It’s sometimes difficult to balance this blog, which is my passion, with other aspects of my life – namely earning income. It goes without saying that my family comes first, and mothering/partnering will be my number one priority. If only this blog could always be number two!

In the past I’ve been open about my ambition to monetize BA. It’s not my driving purpose here (of course), but I sure wouldn’t shy away from it. Every dollar required to live my life is time taken away from this space. If BA could do a bit to earn its keep, that would change a lot. And becoming a mommy has made my time more precious than ever. Sometimes I find myself asking a very difficult question: is blogging like this really sustainable for me?

I firmly believe in NPR (National Public Radio), PBS (the Public Broadcasting Service), and CSAs (community supported agrigulture), which is why I’ve been operating under a model I call USB – User Supported Blogging. That means that I’ve eschewed advertising dollars and instead relied on contributions from my readers (via my wishlist and the tip jar → ). I am so incredibly grateful for every gift I’ve received, but the undeniable truth is that donations won’t really bridge that financial gap.

Right now I work for my $crilla and I blog for love, and those two investments become competing factions in the ”War On Sayward’s Time”. And since family always come first, and since the sad truth is I do *need* to make money, in the end it’s the blog that suffers.

My ultimate dream is to someday marry my income obligations to that which brings me true joy. In other words, I’d love Bonzai Aphrodite to become lucrative, so that I could channel all of my extra energy right here. I have such Big Dreams and Grand Plans (yes capitals!) for this project, if only I could devote the time!

I’m not trying to get rich. I don’t make much money right now and I don’t need that much to maintain my lifestyle. But, well, a girl’s gotta eat. (And this girl’s gotta eat organic!) Life costs money, and I do need some.

So here’s where I would love some input. I’m decidedly disinterested in hosting advertisements, but I have been considering ‘sponsorship’. Essentially, featuring a company whose product and ethics I can completely get behind.

Do you see a distinction between advertisers and sponsors? Do you think allowing sponsorship would compromise the integrity of the site? (Or conversely, would you appreciate being exposed to responsible, green businesses?)

I’ve also considered other avenues of income via BA, such as selling quality merchandise like tees and totes. (Which, personally, I think could be so fun!) How would you feel if I offered BA-inspired garments and goodies? Would you be interested in buying them, or do you feel like our relationship would change if I were “selling something”?

My integrity is more important to me than anything. I always want you to trust that I’m operating above board and in honor of the principles I advocate. So I put it to you, my readers, my community, my ‘shareholders’ – what do you think?

This meeting is now called to order . . .

The book itself is totally unique, a dynamic artistic mix of photography, collage, and sketch. Our narrator is a finger (yes, a finger), our protagonists are plush dolls, and there’s some really cute illustrated snails. And on top of amazing art it packs a powerful pro-veg message.

From a press package:

“This new, innovative children’s book . . . raises questions about who we eat and how it feels to be food. When two enthusiastic Vikings decide to use snail shells as a nutritious supplement in juice, their mindful friend Thora challenges the Vikings to think about the effects of their actions.”





This book is recommended for children ages 6 and up, and was probably a bit advanced for wee Waits Rebhal. Still, he sure did love chewing on it! I’ve read it to him a number of times, and unlike lots of other kids books, I appreciate this one because it keeps me interested as well. The multi-media design is clever and creative and keeps my grown-up mind engaged, which is so nice.

Waits even took a turn trying to read it!





Garlic-Onion-Beet-Spinach-Mango-Carrot-Grapefruit Juice is a thoughtful book with an important message, but it certainly doesn’t take itself too seriously. Super sweet, often silly, and with a simple lesson in compassion that subtly encapsulates the veg*n ethos.

Seriously, I’m kind of in love with this book. I highly, *highly* recommend it -no matter your dietary preference! It would really make a great gift for any little ones in your life. So support an independent artist and check out Thora Thinks. If you don’t, Waits will give you frowny face:

When I first announced our 13th monthly mission, I didn’t imagine it would be met with such enthusiasm – but I should have known better. You guys never cease to amaze me! It was pounced upon by all you awesome readers, and you being the industrious ingenious people that you are, have taken this little idea and RUN with it. From the stories shared in the first wrap-up, to the unanimous call to keep it going another month, to the partnership with illuminationPositive, it’s all of YOU who have really driven this project forward.

And now it continues to grow! All the way from down in the Yucatán (one of my very favorite places on Earth), Bonzai reader Ero San has been spreading all sorts of love. This is so delightfully creative, when he shared it with me I just couldn’t wait to get it out to all of you. I know you’ll be as inspired as I am!








Origami butterflies. But not just any origami butterflies! These guys are made out of Post-It Notes, so they’re stickable! Quick to assemble and simple to spread, Ero San’s been sprinkling them all over Merida. Each one has a little love message written inside, too, for whoever is lucky enough to find and unfold it. HOW AWESOME IS THAT?

I just love this idea and I can’t wait to start making butterflies of my own. If you want to join in the fun, Ero San made an instructional video to teach us all the technique :





Thank you SO MUCH to Ero San for sharing your endeavors with us. It’s truly inspiring! And to all of you out there, please share your stories too! We want to hear about all the ways you’ve been spreading the love. It doesn’t have to be anything elaborate at all, so no need to be shy.

Can’t wait to hear from you all!

*** all images by Ero San

This morning Waits and I joined a huge group of women in The Big Latch On, an attempt to break the world record for simultaneous nursing. It was so friggin wonderful! Yay for positive and empowered public breastfeeding!

So hello there! Welcome to the weekend! Firstly and with much gratitude I want to say THANK YOU to Kristen, who was so sweet to drop a little something in my tip jar this week. Thanks lady – the support really means so much to me. =)

And now, it’s time for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions. So what’s up guys? What’s on your minds? Tell me tell me everything!

As usual, the Feedback Forum will remain here at the top of the page all weekend, so if you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, you can stop back by any time. This is your community, so get involved and have your say!

As an aside: Over the past few months I’ve recieved a number of Facebook friends requests to my personal page. But my deal with Facebook is ‘real life only’. I figure I’m public in enough places all over the whole damn internets (like hello? that’s my ta ta hanging out up there ^^), so Facebook is my one place to stay in touch with face-to-face friends. And yes, I do see the ultimate irony in making Facebook my one private place, haha. Anyway, if I didn’t accept your friends request PLEASE DON’T TAKE IT PERSONALLY! I love you guys! Come join the Bonzai Facebook page! Okay, hope y’all understand.

Now have a fantabulous weekend!

A lot of you reported that you were unable to fulfill this mission as completely as you’d hoped, so now’s your chance! Others posted their accomplishments and – *WOW* – what an inspiring collection of stories! You guys are AMAZING. Definitely check out the comments in the wrap-up post for a ton of great ideas and a goodly dose of motivation.

“I Have Everything I Need“, “This Is The Sign You’ve Been Waiting For“, & “You are ready. Calm your self. You are gaining in strength“

So that’s the extension, but what about the expansion? Well, I’m so thrilled to announce that Bonzai Aphrodite has teamed up with Shango Los of illuminationPositive! Shango began the project in 1993 and has kept it going, underground and in some form or another, ever since. This INCREDIBLE endeavor is very similar to the little handwritten messages I made last month, except way cooler and on a much grander scale. The project has run over 15 years and has participants around the world, but it’s always been kept underground. Now, illuminationPositive is going BIG, and I for one am more than happy to help!








What an amazing concept, right guys? So simple, so elegant, and yet profoundly impactful. If you’re excited by the project and want to be a part of it, there’s a couple of things you can do. You can friend them on Facebook and follow them on Twitter. And, for my readers, the first TEN people to email me (info at bonzaiaphrodite dot com) will be sent their own little bundle of illuminationPositive cards to pass out! Yay!!! (Okay, ten emails and ten winners! All gone!)

I want to give a huge THANK YOU to all of you guys, who inspire me more than you’ll ever know. I can’t wait to hear about how you ‘Spread The Love’ this month!

And of course a huge THANK YOU to Shango and illuminationPositive, for all the love you’ve already spread and all the love you’ve yet to give. You’re awesome dude!

*** all images credited to illuminationPositive

Some outtakes from shooting for this article.

Well oi there! Hello! We’ve had a scorching couple of days here in p-town and now we’re all set for a lovely, mild weekend. And you know what the weekend means – it’s time for this week’s comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions.

How is your summer going so far? And what have you got planned for the rest of the season? Are there any sun/summer related posts that you’d like to see from me in the coming weeks? (sunscreen! I know, I’m working on it, ack!) Tell me watchya watchya want?!!

As usual, the Feedback Forum will remain here at the top of the page all weekend, so if you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, you can stop back by any time. This is your community, so get involved and have your say!

Oh, and check out this awesome video of Waits cracking himself up in the bathroom mirror. <3

Hope you have an energizing weekend! (not *too* hot)

Lucky number 13! But this mission isn’t about luck, good or bad. Quite the opposite in fact – it’s about karma.

Before we jump into all that, just a reminder that last month’s wrap-up is here. I’d really love to hear from all of you, as I’ve been keeping you in my thoughts as you’ve worked this mission and now I’m curious to hear about it! So please please, hop on over and let me know how you did (even if it was less than stellar – that’s okay too!)

So now for this month’s mission! Last month was bad habits (boo), and this month we round it out with good deeds (yay!) Because it’s so easy to get caught up in the flurry of life, to focus only on the future. You just get swept away in your schedule, never really pausing to look around at the *now*, never really snapping into the present. This is a concept we addressed in relation to our bad habits last month, and it’s an idea you’ll see me explore in my work throughout this site. Because it’s really, really important.

I know that for me, if I don’t check in with myself I can easily get so stuck in a ‘forward moving’ mindset. Just put my head down and plow forward with “gotta get this done, then gotta get this done, then gotta . . . “. But that’s no way to live a life! And not only will it keep us from dealing with our demons, but it also keeps us from . . . noticing that the person in front of us couldn’t pay for their coffee . . . or that the old man who we just passed gave the most genuine smile . . . or that the mom wrestling two kids and 3 bags of groceries could probably use a hand . . . or that the homeless guy really does look hungry . . .

And that’s all I’m asking you to do. To wake up, look around, and find something kind to do for a stranger. Maybe, once a week? Or more if you’d like. It could be anything, from buying a kid a cookie to helping a little old lady across the street. Just do something nice, and pay attention to how it feels.

***extra credit for over-achievers: try making a smile your ‘default face’. When you’re standing in line or walking to work or talking to a cashier, slap on a big grin, look people in the eyes and really smile at them, and man . . . just watch what happens!***

So whether you believe in karma or not, whether you believe that God punishes you or that the Universe will provide for you, well . . . when it comes down to it, it doesn’t really matter! The fact is that doing a good deed makes the world a better place. And that, my friends, is all we can hope to accomplish.

So, Pay It Forward once each week in July. You in? Do you accept this mission?

Special thanks to Heather who’s idea inspired this mission.

And now, Oi! Most Epic FFF Ever:

1) Firstly, I have to give a delighted and Heartfelt THANK YOU to Ann, who was so sweet to send Waits an awesome gift off of our registry – an organic cotton ‘fruit basket’. Ohmygod so cute! Thank you so much, he loves to shove them in his mouth (along with everything else these days), haha. The grapes are the best. =)


2) Second, I want to apologize for the light posting schedule this week. Work’s been kicking my ass. Obviously Waits and my family are my first priority, but oh how I wish the blog could be second in line! Usually it is. Sometimes though, I gotta go for the $crilla.

Maybe someday this blog and the $crilla will be one-and-the-same . . . a girl can dream, no?


3) Let Live was AWESOME! That pic up there ^ is from the conference. I’d planned to write up a post about it this week but time just didn’t allow it (see #2). So here’s the super quick re-cap:

Tabling in the main ballroom, tons of literature and resources.

- Babies and lectures are oil and water. I tried to see a few panels but the little dude just tried to talk along with the big kids and I had to duck out. No worries! We had tons of fun hanging out in the ballroom.

- This was as much a social event as it was an informative one. That’s one of the things I love about activist communities. The ‘big players’ and movement leaders all mingle easily with everyone else, allowing for awesome dialogue and a real sense of empowerment. No pretense. Just positivity and optimism.

- So many babies! I think there were five little ones under 6 months, which was so cool and inspiring. It was great chatting with all the vegan Mamas – including (unbeknownst to me) Kim McCoy of Sea Shepherd/Whale Wars (I thought she looked familiar!) Her son is just 10 weeks old, and damn cute I must say. Yay for vegan babies!

- For a more in-depth overview of the conference, check out this writeup from Epicurvegan, or here at Liberation BC Blog. And at the Let Live facebook page they’re posting videos of the talks!

Waits chillin’ with Brian of Scapegoat Tattoo (he did mine)

4) Um, this is so effing hysterical to me I just had to share. Hit’s a *little* close to home . . .

Soooooo, after all that yakking, it’s also time for comments, critiques, thoughts, support, and suggestions. What’s on your minds???

As usual, the Feedback Forum will remain here at the top of the page all weekend, so if you’ve got an idea or a question or you just want to introduce yourself and say ‘Oi!’, you can stop back by any time. This is your community, so get involved and have your say!

Happy 4th of July to all you Americans! Have a fireblast-tastic weekend!

Well guys, we made it! I know that for a number of brave readers this was maybe the most challenging mission yet. I want you to know that no matter how much you accomplished, I am so proud of you! Because you set a positive intention, and you held it, and you worked towards it. You made a choice to be mindful and that is a huge act of courage!

My goal was to eat less salt. And I’m thrilled to report that I did it! I had a few slips (Sundays were hard for me), but for the most part it was easier than I’d expected. I did it by keeping salt off the table, period. I wasn’t allowed to salt my food unless Damian insisted that it was appropriate (if food was very bland). In those rare cases I trusted his judgement and allowed him to salt my food, but only as much as he salted his own.

And that will be my plan from here on out. I still don’t totally trust my palate, so I’ll take my cues from my dining companions and only salt as much as they do. I think, with careful consideration and more time, I’ll really be able to beat the salt monster, ha!

So what about you my dears? How did your mission go? And have you devised a plan of action to keep your momentum?

I can’t wait to hear from everyone!

Well! We’re just about halfway through our mission this month, 2 weeks into our new and improved selves. And since this particular task is so personal, so close to the core of us, we’re continuing our periodic check-ins again this Monday. I hope this will provide you with a space to admit your difficulties, revel in your accomplishments, and pose any questions that you may have. Most importantly, I hope this space will allow us to come together as a community to share our stories and discuss our struggles. A mission like this requires a support system!

Personally, I had a salty relapse yesterday. I was doing very well and without even really trying . . . come to think of it, perhaps that’s why I fell off the wagon. I may have let my guard down. Regardless, last night I was snacking on some raw cashews and it occurred to me that the flavor would really be enhanced with a little sea salt. So I begin to sprinkle, and, well – I’m quite certain I added more salty goodness than could be considered ‘reasonable’. Whoops!

So that was my one transgression, brought on by simply not checking in with myself. Not being mindful. It’s a very difficult practice, remaining in the moment at all times. But I’m getting better at it, and you’d better believe I’ll keep trying!

I think, fundamentally, mindfulness is the key to most of our issues this mission. Food for thought . . .

So, what about you? Going good or spiraling downwards? Somewhere in between? What do you think you need to do to stay on track? (and can we help??)

Good luck to all of you! BONZAI!