It’s not a race. It’s not a contest. It’s not a competition.

Not here anyway. I promise.

A long time ago, someone gave me an I’m Organic Certified Organic Mom magnet for my car. It was before I began blogging for I’m Organic. And it was at a time when I was just a little organic.

I was dipping a toe in the organic ocean — I was learning every day and struggling to make changes in a town where organic produce wasn’t even readily available.

When I was given that magnet it was from someone who knew I was trying to make good choices, and to raise my son naturally.

And then one day that magnet became a talking point. I was loading up our stroller into the back of my car when another mom asked me if I only hung out with the “other organic moms.”

She was smiling, but I saw something in her eyes — she was feeling insecure about our new friendship. No, I told her to break the tension – I only hang out with the other sleep-deprived moms who eat peanut butter out of the jar while standing at the sink. 

I told her that my magnet was a declaration of who I was trying to be, and that it was also a gift from a nice friend. And that’s when the real conversation about living organically started.

Since then, I’ve had similar conversations with other moms. Moms who ask me about our diet, or how we afford organics, or why we make the choices we make.

It is a minefield — let me tell you — especially on a first playdate.

Organic living can mean different things to different people — something I didn’t understand at all when I started down this natural path.

But what I have learned in the years since I stuck a magnet on the back of my car and started making little changes, is that organic living really is about the journey. It is about the small steps we take every day — switching to organics for berries, apples and potatoes; trying some organic cheese instead of the conventional kind; swapping out a chemical cleaner for vinegar and baking soda.

If you are reading this blog (thanks!), you are on some level interested in organic living. And interest is great! That’s huge!

Making one small change is even bigger.

So at what point do you officially become organic? I say it’s the minute you take that first organic step.

You don’t have to be 100 percent organic, or 75 percent organic or even 50 percent organic — you just have to want to start down a path.

So there you go — I just certified you. Now how about some free stuff?

Comment below about one change that you have made in your life recently to live more organically. You’ll be entered to win FIVE I’m Organic magents.  I only ask that you think about passing one on to a friend who you want to encourage to take organic steps too! Because supporting each other as we learn and grow is really how organic living can become mainstream.

Have you liked us on Facebook yet? Because that is a way to win another entry! (Just come back here and let us know you did it!)

A winner will be announced in Saturday’s post! Best of luck!!

Meet Toady, a little friend who hopped into our lives for just one afternoon, but my what an afternoon it was.

Most of his time with us he spent in a little tub, filled with a saucer of water and some grass clippings (you know, so he would feel at home).

You forget how absolutely squishy a little toad is — how it feels the first time you really hold one.

We forget so much as grown-ups, but my children reminded me on that lovely spring day how captivating nature can be. Watching them mesmerized by a new little friend for hours reminded me of afternoons spent wading in a creek, somehow knowing that anything went as long as I didn’t actually drown.

Thanks Toady — ya know, for stopping by.

An assortment of recipes, books, blog posts, or other things that inspired me this week.

Reusable Coffee Filters

Growing Medicinal Herbs

Love these baking mixes!

Dairy-free (and margarine-free) rhubarb crumble

I REALLY dislike this headline, but this article does contain good information for choosing a safe sunscreen for your kids

What is inspiring you this week? Please tell us about it in the comments below!

I used to be a little creeped out by quinoa — it’s all that shedding when the outer coating comes off. But it’s nutritional profile won me over, and now, I actually really enjoy it.

This recipe is one we came up with a while back. I realized this week as I started a cleanse (get it — “fast” food!) that it would be great to include because it is dairy-free, gluten-free, serves up a healthy amount of protein, and tastes really good.

It’s kind of a take on tabouli, and especially has the flavor when you use fresh mint. But you can subsitute other fresh herbs and it is still great — I used basil and parlsey this week because that is what I could get.

Note: Owen swears red quinoa tastes different (and better) that regular quinoa. I’m not sure, but I usually use regular in this recipe. But certainly feel free to take Owen’s advice and use red quinoa instead. The kid has a palate like a Michelin-starred chef.

Quinoa Tabouli

3 cups cooked quinoa (2:1 ratio grain to water, cook for about 15 minues)

two tomatoes, chopped

1/2 a cucumber, chopped

3 tablespoons (or more) fresh-chopped herbs — mint, parsley, basil, etc.

juice of one lemon

olive oil

salt and pepper

Cook the quinoa ahead of time and spread it out on a plate or platter to cool. (Or cook and refrigerate.) Add chopped vegetables, herbs, lemon juice and a glug of olive oil to the cooled quinoa. Add salt and pepper. Taste to adjust seasonings, and add more where required.

Serve room temperature or cold. This is great picnic food — we bring it along with us often!

Something that it really great about writing this blog is that all sorts of little things come to my attention now that I might not have noticed as much before.

We were at the post office last week when I saw a flyer for Go Green stamps.

I hadn’t realized that the U.S. postal Service has been making a lot of green changes during the past several years, including producing greener packaging materials, publicly reporting greehouse gas emissions and reducing its energy output.

The stamps feature green tips like reusing bags, sharing rides, and planting trees — this is stuff that most of us already know, of course, but I still like the comittment the postal service is showing by producing them, and making changes that honor the environment.

For more information about the postal service’s Go Green Commitment or to buy the new stamps, visit http://www.usps.com/green/.

And speaking of small green steps, stay tuned for a give-away I’m announcing on Tuesday that is all about how small steps are making a difference every day!

It occurred to me, as we strolled up and own the aisles, that a lot of it was junk. Sure.

But a lot of it was good — it was well-made, in many cases handmade, and it was beautiful.

I mentioned on Monday that we visited Viroqua, Wis. over the weekend. One of our stops was the flea market.

We don’t have a real flea market where I live. To be fair, there is a place that calls itself a flea market and sells 12-packs of socks for $2 socks and (frighteningly) puppies out of a box, but it isn’t really the same thing.

I have been spoiled by the flea market in Nashville, Tenn., that we visit when we are there to see my sister. It is a destination — almost overwhelming in its vastness. I think you could find about anything there, and easily spend a day.

The Viroqua Flea market is smaller than that, of course – it is a much smaller town. But there are treasures.

There are treasures in a lot of those places — antique stores, flea markets, second-hand stores, and even garage sales. You just have to know what you are looking for.

We weren’t looking for anything, really. We were browsing through record bins, because that is what my husband does. But we really didn’t intend to buying anything.

It was more a chance to look at what they had. To see what brought up a memory, or a feeling. An old cologne bottle that still carried its scent reminded my husband of his grandfather.

Shoehorns — can you even buy a new shoehorn anymore? — always remind me of my grandfather.

And then there are the jars of buttons, racks of aprons, mismatched cups stacked high … the things that bring a little inspiration. For what, I’m not entirely sure yet. But they just give off something — an energy maybe.

When I visit places like this, I am reminded that so much that we need is probably already out there, waiting to be rediscovered.

Sometimes, the very thing you need already exists. It just needs to be recycled, repurposed, reloved. It needs the chance to shine again.

What is your favorite flea market or second-hand find?

I started the cleanse today. It’s a big one — 28 days at least. There will be a point when I’ll be living on fruits, vegetables and rice, which is more than some people could even ask for, but in my case, is very short on Ben and Jerry’s.

I hope to do this cleanse right — following the directions and adding in some yoga to help along the detox process.

I remember a long time ago, I heard in a yoga class that twisting poses aid in detoxification. I have a Kundalini DVDthat is all about destressing and pushing the bad stuff out of your system.

Here are some more yoga resources I plan to borrow from while cleansing:

• Let’s Twist Again
• Yes to the Khichari; No to he castor oil
• This Spring Cleanse class for $4!
• Yoga for Detox

Do you ever cleanse? And if so, do you incorporate yoga into your detoxification process?

What my world looks like this Monday morning …

• Spent yesterday in Viroqua, Wis., with family. I love how the town embraces healthy living. I think their co-op’s salad bar is one of the happiest places on Earth.
• Starting a cleanse this week. (So I apologize for the typos, run-on sentences and rambling about chocolate chip cookies in advance.) Do you cleanse?
• As school draws to a close for us, I’m looking forward to our summer rhythm of long afternoons spent outdoors, dipping our toes in the kiddie pool, and endless smoothie pops (recipes to follow!).

What are you looking forward to most about the long days of summer ahead?

“Life just seems so full of connections.  Most of the time we don’t even pay attention to the depth of life.  We only see flat surfaces.”
~ Colin Neenan