{be kind to yourself}

life has been crazy busy and crazy full,

but even in all the craziness of my life during this season

i have to remind myself of this daily because

i've realized some days i can be not very nice to myself...

because when i look back on all these pictures i realize

life might be really hard some days and i may feel lost

but when i stop and look around, it truly is a beautiful

life i've been blessed with.  i'm so very grateful for this

season of learning to take care of me.

 {aw}

{just.breathe}

{consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,  
because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance}
:: james 1:2-3 ::
sometimes it pays to just stop and breathe.

when life seems to be a little rough, maybe overwhelming, remember this.

 

one thing that yoga teaches me is that your breath is an amazingly powerful tool.  breath can calm us, center us, stretch us.  last saturday i had the joy of taking an in store "boga" class taught by my friend katie of Kadi Fit at our local lululemon and she encouraged us in our breath, that

"sometimes in life, it just takes another breath 

to push us to where we thought we could never go"... 

so take a minute to breathe in life today!  

to remember what a majestic creation you are and remember...

 

{happy.breathing}

aw

(all images via pinterest)

{life}

{via kadi fit}

{my.new.mantra}

it might be a little extreme for your taste, 

but it's EXACTLY what i need to tell myself every morning when i wake up...

yesterday i took a cycle class for the first time in at least 5 years. my dear friend meredith just picked up an evening class at the Y closer to where i work.  before she taught a class uptown at 6 am and that is an hour that i do NOT function during, but now that her class is after work, i realized i couldn't make any more excuses. i went in thinking i might die.  (that's total wrong thinking by the way) but as mere got me set up on my bike and i started pedaling and warming up i had a total mental check.  i told myself  "you can do this." ... and i did.

daily i HAVE to make the choice to be the best me and if my goal is not to be fat, but fit, then i have to choose.  daily.  i have to choose to go to that cycle class.  choose to put my shoes on.  choose to keep pedaling even if after 10 minutes i don't think i'll make it to the 45 mark.  choose to push harder through that climb.  

choose. every. single. day.

if i'm going to make myself the best version of me, then this is a must.  discipline is tough, but nothing worth having comes easy, that's for darn sure.  one day i would love to have children, teach them healthy habits, but most importantly to lead by example.

yesterday i read this incredibly inspiring post by my friend katie of kadi fit and it addressed my daily battle.  the battle of the body, but as she points out, some things work for some, but not for others, BUT you have to make the choice to work hard at whatever you do and honestly,  it's one of the greatest satisfactions i've known.  running was my start, now i know there's a warrior inside of me just waiting to be unleashed.

{here's to choosing today to be fit and healthy.}

and i'll leave with with some inspiring images i found on pinterest.

 {aw}

{thoughts.on.running...}

i think i may have forgotten to mention the small fact that i actually RAN A 5K!!?!  

yes.  that's right.  ran the whole thing.  no walking.  finished in 31:56.  this is huge folks and here's why...  my whole life i've made up excuses that i just wasn't a runner and never could be.  that's a lie and yes, i believed it for years until my friends decided to take it upon themselves that we were ALL running a 5K together and no one was allowed to back out.  i'm forever grateful.  i trained for 7 weeks and on week 8 got bronchitis which put me out of training for 2 weeks and i totally freaked out.  that's life.  i was however able to squeeze in 3 runs before our big race day, but i was NERVOUS that i wasn't going to be able to run the entire time!  needless to say i prayed A LOT and was SO pleased as i crossed that finish line running beside my best friend e.  let's just say there were tears of extreme JOY!!

BUT... i did want to share some of my honest thoughts on running because it wasn't all kittens and roses.

:: running is no joke.  it is hard.  you have to decide that you are going to do it, put on your shoes, and walk out the door.  there will be days when you don't want to run at all, but you HAVE to stick with it ::

:: i've also realized that a HUGE part of running is a mental game and it requires a lot of mental push.  example ::  that little voice inside your head you hear that says "you can't do this and you definitely can't run any farther, you really need to just stop now," is what you have to mentally push through.  i read somewhere that "if you're not passing out or dying, you CAN go further"  yeah, yeah, that may be extreme, but it's true.  i 100% believe in listening to your body and if something hurts like something is seriously wrong, then yes, stop, but most of the time it's not that at all if you train correctly ::

:: running has taught me that i really don't like pushing through that hard stuff.  not. at. all.  i'm totally the one that wants to finish and give up, not just in running, but in a lot of things.  dumb.  i've learned that by pushing through when it's tough, hard, and you want to puke is where the beauty and reward is ::

:: if you want to run to change your body for the better, it still is going to take a while.  it's taken about 3 months for me to start seeing real changes in my body.  i still have a ways to go and that's a whole 'nother blog post about operation weight loss phase 2, but we will save that for another day ;) ::

::  the end is the reward.  there is an awesome feeling of working your body harder than you ever have before and i LOVE the end of my runs.  the best part is quitting and beginning to stretch and feeling like you've conquered the world.  i love feeling the accomplishment of finishing a run ::

:: running definitely equates to a healthy prayer life :)  i find myself asking God to carry me A LOT.  the awareness i can find asking for Him to strengthen my legs, my lungs, my heart, my feet, and having an awesome awareness that my body is a gift and that running is a living sacrifice of my body is such a gift and a great reminder that i am blessed ::

:: running has been a gift to my confidence.  i feel like if i can complete a 3 mile run, i can do anything!  it's amazing what working out and pushing your limits can do to the rest of your life!::

sooo... all that said, if you have ever thought about running and haven't given it a try, i say JUST DO IT!  there's no time like the present!  

challenge yourself, push yourself, and see where it takes you!!

{happy.running}

aw

{life blueprints :: dreaming out loud}

::we grow great by dreams. all big men are dreamers. they see things in the soft haze of a spring day or in the red fire of a long winter's evening. some of us let these great dreams die, but others nourish and protect them; nurse them through bad days till they bring them to the sunshine and light which comes always to those who sincerely hope that their dreams will come true :: - woodrow wilson

this post comes out of an inspiration that's been stirring for a while from the lovely lindsey nobles's series of posts entitled "blueprints" and overflowed today with my sweet friend, kelly hornberger's post about dreaming out loud.

so here it is.  i'm a dreamer.  some say maybe out of touch with reality at times, but maybe that's just their reality.  i like my "reality" just fine.  it is limitless.  it breeds creativity and feeds my imagination and i will not let the "realities" of this day define me.  for a while i've been wanting to lay out some of these dreams i have for my life.  dreams that i've hinted around, probably talked about, and some i haven't. today i really want to just lay them out there word for word, straight from the heart, no longer ashamed of what i desire.  so here we go!!

- to truly challenge myself in physical fitness and my eating habits so hard that my body, this temple i've been given, has no choice but to be amazingly healthy. 

- live this life full of adventure and always be ready and up for whatever is next.

-to be BOLD in making God's name great and showing how freakin' awesome His love is.  yeah.  it's that awesome.  no doubt in my mind.

- to be a wife and love a husband by this definition of love.  be his eve. his ezer kenegdo.  his helper in this life.

- grow a family.  nourish them.  encourage them.  teach them the art of play.  smother them in love and experience all the joy and challenges of life that come with that. to teach them how to love this world with a crazy love.

- to live on a farm or maybe just in the country.  lots of land would be glorious.  river included.

- get my hands dirty and connect with the earth.  grow an amazing garden and live off the land. (i'm a total hippy at heart)

- buy an old house and totally rescue it.  bring out it's old character and charm and make it a home.

- own chickens.

- dream a dream so big and full of love (don't know what this is exactly yet, but i feel it blooming) that it will fail without divine intervention.

- travel (most definitely back to africa) and see the world and take my family with me. 

- adopt a child or multiple childrens (yes childrens) and love them as my own. i long for my family to be colorful.

- grow my photo and video talents and use them to glorify God in mighty ways, tell wonderful stories and allow those stories to inspire others to do great things.

- to truly live a simple life.  less is more.

- and my one dream/goal that i hope i live out until the day i die... 

to live a life of love every single chance i get.  so much love that it makes no sense to the world.  you know that Jesus kind of love?  yeah that.  live. it. out.

will this all happen?  who knows?  i sure do hope so!  a girl can dream right?!? what are you dreaming of?  i triple dog dare you to dream out loud today.  write it down, even the silly ones you're scared to admit to.  tell someone if you must and get to living!

{happy.dreaming.out.loud}

aw

{5K... here i come!}

well it's true... i've been conned into running my first 5K by my loving friends.

...and honestly i never thought i'd say this, but i'm SO pumped!!

after the initial shock of the email blast that came out advising us that we didn't have a choice on running and that it was a must, i realized that this was just what i needed and i'm totally adopting the above mentalitly. i haven't run since last year when i had a minor injury and it's the exact challenge my body needs right now.  it also doesn't hurt that summer is right around the corner.  this is giving me a serious push to challenge myself and kick this 5K training right in the keester.

what i really wanted to share with you is this awesome Couch to 5K iPhone app that i download that is hands down the best trainer i could ever have.  not only does it lay out the training for you week by week, but it also keeps track of your training, allows you to play music from your playlists, and also prompts you in your headphones when to run and when to walk. 

AND it only costs $2.99 for the 9 week training.  can't beat that for a cheap trainer!  HOLLA!  all you iPhone users can download it here :: couch to 5K  and for all of you non iPhone users... well... i'm sorry.  you need to get on the iPhone wagon :)

{happy.running}

aw

{exhaustion & the love of friends}

{ex·haus·tion} --last night i finally admitted that after a few weeks of running ragged doing many things that i love, i had hit an entirely new level of this word and found that satan, unfortunately for me, loves to prey on me when i'm at this point.  thankfully though, the peak of this experience came at a time where i was surrounded by some amazing women that God has placed in my life.  women who love me even when i'm in a low valley.  women who have seen me cry more times than i'd like to admit and don't get angry with me when i randomly interrupt our study because for some strange reason the water works decided to turn on right then and there, as much as i tried to fight them. 

these amazing women speak truth into my life, lift me up with amazing words of encouragement, and fill me with wisdom that i'm convinced, if it was not for this little community of friends, i don't think i would receive in the way that i do.  a way that is so close knit to my heart, and i'm completely convinced it's exactly what the Lord knows i need to hear. 

i call these wonderful group of women my "lifegroup" not only because that's the coined phrase of our church, because let's face it... we flat out face life together...

the good, the bad, and the ugly.

all this to say, today i stand more convinced that community with people is of the utmost importance in this life.  loving them and being loved in return is one of the greatest gifts i've received in my life thus far.  if you aren't in a community of friends, make sure you get in one now.  yes sometimes it's scary to be open and vulnerable, but that's where true life and love happens.

i was encouraged by this little chart of scripture that backs up this idea...

 Our task, given specifically by Jesus, is to

"love one another", which we do when we..

-build each other up ( 1 Thessalonians 5:11; Hebrews 3:13)

-look out for each others' best interest ( Philippians 2:4)

-bear one another's burdens ( Galatians 6:2)

-are kind to each other ( 1 Peter 4:9)

-honor and respect one another ( Romans 12:10)

-serve each other ( Galatians 5:13)

-admonish each other ( Colossians 3:16; Romans 15:14)

-confess your sins to each other ( James 5:16)

-forgive each other ( Ephesians 4:32)

-think of one another ( Hebrews 10:24)

-do not judge each other ( Romans 15:13)

-accept each other ( Romans 14:1, 15:7)

-do not stand in each other's way ( Romans 15:13)

-regard each other as more important than oneself (Philippians 2:3)

{happy.tuesday}

aw

{legacy}

today marked week one of the new "legacy" series at forest hill church and it was JUST the start that i needed to this new year.  here's what I took from the sermon today that I thought was worth sharing with all of you.

"we are all leaving a LEGACY... every single one of us.  

the question is... what kind of LEGACY are we leaving?"

::your legacy is tied directly to the decisions you make today::

::you are the sum total of your life choices:: 

::in order to make the best decisions for your life, one needs knowledge 

and then wisdom to know how to apply that knowledge::

   ::this in turn means that a good legacy is directly connected to 

wisdom in the decisions we make day to day::

"if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him" - James 1:5

in 1 kings 3:3-10 God gave Solomon to opportunity to ask God for whatever he wanted and Solomon asked for wisdom and God was pleased.  don't be afraid to ask God for wisdom of how to live your best life that honors Him!

here are the 10 truths/wise teachings written 

by Solomon for us to live by each day!

1. Put God First Always

::the fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge, 

but fools despise wisdom & discipline:: -proverbs 1:7

::trust in the Lord with all your heart & lean not 

on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge him, 

and he will make your paths straight:: - proverbs 3:5-6

2. Choose Your Friends Wisely

::become wise by walking with the wise; hang out 

with fools and watch your life fall to pieces:: - proverbs 3:20

3. Manage God's Money Wisely

::honor the Lord with your wealth and with the best part 

of everything you produce.  then your barns with grain and 

your vats will overflow with good wine:: - proverbs 3:9-10

::just as the rich rule the poor, so the borrower

 is servant to the lender:: - proverbs 22:7

4. Use Your Words Wisely

::words kill; words give life;  they're either 

poison or fruit -- you choose:: - proverbs 18:21

5. Manage Your Anger Wisely

::people with understanding control their anger; 

a hot temper shows great foolishness:: - proverbs 14:29

::a gentle answer deflects anger, but harsh 

words make tempers flare:: - proverbs 15:1

6. Always Work Hard

::as a door swings back in forth on its hinges, so the 

lazy person turns over in bed:: - proverbs 26:14

7. Resist Pride and Seek Humility

::before his downfall a man's heart is proud, but 

humility comes before honor:: -proverbs 18:12

8. Always Protect Your Name

::a good name is more desirable than great riches; to be 

esteemed is better than silver or gold:: -proverbs 22:1

9. Avoid Envy

::a peaceful heart leads to a healthy body; jealousy 

is like cancer in the bones:: -proverbs 14:30

10. Always Prioritize the Poor

::he who oppresses the poor shows contempt for their Maker,

but whoever is kind to the needy honors God:: -proverbs 14:31

i was really hit hard by 1 and 6.  i'm praying for wisdom that God would show me the best way to put Him first in everything that I do and also that i would always work hard.  as i look forward in gaining more knowledge in photography, i'm going to remember one thing david said today "success is hard work.  avoid being lazy at all costs."  laziness is one of my biggest struggles and i'm learning that it's a choice.  i have to actively choose NOT to be lazy.  here's to an amazing 2010 and i hope these 10 wonderful bits of wisdom are a great way for you to start your year off on the right foot. 

what are your favorite "words of wisdom" to live by??

{happy.sunday}

aw

::p.s. - you can watch this sermon by going to 
www.foresthill.org & clicking on the video message tab::

for the love of cooking!

over the weekend i added this fun little guy to my cooking gadgets!

{the kitchenaid 3 cup chef's chopper}

i'm almost done with my weight loss progam & can't even begin to describe how excited i am to really start getting in the kitchen to teach myself how to cook... & cook healthy! this little RED :) kitchen gadget makes me all that much more excited! my goal is to make healthy cooking a passion of mine. i've been perusing all of my cooking light magazines & clipping out so many yummy recipes! can't wait to share what i find!

{happy monday!}

aw

operation 5k

part deux of my weight loss plan is training for a 5k

if i'm going to do this, i'm going to do it right!! i'm GOING to get this weight off & get in great shape!! i've had a "novice 5k training schedule" on my fridge for about 9 months & i've finally decided to follow through with it. i've been running/jogging for quite a few months now & i finally feel like i can tackle this training program.

yesterday was day 1 of running & i ran my first full 1.5 miles!! at first i thought it would be pretty tough, but after driving the route around my house that i was going to run to make sure it was 1.5 miles, i realized that it wasn't much further than i'd already been running. i was super excited to have finished my first 1.5 in 15 minutes & 48 seconds. probably not the greatest time, but it felt good to me!!

i don't have a specific 5k race picked out yet to run, but i needed a goal... a program that i could complete to increase my running. this one seemed the most "do-able".

e & i are going to look for a 5k to run somewhere fun in the fall so we can make a vacation weekend out of it. i'm excited & can't wait to keep going!!

any running tips from you runners our there would be much appreciated!!!

happy tuesday!

-aw

the amazing adventures of dietgirl!!

i found a new book to read.

i like it.

she's pretty darn funny.

it motivates me.

buy it here.

here are dietgirl's top 20 weight loss tips

that i found on her blog.

good stuff here.

my favs are 19 & 20

so make sure you read to the bottom!!!

Dietgirl's Top 20 Weight Loss Tips
People often ask me for diet and weight loss tips so I've put together my top 20. This is seven years of tricks, tweaks, discoveries and epiphanies all condensed into one handy list. Hopefully you'll find something helpful here for you!

1. First, start with the big picture. Write down your goals and be specific. What do you want to change? Where do you want to be a year from now?

2. Next, focus on the details. Every day we make dozens of tiny decisions that can spell the difference between whether we lose weight or gain. Do you pick the muesli for breakfast or the chocolate muffin? Do you spend twenty minutes on the couch or twenty minutes on a brisk walk? Small changes can add up to huge results.

3. Start exercising - no matter what your fitness level. At 25 stone I could only shuffle to the end of the street, but I gradually built up to the whole block. Within a couple of years I was running! Don't compare yourself to others, just work within your limits and take it slow and steady.

4. Eat breakfast. A wholesome breakfast makes me feel smug, satisfied and determined to stay on track all day. My favourite is porridge, livened up with grated apple and cinnamon, or chopped banana and teaspoon of peanut butter.

5. Be kind to yourself and your body. You don’t have to look in the mirror and chant, “I love me! I am beautiful!” but at the same time yelling at your thighs won’t encourage your weight loss efforts.

6. Make your treats miniature. Instead of banning dessert, I choose smaller portions – like an apple crumble baked in a ramekin dish or a small bar of Green and Blacks chocolate. I get my sugar hit without dangerous leftovers!

7. Lift weights. It won’t make you bigger – it’ll make you svelte and strong! If you’re worried about loose skin, resistance training is the best thing you can do to tone your body as you lose weight.

8. Planning is crucial. Every Saturday I take ten minutes to plan our meals for the coming week. I choose from a list of 25 easy, tried-and-true recipes, so it’s quicker to cook than phone for a takeaway.

9. Buy your groceries online. It saves time and you’re not tempted by all the sights and smells of the supermarket. Or tortured by your screaming children.

10. Feel your emotions, don’t feed them. In times of stress it’s tempting to bury your feelings in cake – better to feel bad about binging than tackle the real issue! But try to find non-edible ways of coping – I highly recommend kickboxing classes.

11. Go Greek. If you’re a cream or sour cream fiend, 0% or 2% Greek yogurt is an excellent substitute. It's low in fat, protein-rich and incredibly creamy. Dollop into meringue nests and top with fresh fruit. Splodge onto a bowl of chilli. Swirl into butternut squash soup.

12. The best exercise is the one you enjoy. So what if your best friend swears by aerobics at dawn? If you’re a shift worker or just plain grumpy in the morning, this will never suit you. Choose an exercise you like and do it when it’s most convenient for you – this way you’ll stick with it.

13. Stock your office pantry. It's much easier to ignore the vending machine when I’ve got half an orchard sitting on my desk and a drawer full of oatcakes, nuts and seeds.

14. Have a cuppa. When hunger strikes and it’s not meal time, I make a cup of tea. This gives me time to figure out if I’m really hungry or if I’m just bored or cranky or upset. Herbal tea is great – experiment until you find one that doesn’t taste like grass clippings!

15. Have a moan. Losing weight isn’t easy, but you don’t have to feel alone in the struggle. Start your own blog, sign up for a message board, or join in the conversation in the Dietgirl comments. Remember, we’re all in this lardy boat together!

16. Put the scales in perspective. Don’t fret over small fluctuations – focus on all the healthy things you’ve been doing for your body. Get out the tape measure or have a pair of “measurement jeans”, so you’re not dependent on the scales for feedback.

17. Be adaptable. Make your weight loss plans fit around your life, not the other way around. Sometimes circumstances will change – a new job, a family crisis, moving house – and suddenly your usual routine doesn’t work. The trick is to be flexible and know when it’s time to tweak your methods.

18. Set a non-scale goal. Why not train for a charity 5k race or challenge yourself to do ten push-ups? Focusing on fitness means I don’t fret about the numbers so much. And all those endorphins make me feel less inclined to go on a chocolate bender.

19. Accept that sometimes it’s going to suck. Despite your best intentions, there will be days when you fall into a bag of crisps. But long-term success is about persistence, not perfection. It’s picking yourself up when you fall, over and over again.

20. Don’t wait to be “skinny” to start living your life. If you have dreams of traveling or writing a book or learning to scuba dive, don’t think you need a smaller bum before you deserve them. Your life is happening right now – so forget about your wobbly bits and jump right in!

do you have $7 to spare?

mocha club is an amazing organization that through our $7 

donations is making a difference in africa.

they have projects in place that support

 child mothers, education, 

HIV/AIDS, job creation, 

orphan care, sudan regrowth.

(click on each word above to be directed to the project page)

go here & visit mocha club

come join my team by clicking here

click here to go to mocha club's FAQs

...only small things with great love

this is one of my most favorite pictures i have in my house. to me it represents a lot. i was a premie when i was born, weighing only 2 lbs. 14 oz. much to my mother's surpise i decided to come into this world at 26 weeks for no real reason other than my mother swears i danced my way out! haha. this picture was one that she's said before, "reminds me of you & how tiny you were." i like that. it also has a great quote from mother theresa.

"we can do no great things... only small things with great love."

oh how i find truth in that statement. i find myself many times at the end of the day thinking "i didn't really do anything of value today." or other days when i feel like i failed at my attempts to live a great life. this helps me to remember that it's in the small, loving things that i do in a days time where i make a difference in this life.

have a great monday & remember the "small things with great love" that you can do today.

-aw

static

so i recently moved...

most of you are saying "duh, no brainer" : )

but in case you are just joining me, i'm filling you in.

once i moved in, to my delight i found that the previous owners forgot to turn off their cable services. i had free tv for a month & it was lovely! well i came back from vacation last week to static.

no more cable tv for this girl.

i'm pretty sure this was the first time in my life that i have not had cable tv & it got me to thinking... do i really need this? is this what i want to spend my money on now & more over how i want to choose to spend some of my free time? now i'm not saying that there aren't some shows that i absolutly love & i'm a sucker for finding a good movie on tv and i'm not completely bashing cable tv, but sometimes all the tv shows and media coverage just makes my head spin.

so for this fall, i am having an experiment of not having cable tv in my house. i want to see how i can spend my time. whether it be spending time outside with the dogs, sewing, jewelry making, socializing with friends, or just reading. maybe i'll even find a new hobbie! whatever it might be, i don't want to waste my time this fall sitting on the couch watching tv & that makes me excited!

now i'm asking you...how much time do you spend watching tv? when was the last time you read a book? maybe next time you go to sit down to flip on the tele, lace up your shoes & head outside to enjoy God's creation... or you can just call me crazy : )

i hope everyone has a fabulous week!!!

-aw

need to find a run near you?

so i found this great website - mapmyrun.com - last week while looking for good routes to run near my new home.

in light of my recent move & my goal to run a 5k sometime this fall, i decided to get on the ball with running outside. this site is a great community where people can post their runs, you can map out your own run & it will tell you the distance, you can keep a personal traning log, list your goals, & so much more. it's a pretty great, *free* -- (that's right... FREE!) -- tool for runners.

i've found a few routes in my area & actually ran one over the weekend with Oliver. he did really well for his first run! can't wait to challenge myself with some longer runs i've found here & maybe create my own!

happy running!

-aw

paper or plastic? -- how bout neither!

so if you're just joining me, i'm big on recycling (thanks to my wonderful mama's influence.) one great way that's been around for years, that seems to be catching on more recently with everyone "going green", is taking your own bags to the grocery store. more recently i've seen grocery stores such as harris teeter & trader joe's selling these types of bags.

this makes me happy.

the amount of plastic bags used a year by people is astronomical & they reak havoc on our environment (click here for some interesting & eye opening facts about plastic bags)

well of course the fashionable side of me fell in LOVE with these Baggu bags when i stumbled across them today at the simple finds blog
the bags folded up pictured above only measure 5 x 5 & weigh 2oz. how great would these be to just throw in the bottom of your purse & at the checkout just pull out your baggu -- unfold -- throw the pouch in the bottom of the Baggu -- & voila! -- you have beautiful groceries!!

i also love that they come in so many colors to choose from. they're also reasonably priced at 3 for $22. you can buy them by clicking here. can you imagine how many grocery bags this could save you a year?!? ... annnnnnd you'll look great doing it! not only would they be great for grocery shopping, but anywhere you would get a plastic bag. or how about when you are going on vacation, or just going to the gym? the reusable uses are endless!!

see... recycling can be fun & fashionable : )
who knew?!?!
i can't wait to get me some Baggus!

-aw

so many different types, yet we inspire.

in your own uniqueness ... inspire someone today!

-aw

i created this on picnik.com

tired of companies killing trees?

so the recycle nerd in me is completely fed up with getting so many credit card offers. i hate that these companies are wasting so much paper on me & i'm never going to call them. well i googled to see what i could do to stop all this wasted paper & found out it was right there on the offers themselves.

i found out by calling 1.888.567.8688 you can opt out of these for 5 years! that was music to my ears!!! even if it doesn't stop them all at least... hopefully... it will stop most of them. i can only imagine how much paper is wasted on these durn things & also how many people's credit is wrecked due to these things... but that's a WHOLE other topic that i'm not trying to get into today :)

i called this morning & opted out & it took me all of 2 minutes.
DO IT TODAY!!!

HAPPY FRIDAY!
-aw