B00AFU6252 EBOK (39 page)
Authors: Jessica Alba
HONEST
inspiration
CREATE, PLAY, LOVE, LAUGH—HONESTLY!
THE FIRST SIX CHAPTERS OF THIS BOOK ARE YOUR
practical guidebook for living the Honest Life. I’ve downloaded everything I figured out myself and learned from all of the experts I’m lucky enough to encounter and work with on a daily basis: environmental health gurus, doctors, nutritionists, toxicologists, cosmetic chemists, makeup artists, aestheticians, designers, stylists—and maybe most important of all, my own family members and fellow mom friends.
We’ve talked about my philosophies for Honest Eating, Honest Beauty, Honest Style, Honest Home, and Honest Parenting. I’ve packed in a ton of information, but I hope you haven’t felt overwhelmed—these chapters are designed to be dog-eared, underlined, and referenced again and again. I promised no pop quizzes, and I wasn’t kidding! You should keep this book handy and flip to a section whenever you have a question—like how to remove a carpet stain naturally (see
this page
) or make your own chicken stock (see
this page
).
Because Honest Living isn’t only about staying organized with schedules and lists of ingredients. That’s just how we keep our lives operating smoothly and ensure that our home—and primary environment—is a happy and healthy place to be. Honest Living is also about following your bliss, being creative, and thinking outside the box (or sometimes in and around it, as Honor loves to convert old boxes into play castles!). It’s about finding the fun in the daily details of living, and taking every opportunity to share your love.
Some ways I express my creativity and show my family I love them are through the food I make and the way I’ve made our house a home—in a super-hands-on, project-oriented, far-from-perfect, thoroughly “us” style. So this chapter is a “how to” for some of my favorite Honest projects, many of which you’ve read about already. Some are fairly involved (refinishing a dresser). Others are quick-and-easy things you can do with the kids to foster a connection—and keep them entertained on a rainy day. What all of these projects have in common:
- They’re
steeped in honest values
—healthy, safe, nontoxic, colorful, kid friendly! - They’ll
create opportunities to connect
with your kids, family, and friends. - They’ll
help you make memories
—whether that’s of a beautiful day eating pizza and telling funny stories with your kids, or because you created a piece of furniture on its way to becoming an heirloom. - Above all, they’ll put a smile on your face.
I’m never one for following directions or recipes to a T—you know by now how much I love to ask questions and put my own spin on things. So don’t be afraid to do the same. Consider this a collection of ideas and inspiration that you can use to jump-start your own thinking and to create your own vision for the Honest Life.
We love a good project in my house! To see how Honor and her friends helped me transform this play set into a pirate playhouse, see
this page
.
(LET ME KNOW IF YOU SPOT SOME!)
Ah, yes: “balance.” That elusive state in life where you’re totally happy with the amount of time you get to spend with your kids, your spouse, your work . . . and don’t forget about some nights out with friends and a little downtime for yourself! (I think we’re also supposed to exercise regularly? Right!)
Yeah, I’m still working on this one. And to be honest, I’m not sure I’ll ever have it down. I do feel fortunate that I’m in a position in my career where I don’t have to work as much as I used to, and when I do, I can make sure that it’s time worth spending away from my family, which means anything for The Honest Company (my third baby!) or film projects where I’m genuinely passionate about the material and excited to collaborate with the actors and filmmakers involved. But my schedule changes pretty often, depending on whether I’m shooting a film, working on a new product launch, or traveling—and whenever the daily routine shifts, there’s a major ripple effect.
So like most working parents, Cash and I do the best we can during the week, although it can get a little crazy—I make sure to grab some time to talk to Honor about her day while we’re eating breakfast, or I’ll run home to do bath and bedtime with the girls before I need to be at an event. Our primary uninterrupted family time happens on weekends. That’s when Cash and I step away from work—no e-mails, meetings, or texting—so Honor and Haven have our undivided attention. Cash makes breakfast, or we’ll go out to brunch and to the park, and then usually all four of us just hang out at home, swimming and playing on the girls’ swing set. It’s so important to us not to be “half present,” which can happen when you never turn work mode off completely. I learned that family-centered focus from my mom and dad. At some points during my childhood, they were holding down three jobs each, but my brother Josh and I never felt neglected, because when they were around, we were treated like we were the only things that mattered.
As for Cash and me, it’s a never-ending, ever-evolving process—I believe that’s known as “marriage”?—but keeping the girls on a regular schedule, with a 7:00 p.m. bedtime (see
this page
!) has been a lifesaver. That gives us a few hours to have dinner, talk about our days, watch TV together—or if it’s a week where one of us is traveling or busy with work, that’s when we can squeeze in some time with friends or have a night alone to take a bath, crack open a book, or (in my case) catch up on my favorite food, design, and mommy blogs.
I guess for me, balance isn’t about treating your time like a pie chart and dividing it into equally sized slices for you, the kids, work, and so on. It’s about the quality of how you spend your time, not the quantity—are you being present and focused on whatever you’re doing while you’re doing it? I truly believe that’s how you can be the best version of yourself, whether you’re in work mode, mom mode, or wife mode. When I know I’m giving my undivided attention in each of these areas, I don’t feel so guilty about the time spent away from them.
Note I said not
so
guilty. This is a work in progress.
C
HAPTER 1
of this book is full of quick recipes and easy meal ideas to keep your family well fed and to get dinner on the table in a hurry. But sometimes, I like to pull out all the stops for special-occasion eating—this can be for a literal special occasion (Honor’s birthday or Thanksgiving!), or it can be one of those random Tuesday nights when I really need to catch up with my good friends.
One of our favorite ways to entertain is to throw a pizza party. We have a pizza oven in our backyard, so one of our most fun Saturday projects is heating it up (it takes all day) and then going to town with lots of personal-size pizzas and toppings, which enable each guest to top his or her own. Kids love it, but you can also do very elegant topping combinations to please even the pickiest grown-up palate. No pizza oven? No worries. These recipes will work in your home oven, too.
Makes 4 to 6 small pizzas
Materials
FOR DOUGH
1 packet instant yeast
2 cups warm water (about 115°F)
5 cups high-gluten organic bread flour, divided
2 tablespoons sea salt
Olive oil
FOR TOPPINGS
FOUR CHEESE: Mixture of shredded mozzarella, Parmesan, asiago, and goat cheese
VEGGIE MIX: Mushrooms, diced roasted red bell peppers, broccoli—with or without cheese; I also like to add some fresh basil or rosemary.
CLASSIC: Fresh tomato sauce with or without cheese, plus nitrate-free pepperoni
SPICY: Jalapeños, nitrate-free chorizo sausage, deep-fried sage leaves (trust me—out of this world!); awesome over the Four Cheese mix
Experiment with your favorite combinations—here are some of mine!
How-To
1
Mix the packet of instant yeast and then ½ cup of the flour in the warm water. Let it sit for 15 minutes until it all turns spongy or “proofs.” (Once you start making dough regularly, save a little hunk from your last ball and mix it into the warm water at this stage for future pizza dough.)
2
When the yeast has proofed, add the remaining flour slowly, ½ cup at a time, mixing thoroughly with a wooden spoon as you go.
3
When all the flour has been mixed in, add the salt. At this point, the dough will be wet and tacky.
4
Knead the dough into a ball with one hand. Then move it to a floured cutting board or wood surface and knead it with two hands for 8 to 10 minutes.
5
Put the kneaded dough in a large bowl, coat it with olive oil, cover with plastic wrap, and stick it in the fridge for at least 8 hours and up to 30 hours.
6
If you’re using a pizza oven, follow the manufacturer’s instructions to heat it (you’ll probably need to start early in the day). If you’re using a regular oven, preheat it as hot as it will go (at least 450°F) about half an hour before you want to cook the pies.
