Me, myself, and I: Ingrid Callot talks about the importance of ‘me time’

“With all the chores that I have to do, I can’t even find time to clean my nails, Ingrid Callot! I can’t even go out of the house!” one of my friends exclaimed when I asked her the other day if we can go out for dinner. Although inviting her to go out always freaks out this friend of mine, I still asked her anyway, in the hopes that she finally knew how to set aside time for herself.

Ingrid Callot. Image Credit: Seattlemag.com

As a mother and wife who does various things on the side, I know how overwhelming it can get to wear different hats sometimes – no, wait -- all the same time. While some married women, particularly those with kids, never fail to blame settling down as the cause of longer having time for themselves, I, Ingrid Callot, just cannot make sense out of this ‘reason.’

Ingrid Callot. Image Credit: Drshannonreece.com

First off, ‘me time’ is important because everyone needs to stop and break their routines once in a while. According to this CNN article, breaking a routine is beneficial for a person’s overall well-being. It reduces stress, gives people time to think, and recharges them. With these benefits, women can do all their responsibilities better without feeling shortchanged.

Moreover, ‘me time’ doesn’t require doing it alone. It may refer to time spent with friends, and joining activities and pursuing hobbies for joy and fulfillment.

It also doesn’t have to be done for a whole day or for a long period. So I advise women to simply have at least two hours to themselves before starting their daily routine. Reading a book, gardening, exercising, or just walking around the community can make moms and wives feel better and more energized.

Ingrid Callot. Image Credit: Teenvogue.com

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Back to school: Ingrid Callot's healthy snacks for kids

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: health-and-beauty-information.blogspot.com

Hi! It’s me, Ingrid Callot, at your service once again. Now that my son, Jacob, is back in school, I have to come up with snacks he will love and enjoy eating. Of course, I want his snacks to be delicious, but they also have to be nutritious and easy to prepare. Although I take pleasure in creating snacks from scratch, I also hit the grocery for healthy and yummy treats that won’t spoil appetites before meals. Here are some of my son’s favorites:  

Roasted almonds

Good thing my little one is not allergic to nuts. I always include a small bag of whole roasted salted almonds in his lunch box. They’re not just crunchy, they’re also low in cholesterol and sodium. And they’re a good source of magnesium, Vitamin E, and manganese.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: elanaspantry.com

Ingrid Callot is a mother and wife who loves to blog about eco-friendly tips on housekeeping.

Granola bars

This is a staple in our house. My hubby loves these and they’re Jacob’s favorite, too. I usually prepare batches of homemade bars at home. But if I don’t have the time to do so, I just hit the local store and get boxes of these. Jacob loves the chewy ones, but there is also the crispy kind.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: quakeroats.com

Apple cider-flavored juice

This calcium and Vitamin C-rich beverage is very low in saturated fat and cholesterol. Drinking apple juice improves my son’s digestion and helps eliminate harmful toxins from the tummy.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: en.wikipedia.org

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Something sweet for your avian visitors: Ingrid Callot on attracting hummingbirds

For Ingrid Callot, there’s something so enchanting about having birds in the garden, much more seeing hummingbirds hovering over it and feeding from a hanging feeder basket. Read about what she does to attract hummingbirds in her garden.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: Spiritbloggerkids.wordpress.com

My family and friends love to stay in my garden—a haven for birds, especially for hummingbirds. The sight of these tiny, feathered creatures in my garden makes me feel so lucky and my home naturally pretty. Attracting birds, when done properly, can do a lot of favor to the bird population. I can’t emphasize enough how significant this is to avian life since most of the country’s wildlife habitats have gone private and millions of acres every year are lost to commercial or residential use.

For Ingrid Callot, maintaining a garden gives her a sense of serenity and pride as it does not only beautify her home but also keep her healthy inside out.

Sad, but true. That’s why I do what it takes to keep hummingbirds close by.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: Calloways.com

Having hummingbirds in my garden is also a great way to teach my young son Jacob and his friends the value of nature. I’m sure many moms would want to do the same for their kids. So here’s a little something I’d like to share to you if you want hummingbirds making regular visits in your yard. It’s all about this simple yet optimal food formula: cane sugar (1 part) + water (4 parts). This recipe replicates the nectar of various wildflowers, so it should work. A word of caution: Never replace sugar with honey since honey ferments quickly when added to water causing hummingbirds to die.

Ingrid Callot. Image credit: Leader.co.uk

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Ingrid Callot: Paper Bags vs. Plastic Bags

From Ingrid Callot December

From Ingrid Callot December

My name is Ingrid Callot, and I long to one day meet Martha Stewart, Oprah Winfrey, and the Dalai Lama. In my dreams, the four of us go trick-or-treating on Halloween, with me as Betty Boop, the Dalai Lama dressed as Super Saiyan Goku, Martha as Marilyn Monroe, and Oprah as Whoopi Goldberg. I wonder how much candy we’d get.

From Ingrid Callot December

Last Christmas, my family and I made a vow to live green. We began favoring reusing and recycling over buying new things, eating only local produce, avoiding the purchase of detergents and substances that have toxic chemicals, refraining from using and buying things made out of plastic, and composting our organic waste.

From Ingrid Callot December

One day, my friend Edgardo pointed out that my environmentalism was still problematic. “Ingrid Callot, you are hopeless,” he said, cocking his head from side to side. “You ban all plastic bags, but you’re using these paper bags, which is worse.”

“Edgardo Versoza,” I said. “I use paper bags for a reason. They’re perfectly recyclable and biodegradable and hold more stuff than plastic bags can ever carry.”

“Call me when you graduate from being an entry-level environmentalist,” he said, before walking out.

From Ingrid Callot December

From Ingrid Callot December

Puzzled, I Googled “paper plastic environment,” and felt my jaw drop. According to an article from Treehugger, the best choice was neither paper nor plastic, but reusable canvas bags. A study showed that canvas bags, when used 500 times during their life cycle, are 14 times better than plastic, and 39 times better than paper on a range of aspects including the amount of energy used in manufacturing, environmental damage caused in production, and reuse as well as recycling rates.

With that, I dialed Edgardo’s number to invite him to go shopping for a reusable canvas shopping bag.

From Ingrid Callot December

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I’m Dreaming of a Green Christmas: Ingrid Callot’s Eco-Chic Holiday Accents

Hello, my name is Ingrid Callot. It’s practically Christmas, and everyone is swamped with the holiday rush of dinner engagements with family and friends, menu preparations for guests and loved ones, company parties with colleagues and co-workers.

From etsy.com courtesy of Olive Brown

This year, however, the season’s demands are higher than ones past, as my husband, son, and I have all decided to minimize Christmas spending to less than half of last year’s expenses. An earnest desire to adopt a lifestyle of sustainable development cannot be stopped by even the most lavish occasions, and so we took it upon ourselves to stick to a solid, environmental approach towards the yuletide festivities.

From theinspiringbee.com

Now, “Ingrid Callot” is not a name easily equated with financial temperance, and my husband is very quick to back this statement up. Because of the state of the planet, however, I have come to believe that merry-making should be managed with consideration for Mother Earth and her many, many children.

From inthefunlane.com

To make a strong statement, eschew store-bought banners, posters, and decals. A great idea to spread some Christmas cheer is to spell out the season’s greetings in block letters. Use ceramic alphabet balls in different ways, or send Christmas wishes with Scrabble tiles.

From countryliving.com, courtesy of the Farm Chicks, Inc. by Sterling Publishing Co.

From theinspiringbee.com

Instead of abusing string lights and racking up a monstrous power bill, fashion elegant lanterns out of old tin cans using nails of different sizes to punch patterns in. Australian artist Tracey Johnson cut out stunning designs on old wine boxes to erect glowing totem poles. These lanterns don’t take much to light up any room, but please people just as much.

From designspongeonline.com

From dornob.com and traceyjohnson.com.au

Old sweaters make excellent party coasters, while old socks make a wonderful rosette wreath. These quirky affects have fun written all over them, providing you with mood-lifting, ice-breaking conversation pieces that help get your green Christmas party started.

From etsy.com courtesy of Olive Brown

From elizabethholcombe.typepad.com