Happiness

"When I was 5 years old, my mother always told me that happiness was the key to life. When I went to school, they asked me what I wanted to be when I grew up. I wrote down “happy.” They told me I didn’t understand the assignment. I told them they didn’t understand life."

— John Lennon (via thegreensandyellowsofhappiness)

Happy Earth Day

Happy Earth Day everyone! I just wanted to give a quick shout-out to some of the best Earth Day treats/tips that I've found today. All of these companies are donating at least a portion of their product proceeds to green-related causes and/or have implemented nature-friendly business practices. GO GREEN! :)

1. Sprinkles Cupcakes are donating the proceeds from their vanilla cupcakes to local tree planting and environmental care organizations.Click Here to find a Sprinkles location near you!

2. Gilt Group is offering a selection of Eco-Friendly Gifts today ranging from FEED bags to trees from The Magnolia Company.

3. Check out Whole Foods Whole Story blog for all sorts of tips on how make smart environmental choices with your food.

4. PACT Apparel, Inc. is an awesome undergarment company that supports numerous environmental causes through organizations like the Sierra Club, EarthSpark International and Creative Growth. Oh, and did I mention that their underwear is super-soft and comfy too?

5. Method is a cleaning supplies company with a fantastic "methodology" and have "set out to save the world and create an entire line of home care products that were more powerful than a bottle of sodium hypochlorite. Gentler than a thousand puppy licks. Able to detox tall homes in a single afternoon."

The Difference Between 21 & 23...err 24

A friend of mine shared this post on their Facebook feed this morning and I couldn't help but re-post it here. The difference between being 21 and being 23 (or 24 in my case) really is a greater difference than you would think and this post by inindieinus is a comical realization of just how fast things have changed since 21. Enjoy!

The Difference Between 21 and 23.

Posted on April 6, 2011 by inindieinus

 

21:  College.
23:  Student Loans.
21:  I’m having people over tonight.
23:  Want to cook dinner and drink some wine in my parent’s kitchen?
21:  How am I going to get motivated enough to lose this weight?
23:  How much longer can I avoid this debt collector?
21:  Waitressing sucks.
23:  9-6 SUCKS.
21:  I’m feeling creative.
23:  I want to feel creative like I used to feel creative.
21:  I’m self-conscious.
23:  I’m conscious.
21:  My bff and I are in a fight.
23:  I think I only have two friends.
21:  I think I just need to be single right now.
23:  Everyone I’m inviting to my party is in a relationship and I am single.
21:  I’m not getting married until gays can get married.
23:  I think I’m crazy, I don’t know if anyone would ever want to marry me.
21:  Carrie Bradshaw kinda just gets it.
23:  Carrie Bradshaw kinda just gets it.
21:  I can’t wait for Thursday night.
23:  I can’t wait for the weekend.
21:  Beer.
23:  Wine.
21:  Laugh.
23:  Whine.
21:  Hung over.
23:  Meltdown.
21:  Swine flu.
23:  Nuclear meltdown.

Easter Basket Ideas

Easter has got to be one of my favorite holidays. I love that it's low-pressure and candy filled...I guess then it would make sense that my other favorite holiday is Halloween...I'm seeing a pattern here. Anyway, in the spirit of Easter I've created a list of my favorite Easter basket stuffers that I've seen so far this year. Hope it brings you some inspiration for your baskets!

1. Perpetual Kid's Giant Gummy Bear on a Stick
2. Cocobon's Liquor Flavored Jelly Beans
3. West Elm's Eco Egg Decorating Kit
4. West Elm's Living Easter Pail
5. Williams-Sonoma's Meri Meri Easter Egg Hunt Kit
6. Godiva's Easter Carrot
7. Dean & DeLuca's Fried Egg
8. Bath & Body Work's Chick Deep Cleansing Hand Soap
9. Wilton's Colorful Basket Cupcake Wraps

Changing Seasons

Maybe it's because I was too in love with being in college, but ever since my freshman year I've come to gauge my growth and accomplishments for the year around the month of May aka the ending of a school session. Even though I'm no longer a student (tear), my mind has been turning to that familiar place of questioning and gauging in recent weeks...

What did I do this year that I should be proud of?
How did I grow?
How did I change?
Did I change?
What am I sorry for?
What do I still need to work on?

I've found that this year has changed me a lot - not all for the better - but it has changed me.

Good things - I moved to a new city, got a new job, new friends...umm, what else...new haircut? :)

Bad things - I lost focus. I lost the focus of staying in better contact with a lot of really wonderful people and the focus of pushing myself to be better emotionally, spiritually and physically.

I think sometimes when there are too many "news" in the mix, it's easy to lose track of some of the more valuable things about yourself. For example, I've always considered myself to be a very strong person, it's one of my attributes that I'm the most proud of actually. I'd never been scared that there was something I couldn't do or a problem I wouldn't be able to solve. However, looking back on this year I can see that I've been really rattled and as a result have lost some of my strength.

I would have thought I would have come out the other end of this year with a new and brighter perspective, but to be honest I'm just kind of exhausted. Exhausted from pushing myself and exhausted from questioning every decision I make that has come with the territory of making so many changes within such a short period of time. Even though it may seem strange, I'm definitely ready for more change and am not afraid of it - it just needs to be the type of change that's good for me in all aspects of my life...not just change for the sake of change. I feel like things are looking up though. It's one of the wonderful things about the coming of Spring - it makes me believe that good, healthy change is just as close as the warm weather. :)

This Is Your Life

I love every word of this typographical image...quite inspiring. 

via http://growingoldnotgrowingup.tumblr.com/