I want to remind you all to come meet me back here at 5 pm PST / 8 pm EST for my live chat. You have submitted some great questions already about all things warm weather-related: sunscreen, swimwear, weight loss—so keep your questions coming, and I’ll answer as many as I can today during our live chat.

To participate, all you have to do is logon to The Kind Life when the chat starts. If you don't already have a profile on The Kind Life, make sure to sign up for one so you'll receive an email notification when the live chat begins.

I look forward to talking to ya'll!

Share your questions below and I'll try to answer as many as I can during the live chat!

More kind discussions...
ANNOUNCING: My Next Live Chat!
My Live Chat About Pregnancy 
Love Chatting With You All
Ask a Superhero: What's Up With Wheatgrass? 

Kind Lifer Kathy made some big changes and her life is better than ever!

“In the hope of inspiring others to make a change, I'd like to share my story. The power of a year can be underestimated. Last year I was unhappily working for a large corporation, using anti-depressants and red wine to pass the days. I knew I needed a change, that there was something I was missing out of life. 

My first step was to nix the pharmaceuticals and change my diet. In May, I read The Kind Diet and Eating Animals and it was then that I made the decision to be a vegetarian. From there, I was inspired to make other major changes. I quit smoking and quit my toxic job and quit red wine (not necessarily in that order). I started volunteering as a server at a Buddhist vegetarian organic restaurant, bringing people healthier, more nourishing food and educating them on GMO's and the importance of organic. 

Back in November, I tried out different diets including a Superhero, Macrobiotic, and Raw diet for 30 days. After that, I never looked back on eating dairy and have never felt better. And yes, like other vegans gone wild, I lost that annoying 10 pounds that's hard to get rid of! 

Now, I'm embarking on an organic farming internship for nine months in the hopes of eventually managing an organic farm of my own and working with the surrounding community. If you had told me last year that all this would happen, I'd tell you to get out! I made the changes, some harder than others, and have lived to tell about it. More than that, I feel more alive now than ever! If you're thinking about making changes just know that you can and it's worth it...you're worth it.”     

Congratulations Kathy!

If any of you kind lifers have a success story to share, private message me or upload your story to your profile and “like” it. I may feature you on the homepage of The Kind Life!

More kind cures... 
Kind Cures: Kelly Banishes Eczema
Kind Cures: Carol Heals Her Baby's Eczema
Kind Cures: Kayla Gets Back on the Wagon
Kind Cures: Spunky Loses 114 Pounds and Quits Smoking 

Last week on Suburgatory, Noah got a little personal…  If you missed it, you can watch the full episode on abc.com. 

Tomorrow's episode is the season finale and might be the last time you'll see Eden so don't forget to tune in to ABC at 8:30/7:30C!

More on Suburgatory:
Did You Catch Suburgatory? 
Bear on the Set of Suburgatory
Behind the Scenes of Suburgatory
On the Set of “Suburgatory”

I’m so excited to tell you about my new Juice Beauty line (available exclusively at Ulta and Juice Beauty). I worked really hard to make this collection as eco-friendly and yummy as possible, so I’m thrilled it’s finally here!

Every item in the collection is organic and 100% vegan, containing nourishing ingredients like passion fruit, champagne grape, shea butter, avocado, aloe, and fresh juices. The packaging is made from 95% post-consumer recycled materials and the makeup items have over 90% recycled paper components.

The ink used in the packaging is soy-based, and once you’ve used up the products, all the packaging is recyclable…yahoo! So, not only can you recycle them (and you must!), but they're made from products that have already been recycled—plastic water bottles! How great is that?

Here’s a video about the new line from “Entertainment Tonight”:

Win My Complete Juice Beauty Collection!

I’m giving away one complete collection to one lucky winner! That includes one of each of the following:

• Simply Pure Chamomile Cleanser
• Simply Nourishing Moisturizer
• Purely Kissable Lip Color
• Irresistible Glow Facial Highlighter
• Simply Flawless Pressed Powder

To enter for a chance to win, leave a comment below telling me which product you want to try most and why. Good luck!

• You must be a registered TheKindLife.com member to enter. Learn how to sign up by clicking here.
• This contest is open to residents of the USA only.
• Winners will ONLY be contacted via private message to their TheKindLife.com inbox and by email. If our team does not hear back within 24 hours, a new winner will be selected in your place.
• Limit one comment per entry. Multiple comment entries will not be considered.
• This giveaway ends at 11:59 PM PST on May 20, 2012.

Warm weather usually means cooking out. And for many people, that might mean attending events where meat is on the menu. Here are some recipes for dishes you can bring to a BBQ, or even better…throw your own kind summer BBQ! Nothing can inspire or motivate change better than a belly of delicious food.

Here are some yum BBQ ideas I shared last year:

• Grilled Veggies - mushrooms, zucchini, onions, whatever your favorites are!
• Grilled Corn on the Cob…yum!
• Cole Slaw – here’s a nice-looking recipe that uses vegenaise instead of dairy 
• Potato Salad - see recipe below!
• Mac ‘n Cheez - recipe courtesy of Seedling Catering
• Baked Beans - my husband’s favorite BBQ food!
• Grilled Gardein Scallopini is delicious!
• Field Roast Sausages - you could make whole sausages or kebobs with grilled veggies and sausage on a stick!
• your favorite non-dairy ice cream - Rice Dream mint sandwich bars are a summery, fresh treat!

I haven’t tried this one, but I love me some potato salad! I rarely eat it, but it’s such a nice treat for a pool party or BBQ. And it’s so easy to make a healthier version... And sooo much yummier!

I would personally leave out the peppers (and I think it would be way yummier that way), but if you are someone who loves peppers, leave them in!

Summer Potato Salad 

Ingredients

• 2 lbs. baby new potatoes, cooked, peeled and halved
• 1 large shallot, chopped
• 4 scallions, chopped
• 1 small bunch fresh chives, chopped
• 1/2 bunch flat leaf Italian parsley, chopped
• 1 red bell pepper, diced
• 1 yellow bell pepper, roughly chopped
• 1 orange bell pepper, cut into fine strips
• 1/2 c. Vegenaise
• 3 tbsp. white balsamic vinegar
• Salt & pepper to taste

Steps

1. As potatoes are cooling, mix the rest of the ingredients in a large bowl - your mixture should be thick, not soupy
2. Add a little more vinegar or a spoonful more Vegenaise to get an appropriately "saucy" consistency
3. When potatoes are still slightly warm, add them to the mixture and stir delicately, so as not to mar the skins of the potatoes
4. Let cool in the fridge for about 2 hours, or if you just can't stand it, eat while still warm

What would your perfect BBQ look like?

More kind treats...
Delicious Sunday Dinners
Artichokes with Roast Capsicum and Sun-Dried Sauce
Kind Chocolate Cake
My Warm, Spicy Wine

Every spring, I pull out all the weeds from my garden and put some nice compost into the soil. Then I plant my spring crop! Last year was more compact and a little less wild than the year before to get action-packed results in a small space. 

Last year, I planted:

• Onions
• Sweet peas
• Kale
• Collards
• Heirloom tomatoes (couldn’t resist)
• Basil (didn’t do too well – a furry creature was eating it)
• Lettuce
• Beans
• Celery
• Parsley
• Sage

This year was  a complete surprise! I planted in the winter time and forgot about it. Then all of a sudden I looked and there were veggies everywhere! We had fava beans, kale, and onions…that I had forgotten about.That's the exciting thing about planting food in the winter that doesn't need maintenance.

We had really tapped out the nutrients from the soil for a few years, so we grew the fava beans to nourish the soil. Roger Doiron of Kitchen Gardeners International explains that all members of the legume family, including beans, peas, and lentils, replenish the nitrogen compounds that other plants need to grow.  When I first discovered the fava beans, I ate some of them raw and they were delicious. To cook them, we peel away the outer pod and steam the beans for about five minutes. Then the inner beans pop out easily from the little bean shells. I tossed some onto a fresh boiled salad and I give them to Bear to eat. He loves them! He picks them up with his little fingers and pops them in his mouth. 

We also have volunteer nasturtiums, which are edible flowers, and wild arugula that also volunteers. A volunteer crop is one that we didn't deliberately plant. It grows from the seed of an old crop and keeps coming back year after year. 

This is my surprise winter garden! 

The bulb of a spring onion eventually gets more round and white. Spring onions have more of a bite than green onions, and can be used raw or cooked and are yum in salads or sautéed. I love to pick them early and slice up the bulb a few at a time to save in a jar to sprinkle on my soups. Then the green part I use like scallions—crunchy and delicious. Yum!

Growing your own food is fun, I love eating from my garden!

What’s in your garden right now?

Related Stories:

Seed Bomb Machines!
My Garden in the Summertime!
Action ALert: Support a Kind Teacher
Flowers from My Garden 

I love chatting with all of you, so I’m going to do my best to make it happen at least once a month!

Since summer is almost here, I thought we should make May’s live chat all about enjoying the warm weather kind-style: that means dishing about everything from kind BBQ recipes to the best kind sunscreens, beauty products, beach reading and eco-friendly vacation ideas.

Our live chat will be happening Wednesday, May 16 at 5pm PST / 8pm EST, so mark your calendars!

What would you like to ask me about having a kind summer? Submit your questions in the comments below, and I’ll do my best to answer them during our live chat!

Related Stories: 

My Live Chat About Pregnancy 
Love Chatting With You All
I Found Some Cool Luggage Tags!
My Favorite Beauty Products and the Best Facial in LA! 

This was taken at Coachalla just a few weeks ago.

Most of these photos were taken when Bear was about six months old and he was chewing on everything—as you can see in the top left photo with the tooth brush in his mouth and the bottom with the tv remote. The most recent picture is the top middle where Bear is chewing on an icicle, taken about two months ago when he was ten months old.

Of course, I have my mom to thank for imparting her kind values to me at an early age, with her love of animals and her eco-conscious habits (see my post about how she squeezes the last drop out of every beauty product…go Mom!). My mom is also the inspiration for the English brunch recipe on page 198 in The Kind Diet.

Get the recipe here and make your mom breakfast in bed this year!

Here are some kind gift ideas you can give your mom for Mother’s Day: 

Cookies and Crispy Bars by Pure Sweets


Vegan Divas Gluten Free Coconut Macaroons and Cookies in a Heart Tin


Flora Floppy Straw Hat by Greenpacha


Eco-Functional iPhone Case by Minimalist


Striped Sweatshirt by Threads 4 Thought


Hand-crafted Soaps from Estrella


Lip Balm by Salve Me


Woven Envelope Clutch by Daydreamer

If you haven’t already, be sure to follow me on OpenSky to be the first to find out about more great deals on kind goodies!

Want to give a gift on behalf of your mom? Check out these organizations:

• Help the Humane Society shut down puppy mills, save animals from natural disasters, and fight animal cruelty.
• Help PETA’s ongoing efforts to stop all types of animal cruelty.
• Help the ASPCA continue to care for and adopt out animals in need.
• Support Farm Sanctuary by adopting an animal for Mother’s Day!

And, for the mamas-to-be in your life, share Ricki Lake’s amazing documentaries The Business of Being Born and More Business of Being Born. I’ve also shared a bunch of great book recommendations for moms-to-be over the last year in our kind book club.

Like every holiday, this one is all about spending time with your family and appreciating each other. 

How do you plan to celebrate Mother’s Day?

More stories for kind mamas: 
Kind Book Club: What You Thought of “Diaper Free” by Ingrid Bauer
ANNOUNCING! winners of a signed copy of the kind diet
Link Love: Recapping the Month in Kind
Lil Kind Life: 10 Ways to Help Your Kids Go Green 

Macrobiotic counselor Warren Kramer is coming to LA in June! You know him from my previous posts about his classes as well as my Q&A series about kind pregnancy with his lovely wife Fatim. If you live in or around LA and would like to know more about going superhero, check out Warren's classes! I love them and highly recommend them. They always have very interesting discussions and great information—life changing stuff! Get your butts there! Details below:

VEGAN/MACROBIOTIC CLASSES in LA

Warren Kramer in Los Angeles June 6-10, 2012

Wednesday, June 6, 6:30 – 9:00 pm

Dinner/Lecture: Food and Lifestyle to Stay Young and Vital - The Real Fountain of Youth

$45 paid by 5/30; $60 thereafter 

Our modern diet and lifestyle are causing people to age quickly and prematurely. We've become obsessed with our appearance and staying young. There is truly a way to keep our freshness, brightness and youthful appearance throughout our life. Warren explains how to use food, exercise and lifestyle to stay biologically young.

Thursday, June 7, 6:00 - 9:00 pm

Cooking Class: How to Satisfy Cravings Through Cooking!

$60 paid by 5/30; $75 thereafter

Cravings can be our friend. They are there to help us strike balance with our activity and our environment, and they help us find satisfaction. We will look closely at what specific cravings are telling us and how to make the right dishes to satisfy without compromising health.

Friday, June 8, 6:30 - 9:00 pm

Dinner/Lecture: The Kidneys - Key to Our Vitality

$45 paid by 5/30; $60 thereafter

In Traditional Chinese Medicine it is said that the kidneys are "our seat to life".

They are our hereditary bank account. Our teeth, bones, nails, hair quality, will, physical and sexual vitality are all influenced by the strength and functioning of our kidneys. This essential lecture will focus on how to diagnose your kidneys, what harms and helps the kidneys with regard to food, remedies and lifestyle.

Lecture: Managing Your Condition to Manage Your Life

One of the goals of a macrobiotic practice is to learn how to guide one's life. To be able to make appropriate choices in diet and lifestyle greatly determine the quality of our life. Warren explores what it really means to manage our condition and how to start making the best choices for us.

To Register contact: Karen

Email: yogarv@aol.com Tel: 310-204-4867

Warren will be available for individual health consultations from June 7 to June 10.

Please Note: Your payment holds your reservation for all classes, as space is limited.

Wednesday and Friday classes are held in Culver City

Thursday and Saturday's classes and Consultations are held in West LA

Special Discount: Prepay for all classes by May 30 is $220.00

www.macrobioticsnewengland.com

What questions do you have about going superhero?

Related Stories:

My Friend Fatim's Natural Pregnancy
My Friend Fatim's Natural Birth…
Fatim's Superhero Baby!
Superhero Classes: Warren Kramer is Back in LA!