are thriving.

Anyone have any suggestions for the squash and zucchini? I took off the dead stuff yesterday and shook out the leaves, carefully. I also rinsed the leaves down on the top and backsides. I'm afraid they really might just need more space, but I can't plant them yet, unless our homebuilder would let me... The basil looks a little withered in the picture, but it just got water, so it was thirsty.

DIY Roll-on Sunscreen

We tried some sunscreen by Kiss My Face that's approved by EWG, but we didn't like it ant it was expensive. It did the job well, but it didn't rub in easily or well. So, I started looking for a DIY natural option, and here's my first outcome:

Almond oil -- originally purchased off Amazon; 16 oz for around $10

Dark glass roll-ons -- Amazon; $8

Carrot seed essential oil -- Amazon $14

Other essential oils -- purchased various places for varied prices

Here are some tips about DIY sunscreen and such: 

When using essential oils you should store in dark containers because light "kills" essential oil. 

Carrot seed oil, from my research, naturally has around 35-40 SPF, which is the highest.

Almond oil, coconut oil, shea butter, and cocoa butter all have around 2-5 SPF, so they're great additions to a DIY sunscreen since they also moisturize your skin. I'm going to do a post on making sunscreen with some of those items too.

Citrus oils do not belong in sunscreen; they encourage the sun's rays instead of repelling them!

Sunscreen needs beeswax to be semi-waterproof, so this mixture isn't waterproof. Stay tuned for a post on waterproof DIY sunscreen.

I put in about 12 drops of carrot seed first, the same amount of one of the other oils, and then filled each container with almond oil. I snapped on the tracking ball and lid, and then swished the mixture around. Carrot seed oil carries a strong earthy scent, so you definitely want to tone it down if you use it. Even with 12 drops of another oil in each batch, you can't really smell the other oil, but it does tone it down some. In fact, you may just want to wait to apply this until you're outside. It should work immediately, unlike purchased sunscreen. 

We moved!

We have been in the Central Valley of California for a week now. It's hot. Pros, so far:

• Costco here has a great organic selection of produce and other items
• Amazing Farmer's Market that included a chef making an easy recipe with items that could all be purchased at the Farmer's Market (post on this recipe to come)
• Produce of your choice, organic chicken, eggs and milk can be delivered to your door, and it's all locally grown
• My plants seem to actually be enjoying the warm morning sunshine
• Most importantly, a short drive to the grandparents' house

I have a new sunscreen in the works using carrot seed essential oil. I'll let you know how it goes after we try it out a few times.