earth week: birthdays!

today, the most beautiful, encouraging, supportive woman was born...it's my momma's birthday! yep...her and the queen (is what she always says). HAPPY BIRTHDAY, MOMMA! 

sooo, to stick with our earth week theme, here are some things you can use if you're planning a party of your own. just because you're throwing a party doesn't mean you can't still be green :)

invitations: what's the first thing everyone has to think about when putting together any kind of event? the invitation...right?! use these recycled invites, or even better?...an e-invitation. no, it's not through evite.com. there's a seller on etsy that designs an invitation strictly for your event and then creates a website for your guests to visit so they can RSVP to the party. it's an awesome idea that saves paper annnnd money on postage.

birthday garland: this piece is amazing! and like i've always said, etsy has the most amazingly eco-friendly products out there...especially because they aren't made in "bulk". materials are bought on an as-need basis since artists are very conscious of their spending. production costs are kept low because they aren't made in "bulk". also! you can use this guy over and over again.

gift wrap: wrapping paper is NOT the way to go. if you must use the stuff, find recycled paper..even newspaper makes unique wrapping. buuut, if you're adventorous enough to use fabric, wash clothes, scrap fabric, old t-shirts or scarves, are excellent options for ya. you can use big ol' safety pins to hold everything together.

birthday cards: again, my obsession for etsy continues. they have some a-mazing cards made with recycled materials. click here and here for some good ones!  

table cloth: enough with the cheesy plastic, vinyl table cloths you can grab at the dollar store. why not grab one of these gorgeous pieces for an upcoming party? it's a good excuse to go splurge on that table cloth you've been wanting...since you can use it over again..

party supplies: i know not everyone is going to breakout their everyday dishes for a party (one, because you probably don't have 20 sets and two, well, who wants to risk their dishes getting broken?) party city has some great (festive!) products that are eco-friendly and wayyyy affordable.

party on :)

earth week: keep it local

johnson's produce.cookbook.oh mamma's italian deli.

it's no secret that shopping local is both sustainable and healthier than shopping at a big chain grocery. 1) you're supporting and helping local farmers keep their farms in business,
2) the time of delivery from farm to farmers marketing, as opposed to "farm" to grocery store, is significantly lowered - thus, good for the environment, and 
3) the quality of farmers market produce is so much better than the products you'll find at the grocery - most of the time their produce is grown naturally and organically annnnd since the food doesn't have to travel very far it is less likely that the produce is going to get bruised or damaged in the delivery process. because let's face it, who really likes to cut off the bruised part of the apple anyways?

pre-athens, i was a teeny-weeny nervous about stepping foot into farmers market. i'm weird like that - if i don't know enough about something it's hard for me to feel comfortable doing it. i mean you walk into this place with all these farmers that clearly know a ton about what's going on..what's good and what's not. it's a little intimidating. soooo, for all the others out there that are really weird like me here are a few tips:
- know your seasons: know what produce is available, when and in your area. (florida farmers markets will have wayyyy more abundance of produce than northern states. luckily, south bend has a little cheat sheet for chicas like me. if you live near here your schedule will be very similar)
- go early or go late: going early will give you the best options, you will be able to pick what you want before it's picked over. although, if you're looking for a good deal you may want to go late. toward the end of the day vendors may not want to take tons of stuff home with them which might make them willing to negotiate. bang for your buck is what i like to call that number
- bring bags and cash: most vendors provide bags for your purchases, but they are almost all the time flimsy plastic bags and we know how i feel about those guys. there are so many cute bags out there, there's no excuse to not use one alllll the time. (click here and here if you need ideas). aside from your own bags, cash is the next most important thing you will need at the market (okay, maybe it's the first, but since this post is for earth week i'm saying it's definitely second!) most markets only take cash - 50 cent and one dollar increments. so, small change is preferable for most vendors.
- be adventurous: farmers markets are known for having unusual things. good thing? most of the time they have samples laid out for people to try. don't be scared - try, try, try! you never know what you might find!
- plan ahead: in most cities you can see what is available at your market even before you step foot in the building (or parking lot if you live in athens). so, plan ahead. sketch your meals out a day or two before and know what you need before you start wandering. i went to a local barnes & noble to look for farmers market-specific cookbooks. there are TONS out there - here's a list (courtesy of amazon). 
- think dirty: you gotta remember - these products are coming straight from the farm. they aren't cleaned and usually aren't cut into proportions before put on display at each booth. at farmers markets there are no such thing as "baby" carrots. they are usually unpeeled and uncut...with dirt 'n all. same with beets, celery and any other fruit/vegetable you can think of. as long as you're okay with getting your cute little bags a little dirty, those carrots will be the best damn carrots you have ever tasted (once washed, of course)

- get advice: going back to my intro - farmers, and each individual vendor, will know the most about their products. if something is new to you don't be afraid to ask them about it - how to cook it, what to cook it with, etc. 99% of the time they are more than happy to educate. 


now, don't be sckerd. find a local farmers market near you (here) and go get your shopping onnn.
happy marketing :)

earth week: pack your lunch

for those of you that don't know - friday is earth day. the one day out of the year that is dedicated to our planet. in my eyes, you should be conscious of your earth-friendly choices 365 days a year, but hey..that's me.
you can never be too cool or too busy to be green, and you can never be too old to pack your lunch. that's the first topic in our earth WEEK "in honor of" - pack your lunch! it saves you TONS of money and is actually super eco-friendly (not to mention healthier for you!) but, only if you use reusable products. packing your lunch without all the reusable goods is a way for you to save money, but it's not saving the planet if you're throwing away five paper lunch bags, 10 zip-locks, and five-plus water bottle a week, right?

so, here are some products that will help you save money and save the planet...one lunch-hour at a time:

lead-free green sack. metal tin pail.vera cooler. wet suit tote.

snack bag. sandwich bag. container.

bamboo utensils. cloth napkins. water bottle.    

there are sososo many great eco-friendly products out there - my fav, Etsy, is a great place to look. and, sure, they might cost you a little more upfront, but in the long run you will save money...and *cough, cough* help save the planet :)

in honor of: easter

with easter right around the corner i thought it would be fun to put some outfit ideas together for three different events people might be partaking in next sunday - church (always a fashion show for the c&e's), easter brunch (a family tradition with my parents and brother), and a cook out/bbq/picnic (assuming the weather is nice wherever you are).

 church: dress, heels, blazer

brunch: dress, wedges, cross-body bag

cook out: blouse, pants, hat, necklace, sandals

when i was in high school, and even throughout college, my family would always get together for easter mass, followed by a ginormous brunch at my parents country club (then we would all go home and sleep off our food-coma, only to wake up in time to catch some golf which would inevitably put me back to sleep). my brunch outfit is more casual than what you would wear to church, even though you could definitely wear it to church and then straight to brunch, but still a little dressy...perfect for the type of brunch locale i'm used to. but, if you're going to someone's house for brunch the cook-out outfit is more than enough, or you could pair the brunch dress with a pair of sandals or flats to make it a bit more casual.

my search for different outfit pieces lead me to my favorite site - Etsy. it was there that i found this great jewelry seller, the maiden. the four leaf clover necklace is from her shop and is only $8! (an awesome forever 21 replacement). for the quality metal she's using her prices are more than fair. her designs are super simple and perfect if you're looking for that everyday piece without having to spend a lot of cash-money.


wherever you are next weekend, or whoever you're with, i hope the weather is beautiful and that you're surrounded by people you love and good food :) happy early easter!

run, forest, run

normally i'd be content with doing a little p90x in the basement, but this semi-warm weather has got me itchin' to be outside alllll the freakin' time. [see, that's the difference between here and florida - when you live somewhere where it's not beautiful all the time, and you've been stuck inside since october, you tend to appreciate the outdoors a little more]. 
35 degree weather didn't stop me from waking up early this morning and getting myself a little run in. note to all: i haven't really ran since last november...cough, 2009...when my 12 crazies and i did ragnar. ja know, running and i have this love-hate relationship when i'm training. so, when i go out and run after 16 months of not having to do it everyday i honestly do miss it. 
so, with that said, i leave you with some of my fav. workout gear:

 tank. zip-up jacket. v-neck tee

running capris. sports bra. running shorts.

new balance shoes. iPod/case. headbands. water bottle.

one thing that's so so so important - if you're going out for a run you need to make sure you have the right kind of shoes. the shoes you wear everyday to the gym aren't going to cut it. make sure you know what kind of support you need in a shoe based on your arch type. if you take care of your feet, they will take care of the rest of your body.

next thing beau and i will be training for? chicago muddy buddy - here we come!

so, go! get out there and run! or walk...whichever you prefer. just get out there and do something. cheers to our tushies.

in honor of:

st. patty's day

_______________________________________________

 outfit one [top, bag, crops, wedges]

outfit two [sweater, white tee, clutch, wedges, jeans]

florida wear [hat, handbag, sweater, sandals, shorts]

________________________________________________

i couldn't help include my thoughts on florida wear for this st. patty's day. spending all day on the beach (notre dame cornhole boards included), green beer that night, ahhhh...memories.

that's okay - hopefully the weather will stay nice till thursday and us northerners can enjoy some time outside...celebrating the irish in all of us.

cheers, mate :)