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Old Hidalgo Pumphouse & World Birding Center

December 24, 2018 by Jillian 1 Comment

old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center

old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center

old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center

Last June I visited the Old Hidalgo Pumphouse in Hidalgo, Texas, a town that lies right on the border of Mexico in the heart of the Rio Grande Valley. Reynosa sits just on the other side of the Rio Grande River. Hidalgo was founded in 1852 and was first named Edinburgh, after the birthplace of Hidalgo’s founder. It became the county seat and the name was later changed to Hidalgo, which literally translates to “son of something” or loosely, “gentleman,” because it referred to someone of noble rank. The Hidalgo Pumphouse dates back to 1909, when it was built to service over 40,000 acres of land that needed irrigation, and was in operation until 1983 when a newer pump plant was opened nearby.

I went to visit the Old Pumphouse on a hot Thursday afternoon. It has been converted to a museum, and like the other parts of the lower valley, attracts birds because of the tropical climate, so it also functions as a birding center. I was the only visitor there, so it was quiet and peaceful, and I was surprised by just how beautiful it was. History and nature are two of my favorite things, and being able to combine the two is even better!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: amphiteater, birding center, compassionate women, explore, flowers, garden, hidalgo pumphouse, hidalgo texas, history, international bridge, museum, nature, old hidalgo pumphouse, old hidalgo pumphouse & world birding center, pumphouse museum, reynosa, rio grande river, south texas, Texas, texas history, travel, vegan blog, world birding center

The Garden at La Posada

April 28, 2018 by Jillian Leave a Comment

the garden at la posada

garden

seedling

I’m really bad at gardening. I can’t even keep house plants alive for more than a couple of months. So I started buying only cactus in the hopes that they are low maintenance enough for me and my gardening deficit. Plus, my compost pile has been sprouting new fruits and veggies, which was unintentional on my part!

I have a friend that volunteers bi-weekly at an apartment complex called La Posada that is part of my city’s housing authority. One of the volunteer programs she runs is the communal garden at the complex. Yesterday she gave me a tour, and I was so impressed with all of the beautiful things growing there! Luckily, I happened to have my camera with me and took photos.

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Tidbits Tagged With: children's garden, communal garden, community garden, compassionate women, environment, environmentally friendly, fruits & veggies, garden, garden photos, gardening, grow your own food, housing authority, nature, south texas, the garden at la posada, vegan, vegetable garden, volunteer

Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge

August 12, 2017 by Jillian

santa ana national wildlife refuge

santa ana national wildlife refuge

santa ana cemetery

There is so much to see and do at Santa Ana National Wildlife Refuge in southeast Texas! If you’re in the Rio Grande Valley or traveling through, come check out the 2,088 acre refuge in the town of Alamo. There’s 14 miles of trails, tons of species of birds, a rope bridge, tree tower, observation decks, visitor’s center, nature tram, and historic cemetery. See my favorite photos below from my past two adventures at the refuge, including how I conquered my fear of heights and also thought I got locked inside the refuge at night!

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: alamo texas, border wall, cementerio viejo, compassionate women, hiking, national wildlife refuge, nature, ocelot, rio grande river, rio grande valley, santa ana border wall, santa ana cemetery, santa ana national wildlife refuge, santa ana wildlife refuge, south texas, southeast texas, texas history, texas wildlife, the old cemetery, travel, vegan, vegan lifestyle, wildlife, wildlife preservation, wildlife refuge

Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary

June 5, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

roy e. larsen sandyland sanctuary

red flowers

pine forest

southeast texas

If your favorite color is bright green then you are going to enjoy this post. Disclaimer: You may have to shield your eyes from all the bright green colors of nature 💚🌳✅🐸

While I was still living in the pine filled region of southeast Texas I discovered a hidden gem that not many people know about. The Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary is right on a Texas highway in the small town of Kountze, but it’s easy to miss the entrance. I remember driving along the highway, thinking I had the wrong address because I was totally not seeing an entrance to any kind of park or sanctuary. Finally, I noticed a small wooden sign that blended in perfectly with the tree trunks surrounding it. Found it!

With over 5500 acres and multiple trails to explore, the Roy E. Larsen Sandyland Sanctuary is a quiet retreat for nature lovers who want to hike, bike, photograph, or simply enjoy the great outdoors. Here’s some of my fav photos from one of my visits there 📷

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Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: big thicket, biodiversity, compassioniate women, hiking, hiking trail, kountze, kountze texas, natural trails, nature, nature park, open-floor forest, outdoors, pinelands, roy e. larsen, roy e. larsen sandyland sanctuary, southeast texas, spanish moss, swamp, Texas, texas wildlife, travel, vegan, vegan lifestyle, wildlife, wildlife sanctuary

Tiny Texas Houses in Luling

February 13, 2017 by Jillian Leave a Comment

tiny texas houses in luling

tiny texas houses in luling

tiny texas houses in luling

This post has been a long time coming! I first stayed at Tiny Texas Houses in Luling for my birthday in May… last year. I took hundreds of pictures because it was so amazing and it took forever to narrow them down to the best ones, which still left me with over a hundred photos to edit. Definitely worth it though. I ended up going back again this past fall (another post because I can’t even think about editing more photos right now!) and after reading this post, you’ll probably want to visit, too.

What exactly is Tiny Texas Houses? It’s a company founded by Brad Kittel in Luling, Texas (which is a little over an hour southeast of Austin) that uses salvaged housing materials to build custom, hand-crafted tiny houses. These materials are 100% American, toxin free, and more environmentally friendly. Plus, Brad makes adorable and unique houses that are almost unreal!

Best part is, if you aren’t in the market to buy a tiny house, you can still rent one through Air BnB and enjoy not only the house itself, but the beautiful natural surroundings of Luling. What follows are some photos to whet your appetite… for delicious tiny houses! 🏘

[Read more…]

Filed Under: Bits & Pieces, Travel Tagged With: bathhouse, central texas, compassionate women, countryside, custom made houses, day trip, environmentally friendly houses, flowers, handcrafted houses, luling, luling texas, miracle mountain, nature, pond, recycled housing materials, rural texas, rustic, small town, Texas, texas day trip, texas houses, tiny houses, tiny texas houses, tiny texas houses in luling, travel, travel texas, vacation, vegan, vegan travel, wildflowers

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HEY THERE! I’M JILLIAN.

I live near Houston, Texas with my rescue dog Stella! I create cruelty-free recipes that are delicious, to demonstrate that it's easy to follow a plant-based lifestyle. Not only are the health and beauty benefits noticeable, but it creates a more sustainable planet and keeps our animal friends safe & happy. In our spare time, Stella and I also love watching movies, reading, snuggling, and taking long walks! LEARN MORE…

SHOW YOUR PITTIE PRIDE! This design was inspired by own rescue pittie, Stella, who defies pit bull stereotypes every day.

pittie power t-shirt

Pittie Power T-Shirt

Watch My Documentary!

remember my soul

Feature-length documentary that uncovers the Jewish history of the Rio Grande Valley of South Texas and the customs & traditions the Jewish people there have contributed to.

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compassionatewomen

Compassionate Women
Gluten free (and vegan) sourdough bread from a loc Gluten free (and vegan) sourdough bread from a local bakery. It's been so long since I've had real sourdough, it was very flavorful 👅 Cece gave it 2 paws up 🐾
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#sourdough #sourdoughbread #bakery #bakedgoods #homemade #homemadebread #bread #breadlover #glutenfree #glutenfreevegan #glutenfreebaking #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganfortheanimals #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganism #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodporn #veganfoodshare #veganlove #vegana #healthyfood #healthyeats #healthyfood #delicious #foodstagram
🕸️🕷️ . . . #nature #nature_brilliance #n 🕸️🕷️
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#nature #nature_brilliance #nature_perfection #naturelovers #spiderweb #spiderwebs #spider #greatoutdoors #thegreatoutdoors #walk #photooftheday #photographylovers #photo #photogram #veganlife #vegansofig #animalovers #animallovers #animallover #bugs #beauty #beautiful #texaslife #texas #texasblogger
Cece thought my groceries from Target were for her Cece thought my groceries from Target were for her 🥹🥹 I'm excited to try some of Tabitha Brown's new vegan items and I hope the vegan peach rings are good 🤞🍑
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#veganpower #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #vegancommunity #veganlifestyle #veganfortheanimals #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #vegansnacks #veganism #veganprotein #vegans #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodshare #glutenfree #healthyfood #healthyeats #healthyfood #plantbased #crueltyfree #snacks #target #popcorn #candy #vegana #veganfoodporn #yum
Thanks so much to This Little Piggy Sanctuary for Thanks so much to This Little Piggy Sanctuary for letting me visit today! 🐽 Pigs are so full of personality, intelligence, and a lot more work than most people realize. These pigs (and resident ducks) are now living the good life in a safe, loving place! 🐷
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#pig #pigs #piggy #piglife #piggies #piglove #animalovers #animalrescue #animallovers #animalsanctuary #animalrights #animals #animal #animalfriends #farmanimals #friendsnotfood #animallover #animalsofinstagram #veganpower #vegansofinstagram #veganfortheanimals #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganlifestyle #veganism #rescueanimal #rescueanimals #texaslife #texasblogger
New Years resolution... Spend more time with donke New Years resolution... Spend more time with donkeys! 💙
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#donkey #donkeys #donkeysofinstagram #donkeylove #ranchlife #ranch #farmlife #animals #animal #animalovers #animallovers #sanctuary #animalrescue #animalrights #animalsanctuary #cuteanimals #veganlifestyle #veganlife #vegansofig #veganfortheanimals #equine #photooftheday #vegansofinstagram #veganpower #vegancommunity #vegana #friendsnotfood #sweetanimals #animalfriends
Trying my hand at aquatic plants 🌱 . . . #terra Trying my hand at aquatic plants 🌱
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#terrarium #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantaddict #plantsofinstagram #plantlife #plantas #plants #plantaddiction #plantmama #plantcollection #plantlove #plantbased #plantlover #plantmom #plantparenthood #plantlovers #plant #waterplants #houseplant #houseplants #vegansofig #veganlife
I literally got the last bag of Beyond Steak Tips I literally got the last bag of Beyond Steak Tips left in town and I'm glad I did bc they're so good! Paired with gold potatoes, broccoli, and veggie gravy 😋😋
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#veganpower #veganfood #vegansofinstagram #veganlifestyle #vegana #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #veganism #veganprotein #vegans #veganfoodie #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodporn #veganfoodshare #veganlove #healthylifestyle #healthyeats #healthyfood #vegandinner #foodstagram #foodblogger #foodlover #foodpics #delicious #dinner #foodphotography #yum #plantbased
My Thanksgiving cactus is blooming! 🌸 . . . #ca My Thanksgiving cactus is blooming! 🌸
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#cactusclub #cactuslover #cactus🌵 #cactuslove #cactus #cacti #blooming #bloom #flowers #flowerstagram #flowers🌸 #flower #houseplant #houseplants #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantaddict #plantsofinstagram #plantlife #plants #plantaddiction #plantmama #plantcollection #plantlove #plantlover #plantmom #plantparenthood #plantlovers #beautiful #nature_perfection
I made sure to stock up on vegan supplies from Tra I made sure to stock up on vegan supplies from Trader Joes when I was in Austin last weekend. The salmon spread and ginger brew are *chef's kiss* 😘😘 I haven't tried the chocolate yet but I have high hopes for it! 
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#veganfood #vegansofinstagram #vegancommunity #veganlifestyle #veganeats #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #vegansnacks #veganism #vegans #veganfoodlovers #veganfoodporn #veganfoodshare #veganlove #traderjoes #chocolate #foodstagram #foodpics #foodlover #foodlovers #yum #veganpower #veganfoodie #yummy #healthyeats #vegana #snacks #foodblogger
From my first conference as a grad student this pa From my first conference as a grad student this past weekend in Austin! It was a great experience, especially having fellow students from my department there. The pollen in Austin tried to take me down, but did not succeed! 🤧
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#gradschool #gradstudent #gradlife #conference #symposium #texasgirl #texas #texasblogger #texashistory #history #historical #borderlands #austintexas #austin #presentation #vegansofinstagram #vegan #veganlife #vegansofig #phdstudent #student #photos #photogram #photooftheday #texaslife
My wall of historic photos from the Rio Grande Val My wall of historic photos from the Rio Grande Valley, courtesy of the public library in Raymondville, TX 😊😊
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#photowall #photo #photogram #photos #photoart #photographylovers #photographs #southtexas #riograndevalley #wallart #diy #blackandwhitephotography #blackandwhite #oldphotos #historical #history #homedecor #homemade #texas #texasgirl #vintage
Pretty little lithops bloom 🌼 . . . #bloom #blo Pretty little lithops bloom 🌼
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#bloom #blooming #lithops #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantmama #plantaddict #plantcollection #plantlove #plantlover #plantmom #plantsofinstagram #plantparenthood #plantlife #plantas #plantlovers #plants #plant #plantaddiction #houseplant #houseplants #flower #flowerstagram #flowers🌸 #nature_brilliance #nature_perfection #nature #pretty #cute
Plant parent things 🪴 I bought this beautiful r Plant parent things 🪴 I bought this beautiful red emerald philodendron, proceeds benefitting Ukraine; finally have all of my hanging plants up; saved this little alocasia corm a few days ago and she's already sprouting a leaf?? 🤞; bought terrariums for my humidity loving plants like this African Violet; a new pepperomia; also got some living moss to experiment with; and some new bamboo hoops to help my plants climb 😍
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#plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlady #plantmama #plantaddict #plantcollection #plantlove #plantlover #plantmom #plantsofinstagram #plantparenthood #plantlife #plantas #plantlovers #plants #plant #plantaddiction #crazyplantlady #houseplants #houseplant #crazyplantpeople #flowers #alocasia #philodendron #nature_perfection #nature_brilliance #vegansofinstagram #vegansofig #terrarium #hangingplants
I don't know if this is a White Ghost cactus or a I don't know if this is a White Ghost cactus or a variegated Gray Ghost but she's pretty! 🤩
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#cactus #cacti #cactuslover #cactus🌵 #cactuslove #cactusclub #cactusysuculentas #whiteghost #grayghost #plants #plant #plantmom #plantsofinstagram #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantlover #plantlife #plantlove #plantlady #plantaddict #plantas #plantaddiction #plantcollection #plantparenthood #plantlovers #plantmama #naturelovers #nature #beautiful #nature_perfection
Was waiting in line at Walmart when I saw this Bey Was waiting in line at Walmart when I saw this Beyond Meat jerky. It's been probably a good decade since I had regular jerky, but this tasted pretty legit. However, don't eat an entire bag at once as a substitution for actual lunch bc you'll probably get a stomachache like I did 😝 
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#vegan #veganfood #veganlife #vegansofig #veganfoodshare #veganism #vegansofinstagram #veganeats #veganfoodie #veganfoodporn #veganlifestyle #veganfoodlovers #glutenfree #vegansnacks #food #foodstagram #foodblogger #friendsnotfood #crueltyfree #vegancommunity #yummy #veganpower #vegans #veganlove #healthylifestyle #veganprotein #yum #snack #eeeeeats #foodpics
A few of my new planties 💚 . . . #plantobsessed A few of my new planties 💚
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#plantobsessed #plantporn #plantstrong #plantcollection #plantlove #plant #plantsmakepeoplehappy #plantas #plants #plantparent #plantlife #plantmom #plantlady #plantaddict #plantsofinstagram #plantlover #plantlovers #plantstagram #houseplantclub #houseplants #houseplantcommunity #houseplantsofinstagram #pothos #venusflytrap #cactus #succulents #cactuslover #cactusclub #succulentsofinstagram #cactuslove
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