EATING PLAN FOR OSTARA

  This plan leans on whole grains, veggies and legumes. The baseline drawn from macrobiotics, but including less salty foods, as they tend to make me retain water. Also noticeable is that I´m returning back to work (tomorrow!), so speed is another important factor here.

8am Breakfast: 
2 cups (1/2 liter) kukicha tea with soymilk
3 big rice cakes with coconut butter and honey

Pasta and bolognese cooking up for on Monday. Two kettles, one for whole wheat pasta and the other for gluten-free kind for my son.

12pm Lunch:
2 cups (1/2 liter) bancha tea plain
Mon: pasta bolognese (with tvp=textured vegetable protein crumble, not meat)
Tue: vegetable-flat breads
Wed: tofu stir-fry & brown rice
Thu: tortillas with beans
Fri: pizza (vegan & low fat without cheese)
Sat: pancakes (including finely grated veggie like carrots)
Sun: miso soup with tofu

Creamy oat porridge with raisins and mulberries.

4pm Dinner:
2 cups (1/2 liter) kukicha tea with soymilk
oat porridge with raisins/honey/jam

7pm Supper:
apples

  The times given are merely approximate, and need to be adjusted to each day´s needs. This eating plan acts as a strong stem when planning my grocery shopping list. If I want to improvise, so be it, but with this in mind I won´t have to do the daily pondering of "what shall we eat today".

OSTARA EARRINGS

  These are the latest additions to the selection of my aromatherapy earrings. Designed and hand made by me, of pure wool, metal and glass, these earrings upgrade any look with a touch of sophistication. Pastel colors suit Ostara/spring perfectly, while white and blue suit any season.

  
  All available online on NellandBoutique, only 20 euro/pair (including shipping + handling worldwide).
  Needless to say, a pair of aromatherapy earrings make an excellent and unique gift idea!

MY GARDEROBE: THE OSTARA COLLECTION

  Time to summarize my Ostara outfits, all proudly designed and made in Nelland by me.  =)

Modern SpongeBob SquarePants. As you can see by the creases, these clothes are made for the real world use, not just for showcasing.

Inspired by Sarah Kay.

The bunny.

A tiny detail: the bunny and I now have similar earrings.  =)

Willow catkin- tunic.

These earrings are also aromatherapy ones, but I have only made this kind  for this outfit. They pair so nicely with the necklace.

The wicked witch of the East.

  Now I´m all set for the many Ostaras yet to come (although perfecting of the outfits will continue...  =).

BAG-IN-A-BAG

  I have always searched for the perfect bag. Tried backpacks, totes, big handbags, small handbags, but never yet been fully satisfied.

  In my frustration I came up with an idea worth giving a try for: a bag-in-a-bag.

When I step out of the house, I´ll be carrying one bag.

And when I get to my car, I take the small bag out and place the big one in the trunk. The small one comes in the car with me.

In the small bag I have everything I always need; cell phone, keys, wallet, some makeup, one cloth shopping bag, and some tissues. In the big bag I have stuff I don´t always need, but which is priceless to have with me; two more cloth shopping bags, allergy medicine, an extra diaper for my girl just in case, a flashlight, pen & paper, etc. 

The big bag is only 1/4 full when leaving the house, so it fits quite a lot of things still inside it when on the go. I have found myself throwing in it mail, smaller purchased stuff I do not want wrapped in plastic (I avoid plastic bags vigorously), water and other snacks, my gloves and hat once the car has warmed up (I also avoid inside heaters, I feel it´s a waste of electricity), and everything unimaginable. Very handy.

Keeping things simple. I used ordinary snap fasteners to close the bags with. They are quicker to open and close than a zipper. Speed is what I appreciate when digging in to answer the phone or grabbing my wallet.

  Dark grey and bright yellow are the key colors of my Ostara palette, that´s why I chose to use the combo here. These bags will now go with all of my Ostara outfits.
  The outer material is faux leather, originally meant for furniture. It is sturdy and stiff but easy to sew. The lining is 100% cotton. 

  This duo has made me feel quite efficient on the go. I´m very satisfied with how this bag-in-a-bag has worked in the real world. So glad I gave it a try!

OSTARA FASHION: MODERN SPONGEBOB

  SpongeBob SquarePants is our family´s all time favorite. Our son, now 9 1/2 years, fell in love with him as a two-year-old. Now our daughter, just recently turned two, has also learned to dig SpongeBob above all else. For us parents, he has rocked through all these years, and still continues to do so.
   In short: SpongeBob SquarePants rules!

  Ostara is the perfect playful time to honor Mr. SquarePants. I designed this modern-day outfit for myself, inspired by him.

Yellow, of course! Yellow and dark grey are the two main colors in my Ostara palette. This look is inspired by SpongeBob, not a direct copy of his image. Yin and Yang, style and costume-like, it´s all about balance. But fun it has got to be! The bright sunny yellow here does just that.

The fabric of the pants is repeated in the hairband, just to bring everything together. It´s a nifty little detail possible when making you own clothes, but not when store-bought. Makeup is almost nude, keeping the look young and fresh (Ostara is the time of childhood). I applied shimmery light yellow/golden eyeshadow on the inner 2/3 of the lids, and medium dark greyish brown on the outer 1/3. Beige blush on the cheeks, and yellow/golden gloss on the lips. A note on the necklace: originally I planned to dig up an old SpongeBob keyring I know we have somewhere, and turn it into a necklace for this outfit. It was meant to be the centerpiece, sort of "explaining" the whole idea in this look. But so far I have not yet found it! What a shame. I will have to get a new one if I don´t find it soon. But a SpongeBob necklace it will be!

The sleeves are this wide, making the shirt nice and comfortable. I like to wear essential orange oil on the earrings for this outfit. It is fresh and lifts up spirits (plus decreases anxiety, eases abdominal- and menstural pain, promotes good digestion and is relaxing). 

  Long live SpongeBob´s innocence, cheerfulness, enthusiasm, trust in others, positive mindset, and helpfulness. I have a lot to learn from him...

SATURDAY OTUTFIT FOR A GIRL

  After making myself the Sarah Kay- inspired outfit, I was still left with some strips and pieces of the fabrics. So I decided to make a similar outfit for my girl. Like mother like daughter, almost. =)

I call this "Saturday Outfit" because I think Saturday is the most relaxed and fun day of the week. A day when you´re supposed to laugh and play hard, chill out, and enjoy life to the fullest. Clothes can be more relaxed than on any other day, and the more colorful the merrier. This style does deliver: green stretchy shirt combined with baggy purple pants.

Yo-yos have become a favorite of mine. They are so comfortable for little kids to wear, and easy for mommy to make... =) These ones add color and texture to the subtle green shirt (which looks strangely grey in these pics).

More yo-yos on the flip side. The trick is that you can only see one set of yo-yos at a time, either on the front or the back. Enough is enough.

Funny thing is, that I used the same type of decoration in the previous Saturday Outfit I made last August (My girl has outgrown that, so I needed to make a new one.)

  This outfit has proven to be great in use. The model of the pants is actually meant for boys, but I think girls also deserve to wear comfortable, as well as pretty, clothes!

OSTARA FASHION: THE WICKED WITCH OF THE EAST

  Bunnies, pussy willows, eggs, and witches are all traditional themes of Ostara. So far I have covered the first three on the list, and now it is time for the fourth one to beautify my wardrobe:

See the whole story here on Nelland Living (my column at PaganPages.com).

Playing with clothes and apparel is so much fun! 

OSTARA FASHION: SARAH KAY INSPIRED OUTFIT

  Sarah Kay´s world is amazingly beautiful. I try to bring a bit of it´s innocence and childlike wonder into our world by my new outfit:

A snug top paired with wide-legged pants. One of my favorite combinations. I loooove loose and comfy pants. Period. The ruffle around the neck edge is brought from Ms.Kay´s world, and is the trick to this look. By keeping the shirt color subtle, the ruffle does not stand out too harshly. The ruffle also adds nice bulk to my shoulders, balancing out my pear shape. Beauty is about proportions, and luckily the eye can be deceived...  =)

  Long skirts are nice, but so unpractical to wear. I like to see these wide pants as the modern equivalent to ye olde times´ long skirts.

I have always liked to combine light green and purple/lilac. They are just right for Ostara.

Makeup adds to the whole. In the spirit of Ostara I do a colorful, pastel, palette. On the eyelids I applied lilac and purple, yes, to repeat the color of the pants. I used shimmery light pink blush on the cheeks, and a light coat of yellow/golden lipgloss. The necklace is one I have bought about five years ago, and I just love it. The colorful beads look like tiny painted Easter eggs. Earrings are my own aromatherapy ones (they go with everything!)

  P.S. Last summer I also made an outfit inspired by Sarah Kay. You can see it here. These two outfits are very different, but possess the same kind of spirit, don´t they?

BIRD´S NEST

  This is our kitchen dining area:

This part of the house was built in 1830. I always do Sabbat-related decorating around the table. Now the balloons are not for Ostara, they are for birthdays around this time.

Grass and eggs are such classics for the season.

This egg is fake, but the nest itself is genuine! I´m no ornithologist so I can´t tell which species built it, but I found it this January at our cabin. It had fallen down from a tree during a storm. The nest was unspoiled, and looked so cute and adorable, that I had to pick it up. And now it gets to beautify our Ostara kitchen table as the center piece! 

WHAT MADE ME HAPPY TODAY

  Deliberately I celebrate the little things in life. I lift them up on a small pedestal even. They are what everyday life consists of, and there´s always something good in every single day. I just need to recognize it.
  Here´s what made me happy today:

A beautiful butterfly (a small tostoiseshell) had awoken from hibernation! The very first butterfly I´ve seen this spring. It was lying on the snow, so I picked it up carefully and let it warm up in the sun. In a few minutes it was ready, and took off flapping it´s beautiful wings.

  Nature and spring rule!

OSTARA FASHION: WILLOW CATKIN- TUNIC

  Willow catkins are a must decoration for Ostara home. But I wanted to go further and embrace it in my garderobe as well. Like this:

Inspired by the soft little catkins that is. Juggling between stylish and costume-like is my things. I like to push the boundaries, but stay on the style side. Therefore you don´t see actual catkins, only hints of them.

The tunic is made of soft cotton velour. It reminds me of the softness of catkins, and keeps me nice and warm in these still chilly days.

I kept the main color of the outfit subtle, while creating contrast with the dark brown edges and the vine running accross the hemline. Small decorative buttons brighten the whole up, and bring Ostara´s beautiful pastel colors in to the game.

Just to show the back.

Since the look is mostly grey and "dull" (which is because nature itself is still mostly grey and dull too) I wanted to brighten it up further by wearing colorful makeup (in pictures the makeup always looks way more lame than in reality). On the eyes I used lilac and purple, on the cheeks soft pink, and on the lips yellow/golden gloss. So there is a myriad of colors going on, but in a fresh and youthful way. For me Ostara is the childish time of year, and my looks respect that.

It´s no surprise that I made the jewelry myself too. These woollen "beads" lead the way, and repeat the colors of the mini-buttons in the hem. I imagined the small dark brown glass beads as the stems of willow, and the woollen ones catkins. You would never know, if you did not know.  And you are not supposed to. Not everything needs to be so obvious. =)

EATING PLAN FOR OSTARA

  My goal in eating is to stay healthy, slim, and energetic without having to count calories. Also I loath cooking, so I want to get by as easy as I can. My diet is mostly vegan, of which some is intentionally raw. I have found that juiced and blended foods suit my stomach well, so those are included  in this plan.

 "Daily essentials" make for the stem of my eating plan for this Ostara:
1. 1-2 cups of veggie juice
2. 1-2 cups of green smoothie
3. 1/2 cup of raw dip/sauce

  In addition to the previous I can eat pretty much whatever I want, including unhealthy desserts like milk chocolate.

  Another corner stone of the plan is the time of eating. I will try to finish eating for the day by 5pm. That supports the studies showing that it is in our genes not to eat in the evening or at night, and that only through this daily "mini fast" can our bodies do their job properly.
  After 5pm it is all about drinking water and brushing my teeth, which helps reduce my cravings. =)

Breakfast (by 10am): 
1-2 cups of veggie juice (with some apple or other fruit in it to give a bit of sweetness)
nuts or bread

Lunch (around noon):
1-2 cups of green smoothie (including greens and 1/2 an avocado, the rest is up to the content of the fridge)
pasta, rice, bread, tofu, etc.

 Dinner (by 5pm):
about 1/2 cup of dip/sauce with chopped veggies
1-2 cups of green tea with soymilk
dessert of choice (I´m forever addicted to chocolate...)

  The idea for each meal is to eat the daily essential first, and then have whatever (vegan and quite low-fat) I want according to my appetite.

  Two incredibly inspirational raw-foodists out there are Ms. Tonya Zavasta and Ms. Mimi Kirk. I want to be like them when I grow up!

(NEARLY) HEALTHY GINGER-OAT-COOKIES FOR TEA

  Nearly, because these contain sugar. Everything else is super-healthy with no added fat. These cookies feature my recent love for the classic combination of ginger and lemon. I can´t seem to get enough of it!

I love sweet food. I went to a restaurant the other day to have only a dessert with hot chocolate. Why waste time and money on a main course if, what I really want comes after it?  =)

  The recipe:

1 tsp psyllium
2 Tbsp water
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 inch piece of fresh ginger, finely grated
1 lemon, zest of
1 banana, mashed
1 Tbsp lemon juice
a little water as needed

+ Mix water and psyllium. Let sit while you mix the dry ingredients in another bowl. To the psyllium, add the banana, lemon juice & zest, and ginger. Mix well with a spoon, and add the dry ingredients. If the dough is too dry, add a little bit of water to it. You should be able to flatten it without breaking. You´ll notice what is enough.
  Form into cookies either by scooping a spoonful onto a baking sheet and flattening it, or by rolling the dough with a rolling pin and cutting with cookie cutters into the desired shape.
  Bake in oven at 375F/190C for about 10min.

  Enjoy nearly guilt-free with your afternoon tea/coffee! I sure did, and both of my kids loved them too.

  This recipe is my own, gluten-free, version of the original Banana-Maple Oatmeal Cookies.

OESTARA HOME

  Here is how I´ve decorated our home for Oestara:

The front porch. The bunny is totally cute and childish, and thus represents perfectly my idea of the season.

No Oestara without narcissus!

This year it is still very cold at Oestara, so I put this pot of narcissus inside a large lantern to keep it from freezing.

Also because of the cold weather these spruce twigs are still the only greens that can make it outside, so I had to hang eggs on them... Well, at least it is original, right?  =)

Entrance hall and my always favorite pair of old boots.

In all of it´s ugliness, this chick is adorable in it´s own way. It is of course made by my son at school, and I just don´t have the heart to not put it up for decor.

Bathroom needs it´s own touch. Narcissus actually has a mild scent to it, so it works as a light air freshener too.

Kitchen table.

Probably the most important, and classical, place to have decoration at. These chicks have sweetened my Oestaras for many years.

Even the spice basket got it´s own narcissus. Perfectly in harmony with Herbamare and chili powder. (Please ignore the fridge door! I HATE having anything on it, but we are still learning to cope with diabetes, and need to have some instructions at hand.)

We spend a lot of time in the living room too, so I added a touch of spring in there also.

  Happy and beautiful Oestara!