One Happy Panda

Eeps

2009-11-21T23:11:00.003-05:00

Hi everyone!

I know, I know. It's been like weeks since I last wrote. Unfortunately, I have been totally slammed with work, my thesis, and classes. I feel so overloaded right now. I've gotten to the point where I'm pulling 14-hour days and I had to choose between my blog and my social life and, well....sorry all, but I need the human contact.

I may have to put OHP on a sort-of hold until I can get things back together. I will be dropping in as I'm able to update you all and let you know whenever I see anything interesting, but blogging will most likely be sporadic for awhile. That said, I WILL try to drop in every now and then, so I hope you don't all get fed up and disappear on me, dear readers. Hopefully once this quarter gets wrapped up at the end of November, things will be less crazy.

In the meantime- how have you all been doing?

Photo via Wikipedia.

I Need a Repair Week

2009-11-02T13:24:00.005-05:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I hope you all had a great Halloween weekend. Mine was tons of fun- almost a little too fun if you catch my drift. After three days of late-nights, parties, eating mostly variations of cheese and bread (grilled cheese, mac 'n cheese, pizza), and sugary drinks I feel bloated and sort of gross.

So this week I'm proposing a repair week. It's kind of like a detox, except less formal and less extreme. I'm thinking of it as getting myself back to where I should be health-wise. This week I vow to:

Eat three sensible meals a day and some snacks, instead of waiting until I'm starving and then stuffing myself (not that I ever do that).
Drink tons of water and tea to stay hydrated.
NO pop. This is always hard after a few days of drinking tons of it.
Make most of my meals at least half vegetables or fruit. Catsup doesn't count.
Get back on track with running- I think I only got one run in last week. Eep.
SLEEP. 8-9 hours a night. Easier said than done.

All simple stuff, we'll see how it goes.

PS: Unexpected silence last week due to a series of massive projects due and some power outages at my apartment (fun fun). Hopefully this week will be better :)

Oh, and here's me on Halloween night, with a friend. You can't really tell, but I was a rag doll (hence the crazy makeup).

Pumpkin Hunting Weekend

2009-10-26T13:37:00.006-04:00

Happy Monday Readers! I hope everyone had a great weekend?

I went pumpkin hunting with my sister Becky and the Lil' Bro. Here are some pictures we took.

At the pumpkin farm:

Typical Midwestern fall weather:

Pumpkin in progress:

GUTS!:

The finished product:

In case you can't tell, I'm really excited for halloween. How about you?

*Crappy Blackberry pictures courtesy of my sister. One day, I will own a real camera. Please do not use without permission.

Cooking For One

2009-10-22T11:45:00.003-04:00

Let's talk food today.

Recently I stumbled on the book Solo Suppers, and I love the idea of it. Author Joyce Goldstein, after going through a divorce, realized that most traditional recipes which serve 4-6 don't easily translate into single servings, or even two servings. Which means that people who frequently cook for just themselves are left with a conundrum: cook for 4-6 and end up with way more leftovers than they will ever eat, or try to downsize the recipe at the risk of it coming out all wrong. So she came up with this book, which is full of classic recipes in smaller sizes, designed for the single person who doesn't necessarily want to be eating the same leftovers for a week.

I've been trying to cook different things lately and it's definitely hard to find recipes for one. While I do have a significant other and the Lil' Bro to cook for every now and then, most of the time I'm just cooking for me. I think this book could be a lifesaver. Now only if I could get my grocery store to start stocking perishable food in smaller sizes...

Image via Barnes and Noble

Etsy Finds: Fall Fashion

2009-10-20T19:44:00.006-04:00

Today I'm feeling materialistic, so I thought I'd share some of my favorite current Etsy finds. Right now I'm thinking anything cozy and autumn-like.
Like this great leather carry-everything-even-textbooks bag...
And a cute floppy hat.
A girly top in my favorite autumn color...
And gorgeous twig stacking rings.
Maybe even some leg warmers (Confession: I think legwarmers are cute, but I feel ridiculous wearing them. Thoughts?)

What's your favorite fall fashion?

All images property of their respective etsy sellers (see links).

Blogs Without Topics

2009-10-16T16:23:00.002-04:00

I just read and wanted to respond to this post by Amber over at Girl with the Red Hair.

In it, Amber discusses another blog post which claims that blogs without topics are inherently useless.

Of course, I'm a little biased here. I say that OHP is about "whatever makes me happy," but that's essentially a nice way of saying that I can't pick just one topic to stick to. Just one topic doesn't make me happy. It takes a lot of things- from books to being healthy to green living- to make me happy. I choose to blog about all of those things.

I agree with Amber that we could pick a single topic and get really, really into it. There are some absolutely amazing blogs out there that are devoted entirely to fitness, or relationships, or even nail polish (check out my side bar "Blogs I Heart" if you want to see some of my faves). But there are also some amazing blogs that are devoted to whatever catches the blogger's fancy, like Ambers, or Cup of Jo. Both have a good number of devoted followers, so that sort of debunks the idea that people aren't interested in them. Plus, I love reading blogs without topics because, personally, I like not knowing what I'm going to get when I log on each day.

Arguing that blogs have to have specific topics is kind of like arguing that newspapers should focus only on politics, or current events, or crime. Blogs aren't just about "topics". They're about human communication. And as anyone who has taken intro psych (or sociology, or anthropology) will tell you, humans thrive on communication. We love to share things- ideas, opinions, rants and raves. So if only for the communication aspect of blogging, I think topicless blogs are totally worth it.

What's your opinion on this? Agree, disagree, kind-of-sorta agree? Leave it in the comments- just be respectful :)

Big thanks to Amber for bringing the topic up! It's one I've been thinking of lately but didn't know how to tackle. If you haven't checked out Amber's blog Girl With The Red Hair, you can (and should) do so here.

This Week Bullets and TGIF

2009-10-16T16:10:00.004-04:00

This week almost killed me I think. Well maybe that's a little dramatic, but it was pretty rough. Here's the rundown:

On Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday I worked pretty much 15 hour days. That's between my paying job, school work, and my thesis. Oy.
On Tuesday I got a flu shot because the OSU Med Center, where I work, essentially required the staff there to do so (herd immunity and all). The shot itself wasn't bad- a relief since I hate needles- but nobody told me that the flu shot can make you feel terrible for several days after you got it. I essentially spent two days with sniffles, a sore throat, a headache, and other fun symptoms, and it's just now clearing up today.
I haven't gotten more than 6 hours a sleep a night any day this week except Thursday. Thursday I got nine hours, because I slept straight through my morning class.
Today my thesis advisor asked me for a progress report on some computer coding I need to get done to get my project rolling. My report: "not much progress". *wince* Looks like I've got some work cut out for me this weekend.

On the positive side:

I did decent on my exam that I was worried about.
I got all my homework projects done, and most of my reading.
I skipped a meeting for my flu shot Tuesday night, which left some time to get pizza and chill with big sister Becky and the Lil' Bro.

And this weekend shouldn't be as bad. I don't have a lot of plans besides getting a little work done and vegging.

Have a good weekend everyone! What are your plans?

Snackage

2009-10-13T09:49:00.002-04:00

This week is uber busy for me which means instead of sitting down to three square meals a day, I will probably be doing a lot of on-the-go snacking.

To keep myself from devouring muffins at the coffee shop between class and work (and the lab, and more class, and more work...) I compiled a little list of my favorite snacks to eat when I don't have time to sit down for a meal, much less cook one.

My current faves:

Spicy paprika and garlic almonds.
Raw almonds and dried cranberries.
Yogurt. Blackberry, apple cinnamon, blueberry, peach, anything but strawberry (for some reason, I hate strawberry yogurt).
Chocolate milk and a banana.
String cheese and an apple.
Peanut butter and banana sandwich, especially if the bread is toasted and the PB is melting (mmm).
Leftover tomato soup with chili spices, black beans, and corn (especially good when it's cold).
Scrambled egg with spinach, chopped onion, and bell peppers- this is about as close to cooking as I'll get this week.

For lots of other snacking ideas, I go here.

Your turn: what are you fave on-the-go snacks? I can always use more ideas!

How do you like your school (or alma mater)?

2009-10-12T13:49:00.009-04:00

Football Stadium

I've never really understood people who are totally ambivalent about their college of choice. I'll admit I'm just a wee bit obsessed about my university. I go to The Ohio State University (yes- "The" is officially part of our name) and I just love it here. The campus is huge, so there's always something new to discover, but it's broken up into smaller chunks so it's not totally overwhelming. And, in my opinion at least, it's gorgeous. I visited a ton of campuses when I was trying to pick a college, and while plenty of them were pretty (Northwestern, I'm lookin' at you), none of them felt as much like home as Ohio State.

I also love the diverse student population here, something I never got at my small country high school. And I love the mix of academics, research, and (obviously) athletics.

So today I just thought I'd show a little school pride (Go Bucks!) and then ask you- what do you like about your university, if you went to one?

Pictures from our website:

From top: The RPAC (a giant glass workout center that I should go to more often), Mirror Lake (home of the buck ducks), ampitheatre steps (aka where I nap between classes when it's warm), and the massive main library (aka where I nap between classes when it's cold).

And because I'm all about being honest: go here to see what OSU looks like from December to March (winter is on the way, ugh).

All pictures via OSU Image of the Day.

Can we be vain for a sec?

2009-10-07T14:48:00.002-04:00

I mentioned a few weeks ago that I wanted to focus One Happy Panda on things that make me happy in a deeper way. I wanted to focus less on material things and appearances, and more on the immaterial, simple little things that really matter.

Today, however, I'm feeling kind of vain. Today I just want to talk about looks.

I don't know if it's sleep deprivation or stress or what, but I'm feel like I'm stuck in a rut. I don't feel like putting on makeup, I don't feel like doing anything with my hair, I don't even feel like putting on cute clothes. Even if I do force myself to make the effort, I just end up feeling like it was useless. My hair is frizzy, my skin is breaking out like I'm still 13 (actually, it's worse than when I was 13), my lips are perpetually dry and wrinkly, and none of my clothes seem to fit right. Eventually I just give up and end up putting on the same old outfit- plain tee and jeans- washing off the makeup, and heading out the door.

I know that it's not necessary for everyone to dress up and put on a full face of makeup to feel good, so that's not the issue for me. The problem is that even if I do make the effort, I feel frumpy. Like I'm a middle-aged woman who has "let herself go". Except that I'm nowhere near middle aged, and I do care about how I look, I'm just stuck in a rut. And I don't want to be stuck any more- I want to feel better about myself, even if it is just looks.

I know I have some awesome advice-giving readers so I wanted to ask you all: have you ever been in an "ugly rut" before, and how did you bust out of it? I know that I can, I just don't know how to go about it.

I Heart October

2009-10-05T17:34:00.006-04:00

Autumn is by far my favorite season (in case you couldn't tell) and every October I fall in love with it all over again. So today I thought I'd just gush a little bit.

I love Autumn for...

Pumpkin pie (and pumpkin bread, and pumpkin muffins, and pumpkin rolls, and...)
Snuggly sweaters (like this one)
Haunted houses and hay rides
Tights under a summer dress
Flat boots over the tights under a summer dress
The end of what I call "the sweaty season"
Hot apple cider and hot cocoa
Jack-o-Lanterns!
An excuse to hold hands and snuggle (it's cold!)
Apple pie candles (mmm)
Gigantic scarves
Crisp fall air
Running outside in the crisp fall air
Driving over a hill and seeing all the trees lit up in red and gold, and having my breath taken away.

Happy October everyone! What's your favorite season, and why?

(PS: Apologies to everyone for the lack of updates last week. I was unexpectedly slammed with schoolwork and other responsibilities, so I couldn't get on and write. Hopefully this week will be better.)

Image: "October Love" from briefmoments' etsy shop.

Busy Day

2009-09-29T21:10:00.005-04:00

Another late post- today ended up being surprisingly busy. I accidentally woke up late and had to run out the door to get to class by 8:30. There was just enough time to grab a sandwich between classes, and just enough time to grab a coffee between my last class and work. When I finally got home from work and classes, all I wanted to do was collapse, but Lil' Bro was starving so I ended up making potato soup instead.

Now I'm going to snuggle up with my bowl of soup and my textbooks and read the night away. Sometimes I actually don't mind having busy days, because they make me appreciate the calm moments at night even more.

In other news, it's finally feeling like fall. Today was chilly and overcast, which didn't do much for my energy levels but does make me appreciate my warm house and a cup of steaming hot tea (I like this kind). I can't wait until the leaves change and start to look like the picture above (which you can check out here).

Image via dahliahousestudio's etsy shop.

What I've been doing instead of blogging...

2009-09-28T21:33:00.002-04:00

Sorry for the slow posting everyone. I have no good excuse other than the fact that I have been feeling rather lazy. I spent most of my weekend either outside enjoying the autumn weather, or on the couch watching movies with Lil' Bro. Sometimes you just need a long-walks-and-movies kind of weekend.

Back to a regular posting schedule tomorrow. In the meantime, check out the posters for my four favorite movies above, then leave a comment with your favorites (I always need something new to Netflix).

I hope you all had a great weekend :)

Images via wikipedia.

Family Photo Time

2009-09-24T11:20:00.004-04:00

I've always had a thing for old family photos. When I was little I would stay with my grandma on weekends and I could spend ages looking through her old photo albums. The best part of inheriting my grandpa's old computer was getting all the family photos he'd scanned into it. These ones of my dad and his sisters when they were little are my favorites.

The bottom photo is my grandparents in California right after they got married- don't they look cute?

Have a good day everyone! I'm off to go work my butt off in class and the lab :)

All images in this post are mine.

New School Shoes

2009-09-23T12:03:00.003-04:00

Today marks the start of a new school year for me, a day after the official start of fall.

For some reason, autumn always makes me feel nostalgic. I remember when I was in elementary school my grandma would always insist on getting me a pair of new school shoes to start the year. I have always had big feet which were hard to fit, so we would spend hours driving all over town, looking for the perfect pair of new school shoes. I don't remember a lot about those early shoes, except that they always smelled like rubber and I was always SO excited to pull them on for my first day of school.

Flash forward a few years- here I am, 20 years old with a job and over halfway through my college career, and my grandma still insists on going shopping every August for new school shoes. So today I'm going to be pulling on my brand new size 11 navy blue Converse and heading off to my first class of the year. The shoes still smell like rubber and while I'm not quite as excited for classes as I was back in elementary school, I still love the tradition of new school shoes because they remind me that I am cared for. They are one of my favorite parts of autumn.

Happy autumn everyone! Now tell me: what's your favorite part of the season?

My rockin' new shoes.

Let's make a list...

2009-09-22T13:45:00.003-04:00

Awhile ago I read an article in one of my favorite magazines that equated running a business to life. In it, the author discusses 10 common business strategies that can be used by everyone.

I won't paraphrase the whole article* here, but there were two "strategies" that I found particularly life-changing:

#1: Identify your core values. Companies list what is truly important to them so that those things can guide their decisions- that's something we can all do.
#2: Understand your opportunity cost. Time, energy, and money are not unlimited resources. Devoting yourself to one thing (opportunity) means detracting from another (cost). For every minute I spend on my blog, that's one less minute spent studying. The trick is to balance costs with opportunities.

The other day I was thinking about this article and I decided to figure out what my core values were. So I pulled out some paper and listed the things that were important to me (not the things I think should be important to me, the things that actually are), in descending order. At the top of the list were things like my faith and its related values like giving to others, my relationships with the people I love, my education, my health and financial stability, etc. Toward the bottom of the list were things like my hobbies, my ever-expanding makeup collection, my clothes.

Then I took a look at how I devoted my time, energy, and money. In short: not very efficiently. Even though I know what's really important to me, I devote most of my time to less consequential things. To some extent, I think we all do that.

The good thing is, knowledge is power. From now on, I'm going to try and use my values to guide the way I use my resources. That's one of the reasons I wanted to switch the focus of OHP- so that I could spend more time on the important stuff. And I've got my list taped up on my mirror now, so that I won't forget what's important to me.

Readers- what do you all think of this new plan? And a challenge to you: make a list of your own (you don't have to share it with us).

*For the curious, the article was titled "10 Business Strategies to Organize Your Home Life" by Patrick Lencioni, and it was in the Feb.2009 edition of Real Simple Magazine. I highly recommend looking it up on their website.

The New (Improved?) One Happy Panda

2009-09-21T10:24:00.004-04:00

Happy Monday everyone!

I promised to say a little bit about the new direction I'm hoping to take the blog in today, so here goes...

When I originally launched One Happy Panda, I did it with the intention of sharing the things that make me happy. These things fall into one of two camps: those that can be bought (a pair of perfect-fit jeans, a gorgeous new lipstick) and those that cannot (less stress, more laughter, solid friendships). Typically, as you might imagine, it's the things that cannot be bought that make the most difference as far as happiness goes. I mean, c'mon, would you rather have a new pair of jeans or less stress?

However, I came to realize during my little blogging hiatus that for whatever reason, OHP focused much more on things that can be bought. Perhaps it's because those are easier to find a write about, perhaps it's because I live in a material society. The "why" doesn't really matter. What matters to me is changing OHP so that it more accurately reflects what really makes me happy.

Which is why I'm switching gears a little bit, and planning to write a little less about "things" and a little more on, well, life. In no way am I an expert on what makes a person happy, and in no way do I intend this blog to become a handbook on how to live the perfect life (like that even exists). However, I do know that even the most tiny life changes can add up to a lot more happy- and since I'm constantly trying to adopt tiny changes that will improve the way I live, I would love to share those things with you, my awesome readers. Those are things I would like OHP to focus on, though I won't be abandoning material things entirely.

PS: Along the way, feel free to suggest new topics and new directions for OHP, either by leaving them in the comments section or by emailing me at onehappypanda at hotmail dot com. I always love to hear what readers have to say, as long as you aren't too mean about it. :)

Comback of the Year (well, sort of...)

2009-09-20T16:06:00.002-04:00

Hello readers!

It has been SO long since I have been able to visit the blog and post. I have missed it terribly, but I felt I needed the time to focus on other things and get my life together. I can't promise that I'm all put-together now, but things have settled enough that I would like to start posting again.

A few little notes on what's happened since I last wrote:

I temporarily have aquired a new roommate- Brandon, my younger brother, also known as Lil' Bro. He's super awesome and often hilarious, so expect to hear about him from time to time :)
I had a birthday back in August: the big 2-0. Basically that means nothing other than I can now grumble about "annoying teenage girls" without being hypocritical :-P
I quit my (2nd) retail job, so theoretically I will have more time now (and free weekends!). On the other hand, I'm also launching into my honors thesis project through the psychology department here at OSU. Which means my chances of having a social life these next few months are slim.
I'm reevaluating the things I'd like OHP to focus on and considering making some changes. I'll write more on that topic tomorrow, but if anyone has feedback on the blog or topics that you would like to have covered, feel free to email me or leave them in the comments.

Many thanks to all of you who have dealt with my absence, I certainly hope that some of you still remain. To anyone who is just now stumbling on the blog- welcome!

Image via my computer- it is not my photo, but I forget where I got it from. If anyone knows, let me know so I can credit it properly.

It's everybody's favorite disappearing blogger...

2009-08-28T11:08:00.002-04:00

Dearest readers,

I have to apologize for my recent absence from the blogging world. Unfortunately, life has become quite crazy for me in the past month and I just couldn't squeeze in any time for blogging. But I hope all of you know that I miss writing for all of you and reading all your wonderful comments. One Happy Panda has become a part of my life that I've really grown affectionate of, and I hate to leave it just sitting like this.

I'm not sure when all the dust will settle and I will have the time and energy to start blogging again. I hope it is soon. In the meantime, keep checking back for updates. And thanks to all of you who have been reading and leaving me comments. I always love reading them.

~Amanda

PS: If any of you have comments/suggestions for OHP (things you like, things you hate, things you want to see more of) feel free to email me or leave them in the comments. That way when I do get back, I can start right off making OHP even better. Thanks!

Panda photo via Wikipedia.

Greenify Your Laundry

2009-07-29T19:01:00.003-04:00

When it comes to greenifying my laundry routine, I was a little nervous. I tend to be choosy about my soaps and dryer sheets and I wasn't sure I wanted to throw my old, non-green favorites away. But after a single trip to the Whole Foods laundry aisle, I can just about promise you that I'm never going back. There were a ton of great, natural, affordable (and nice-smelling!) options there that I couldn't even start to go into them all. But here are two of my current favorite laundry products:
For laundry soap, I wanted something that would be effective at cleaning but not at all harsh on my clothes. Ecover Ultra Ecological Laundry Wash does the trick for me. It's nice to my clothes, doesn't fade the colors, and leaves them clean and smelling nice. The lavender scent is plant-derived (unlike the synthetics at the regular grocer which I actually hate) and I find it herbal but light. It's also a high efficiency product, which cuts down on product and packaging waste.

Dryer sheets are one of those products that aren't strictly essential, so if I really wanted to be green I could go without them. But I really like the way they make my clothes soft and non-staticky, plus their scent usually lasts longer than that of a detergent. I found true love in Mrs. Meyer's Dryer Sheets, which are biodegradable and the essential oil scents are strong enough that I only need one for a large load at the laundromat (vs. the two or three I used to use). I like the Lemon Verbena scent currently, but they also come in Lavender, Geranium, Baby Blossom, and Basil. And at $8 for 80 sheets, they're not too expensive to use frequently.

So there you have it, my new "green" laundry routine and I'd love to hear your thoughts or suggestions. :) Have you ever used "green" cleaners?

PS: If you aren't much for dryer sheets, you could scent your laundry by adding essential oils (like lavender) to your wash to lightly scent the clothes- just make sure whatever you add won't stain or bleach. You could also add a drop to a clean washcloth and add it to the dryer for the same effect without the waste.

Images: Laundry wash from Vitacost, dryer sheets from Mrs. Meyers Clean Day

Fitness Confessional: I Don't Stretch

2009-07-27T12:44:00.002-04:00

Lately I read an article (which I promptly lost, or I'd reference it for you all) about the importance of stretching. We all know that stretching is good for us because it helps maintain flexibility and reduce muscle and bone injuries. But how many of us actually do it?

I, for one, rarely stretch. The last time I stretched regularly was a year ago when I still did daily yoga. Even before a run, I'll maybe spend 2 minutes stretching my calves before I head out the door. But just as an experiment the other day, I tried full-body stretching before my run, spending a good 10 minutes making sure my arms, legs, and shoulders were all loose and ready to go. Wow did it make a difference! I felt like I had SO much more energy at the start of the run, probably because I didn't need to spend the first five minutes warming my muscles up. Also, stretching out my back and shoulders after spending the day hunched in an office chair really seemed to help my posture (which is terrible).

So now I'm making the resolution to stretch more often, perhaps even daily. And I wanted to hear from you all: do you stretch very often before or after a workout? What about on the days you don't work out?

The Gift of Giving: Girl Effect

2009-07-24T14:14:00.002-04:00

As some of you might have noticed, I normally try to keep One Happy Panda pretty light and, well, happy. I wanted to create a place on the internet where I should share the things that make me smile. But I realized the other day that while I often share the material things that I like (books, clothes, music, etc.) I don't give that much attention to the immaterial. So today I thought we should discuss one of the things that makes me most happy: giving.

There is no way to say it without sounding cheesified but here it goes: I think that giving to others is the easiest way to make yourself happy. Improving the lives of other people, whether they are family or strangers on the other side of the globe, makes me feel like I have purpose. It reminds me that we're a global community that should be committed to loving and taking care of one another. And that, to me, is a good thing to be reminded of.

As a poor college student, I don't have a ton of money to "give". But when I do, I like to donate to Girl Effect, a non-profit run through Global Giving which supports young girls through education, shelters, microloans (so they can start businesses), and legal support. I love this organization because they focus on a part of the population that, in the developing world, is often ignored. Studies show that when girls are educated, they make more money, have less children, and raise healthier, more educated families. Some studies even suggest that women reinvest up to 90% of their earnings into their families and their communities, vs. 30-40% for men. So Girl Effect doesn't just help girls, but the communities they live in. To me, that's a really great way of helping a community. If you want, you can read more of the facts about this organization here.

If you don't have a ton of money to give, don't worry. Chances are your community has lots of opportunities for volunteering your time and effort in order to help others, whether it's volunteering at somewhere like a homeless shelter or the humane society, donating stuff you don't use anyway to the Salvation Army, or running a charity 5K (or 10K, or however many K you like).

Alright readers, it's your turn: how are you giving back to your global community? If you could donate to any organization right now, which one would you choose?

Have an amazing weekend everyone!

Money poster by Howard Sokol, via allposters.com

Comfort Food: What's Yours?

2009-07-22T18:14:00.002-04:00

I've always had a thing for homemade potato soup. There is something so simple and familiar about it, and it always brings me back to when I was little and my grandma made it from scratch for me. If I'm ever craving comfort food, potato soup is my go-to.

Today I stumbled on the Wikipedia page for "comfort food" (there is a Wikipedia page for everything) and got to reading about comfort foods throughout the world. Potato soup isn't on the list anywhere, but chicken noodle soup was one of the common comfort foods in the States. Other common ones included pizza, peanut butter, macaroni and cheese, and applesauce (mmm). Canada is similar to the States, while the United Kingdom prefers "bangers and mash" (sausage and mashed potatoes) and Ireland likes boiled stews, soda bread, and butter. Other popular choices include fried eggs with fries or rice in Spain and miso soup in Japan. You can read the full Wikipedia article here.

Also according to Wikipedia, comfort food is usually something simple and familiar that is associated with childhood. So I guess my love of potato soup isn't so far off after all.

What's your favorite comfort food? And, just for fun, do you think it's related to where you live?

Image: chicken stew via Cambell's Kitchen. Nom.

Local Goods (the Etsy way)

2009-07-21T13:42:00.006-04:00

We all know that buying local is good for us. Local goods don't require as much packaging and fuel for transportation, making them green-friendlier. Plus buying local supports your city's economy and keeps small businesses afloat. The trick, of course, is finding local goods that you actually want to buy. Which is one of the reasons I'm in love with Etsy's "Shop Local" feature (thanks to my friend Hilary for introducing me to it!). Using their Shop Local search, you can buy handmade products (and some vintage too) made right in your very own home town, or at least very near by.

I did a search for my city and here are just a few of the things I found:
A cute clutch just big enough for summer essentials (wallet, keys, sunglasses, chapstick).
A mellow scent (the seller claims it can calm a rowdy 2 year old).
Black and white photography (my favorite)- this one is titled "blight 2007."
All-natural with an attitude. This tank is made from organic cotton, and the print is "inspired by the art nouveau movement and modern tattoos".

Go here to search for Etsy shops in your area. But before you do, tell me- do you ever try to buy things locally?

All images belong to their respective Etsy sellers (see links).

Let's Discuss: Birth

2009-07-16T15:00:00.003-04:00

Has anyone been keeping up with the blog Pacing the Panic Room? The author Ryan Marshall recently wrote about his wife's at-home water birth, and I found it totally fascinating (you can check it out here).

I'll admit that I've never been much for the idea of at-home births. I've heard enough stories to know that even normal, healthy births often require emergency medical attention for some reason or another. Often the window of opportunity for that attention is mere minutes- meaning that even a quick car ride to the hospital could put off treatment long enough to put someone (mama or baby) in trouble. And while, yes, our great-grandmothers may have successfully given birth to 12 children at home, it's probably not a coincidence that their rates for infant mortality and birth complications were a lot higher.

That said, reading the Marshalls' birth story still has me intrigued at the idea. Maybe as our medical knowledge of birth and its risks increase (and as we develop medical technology that's easily transportable), safe home births will become a reality for more women. And being able to give birth in a comfortable, familiar environment versus a sterile hospital DOES sound a lot better.

I thought I'd open the floor up for discussion: what do you think of home births? How about the recent increase in birthing centers, which are designed to give the feel of a home while being close to medical help if needed? I'd love to hear opinions! Just remember to keep it nonjudgmental, we're all friends here :)

Personally, I feel like we still need more impartial, unbiased information. What's the risk of birth complication in a normal pregnancy? How about a pregnancy with slight complications? Will being at home increase any of those risks or decrease them? If the risk of complication is low assuming there is a midwife present, then maybe home birth is a viable option.

Running Playlist

2009-07-15T18:59:00.004-04:00

I never had a workout buddy until Ernie. All through high school track, I used to run solo, just me and the road. Then a couple of years or so ago, I found Ernie and it was love at first sight.

Ernie is my ipod.

I inherited him from Nathan, who moved on to a newer and better ipod. Ever since I got him, I've been totally addicted. I love having music that I can carry with me, especially when I'm running. It's like fast, upbeat songs make me forget (well, distract me from at least) my tired legs and side stitch, so I can run faster and longer. And it turns out I'm not making that up- some research studies have found that people burn more calories when they work out to music.

So in the name of calorie-burning, here's some of what I listen to when I run:

The Rolling Stones- Jumpin Jack Flash
Franz Ferdinand- Take Me Out
Franz Ferdinand- The Dark of the Matinee
Muse- Stockholm Syndrome
Muse- Hysteria
The Clash- Should I Stay Or Should I Go
The Mars Volta- L'Via L'Viaquez
Michael Jackson- Smooth Criminal
Modest Mouse- Dance Hall
Creedence Clearwater Revival- Fortunate Son
Queen- Another One Bites the Dust

...and that gets me through just about any workout :)

What songs do you listen to while you work out?

Image by Per Briehagen via Runnersworld

Sunny Days

2009-07-14T10:15:00.004-04:00

Yesterday I spent the entire day lazing around the local pool with my sister and cousin. I haven't been to the local pool since I was a little girl, and I was surprised by how much it changed. What used to be just a regular pool now includes two huge water slides, diving boards, and a lazy river that you can float on for hours. Of course, there are some things that never change: kids were still running around screaming and splashing their parents, the snack stand was quickly selling out of $2 popsicles and $3 bottles of water, and the teenage lifeguards were all lying around in their getting deep brown tans.

For reasons of health (skin cancer!) and vanity (wrinkles!) I avoided tanning the whole day. I was actually pretty impressed that my sunscreen held up to the hot afternoon sun. I got zero sunburn and barely any tan, which is what I was going for.

Here's what I used to protect my pastiness:
Neutrogena Pure and Free Baby Sunblock has high SPF and is water resistant. It's designed for babies but ideal for adult skin too, especially sensitive skin as the physical blockers are less irritating than traditional chemical ones (and more green-friendly). The sunblock goes on white like most physical blockers, and it takes some rubbing to get it to sink in- this will probably leave a white cast on dark skin. But it was gentle and kept me from frying all afternoon.
Blue Lizard Australian Suncream for Sensitive Skin is one of the few sunscreens with high SPF that my face can tolerate without breaking out. It has SPF30 and is water resistant and, like the Neutrogena one, this takes some rubbing to get rid of the initial white cast. It also goes on really sticky, but that fades after 10-15 minutes and it leaves my face less shiny than most sunscreens do. I like it because it's stable, chemical-free, and inexpensive (~$10) so that I can actually afford to use it.
As for everyday protection, I like to use a moisturizer with SPF. Right now I'm using Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion with SPF15. I wouldn't dare use this on a day where I'm going to be outside a lot, but for normal everyday running-around, it works for me. It's inexpensive ($11 for 12oz.), easy to get ahold of, and easy to slap on in the morning.

What about you all: do you wear daily sunscreen? What do you rely on for sun protection?

All images: drugstore.com

The upside to the economic downturn...

2009-07-10T16:58:00.003-04:00

Yesterday I picked up a copy of the August issue of Real Simple and I really loved the article "anything for a buck" by Julie Rottenberg. It details how before the economic crisis, the author used to deal with scrutiny for her penny-pinching ways but now that the economy is in a constant downturn, her frugality is much more accepted. I like how she finds the silver lining to our economic woes through its effects on our society. I too have always thought that, while it's not a good thing that people are losing their jobs left and right, it has spurred some positive social changes. Being spendy is no longer the popular thing to do, extravagence is seen as wasteful, and conservation is back in a big way. I've never been much for extravagence anyway, and I think that this current economic climate has forced us as a society to question our values. Are things really that important? Do we really need the latest this-or-that, especially if it won't be popular in two months anyway? Studies have already showed that recessions are better for people's health by reducing work hours and increasing healthy habits like cooking at home, and maybe they're better for our wallets and bank accounts in the long run as well. While I naturally would love for the economy to pick up a little (so, ahem, the government will stop trying to cut my college grants) I also hope that we can come out of this a little financially smarter.

I know I have some very intelligent and thoughtful readers out there, so I'd love to know what you all think of this. What positive effects have you seen from the economic downturn?

PS: Have a great weekend everyone! And if I haven't commented on your blog lately, be patient. I'm still catching up on all the reading I missed last week :)

Image by Howard Sokol via allposters.com

In Case of Vegetarian Kitty: Check for Toxic Plants

2009-07-09T16:14:00.003-04:00

Every cat owner knows that cats tend to have their quirks. Some cats love singing at odd hours, some love swimming, some have a thing for licking the walls. My cat Tigger? She loves eating plants. It's odd because technically cats should be strictly carnivore, but in the 9 years that I've owned her, I've seen her attempt to eat cut roses, daisies, a mint plant, corn husks (her fave), cactus (not her fave) and a whole myriad of other green things. This is the cat that turns up her nose at store brand cat food, but if I bring in anything even remotely plantlike, she will try to eat it. She's even tried to eat the fake plant I have sitting in a corner. Seriously.

For awhile now I've been thinking about bringing in some houseplants to make my apartment look more "alive" but I was worried about potential ill effects on Tigger if she got ahold of it. So on the recommendation of a friend, I looked up the ASPCA's list of Toxic and Non-Toxic plants for pets. Turns out most of the plants I wanted are highly toxic to cats, causing everything from vomiting to seizures if eaten. A big bummer for me, but I'm glad I looked before I bought.

You can check out the ASPCA's list of toxic and non-toxic plants here. Also- I'd love to know if any of you cat and plant owners have any advice for me and my vegetarian kitty. :)

Tigger: vicious plant hunter

Images: Aloe, ASPCA website (see link). Tigger, mine.

Greenify Your Makeup: Part 1

2009-07-08T13:46:00.004-04:00

Over the past month or so I've been testing out natural makeup brands to replace some of my old, chemical-laden stuff as it wears out. The website MakeupAlley (MUA) has been a great help for finding some of the lesser-known makeup brands and in learning how to apply them. I'm not even close to having replacements for all of my old makeup (especially since I'm only replacing things as they run out) but I have found a couple of rave-worthy brands already.

100% Pure was one of my first favorite green beauty brands, and I've written about them before. Their products have great, mostly natural ingredients lists without synthetic chemicals or any artificial fragrances. They're not cheap, but they do come highly rated and might be worth a splurge every now and then. I'm currently loving their Pure Peach Concealer in White Peach. It brightens dark undereye circles and contains both caffeine and antioxidants like green tea to nourish the sensitive skin there. You can easily get 100% Pure products through QVC, Amazon, or their website.
The first time I tried mineral makeup, I hated it. It itched my face and made me break out in horrible cystic acne all over my chin. It turns out that many well-known mineral brands contain a lot of talc and bismuth, which act as skin irritants for many people. Thanks to MUA, however, I discovered Everyday Minerals, which creates affordable mineral makeup that is free of talc and bismuth. Their makeup comes in tons of colors and it doesn't itch my skin at all. Right now I'm craving Net Surfing eyeshadow, a gorgeous amythest with pink shimmer (above). The best part is the prices, which (unlike 100% pure) don't send my wallet away crying. A set of 6 full-sized products of your choice goes for $34 on the website, and you can get a sample kit containing 5 sample products of your choice for free- just pay shipping, which only ran about $3 for me. You really can't go wrong with decent minerals that run less than the stuff at the drugstore.

Have you ever tried any "green" beauty/skincare brands? Would you?

Images: Concealer, amazon.com. Eyeshadow, everydayminerals.com.

I'm Back

2009-07-08T13:38:00.003-04:00

I have to apologize for my recent absence from the blog. I was feeling uninspired and a little stressed last week, plus working a 40+ hour week so I took a little blogging vacation. But now I'm back and I've got a fun lineup of posts for the rest of the week, so stay tuned.

In the meantime, here's a picture of one of my favorites gorillas at the local zoo (I know, I'm random). I nicknamed him (her?) Bubbles for his/her habit of hanging off of the exhibit fence and blowing spit bubbles at passerby.

I hope everyone had a wonderful week/weekend! :)

Leg Therapy

2009-07-01T16:16:00.006-04:00

I normally don't have too much of an issue with tired legs. I run and walk a lot, and I'm rarely bothered by soreness. But this week, after working at a department store (read: on my feet for 6 hours at a time), weight lifting for the first time in years, rock climbing, and running more than usual, my legs are shot. AND I work at the department store again tomorrow, so it'll be another 5 hours standing. Oy.

When I ran track in high school, we used to do ice baths or, worse, showers alternating between hot and cold for sore muscles. It's kind of excruciating at first (if you hate being cold like me anyway) but it really does help.

I also discovered this nifty little leg gel from The Body Shop. It's made with peppermint oil, which is supposed to cool and help revitalize your legs (without some of the nasty ingredients in Icy Hot, or the funky odor). I won't say it works miracles, but it does cool my legs and moisturize them a little bit without being at all greasy or smelly. And bonus- the smell of peppermint is supposed to be an instant mood-lifter.

Share your sore-leg cures with me in the comments!

Amazing Sand Art!

2009-06-29T22:21:00.003-04:00

Get this: today I stumbled on (literally, found using Stumble Upon) an article about sand artists' abilities to render human emotions in sand form. As someone whose childhood sand art consisted of essentially bucket "towers", this blows my mind. They're so realistic! And there's something to be said of artists who slave over these creations for hours, despite knowing that they'll eventually get washed away.

Have you ever seen sand art like this? You can check out the rest of the article (with more pictures!) here.

(PS: I know this is another late post. I hope that you all can please bear with me while I transition into having two jobs taking over my time. Once I get into the swing of things, posting should become less sporadic).

Images via Woman's Day (see link).

Name three good habits!

2009-06-26T10:15:00.004-04:00

Random red panda, because it's cute and I was blanking on pictures.

After all the confessions yesterday (if you missed it, scroll down) I thought we maybe needed some extra positivity. So what are three GOOD things that you do for yourself?

Here are mine:

Drinking water- I love water, plain and simple. You know how you're supposed to go through 8 servings a day? Well I go through about 15, easy. I carry bottles of cold water around with me everywhere (I'm drinking one right now, actually).
Activity- I genuinely love moving around. Being stationary for too long actually makes me more tired than moving does.
Goofiness- I'm pretty much a dork all the time. And to be honest, I really don't mind that. It makes me happier and (I hope) makes others laugh. Which is so much more fun than being moody right?

So there you have it, I'm a goofy runner who loves water. What're your good habits?

Have a good weekend every one!

Red panda image via Wikipedia.

What's your worst habit?

2009-06-25T16:12:00.002-04:00

We all have bad habits. I have more than I could possibly list- everything from nail biting to procrastination. But what do you think is the one that impacts you the most right now?

For me, it's not getting out of bed in the morning. Every morning is like a fight for me, because I never want to get up, even when I've had plenty of sleep. On a good day, I will only hit the snooze button two or three times. We don't even need to talk about what a bad day looks like.

I know to some extent it impacts me because I never get things done in the morning. This morning I wanted to blog, make a real breakfast, maybe take a quick jog before work at 10am. I did none of that. Instead I got up just early enough to run out the door with a glass of juice and some string cheese (breakfast of champions).

The good news is technically I could turn my habit around. The bad news is that it's really hard to tell that to my sleepy brain, especially on those days I technically need to get up at six.

Your turn: what's your bad habit? Sugar? Shopping? Wasting time reading blogs (*wink*)?

Image via Domino.

The Daily Puppy!

2009-06-23T22:07:00.003-04:00

It's a little bit late for posting but I just had to share this one. A friend from work showed me this website where you can check out daily pictures of adorable puppies. That's right, a whole website devoted to adorable puppies. Isn't that genius? There are also lots of articles on puppies and their care but honestly, I just like the adorableness.

Now we just need a daily kitten and a daily panda and I'll be all set.

Edit: Turns out there is a daily kitten, which you can check out here. No word on a daily panda yet, but I'll keep an eye out :)

Image via The Daily Puppy.

A little technical difficulty.

2009-06-23T16:16:00.003-04:00

Had a little technical difficulty today in that blogger wasn't letting me log in to post. So here's a picture of a cute panda and I promise I'll have a real post up and running later tonight :) In the meantime, don't forget to check out my greenify post from yesterday, it has lots of info and I'm still looking for suggestions!

Image via Wikipedia.

Greenify Your Skin- Body Edition

2009-06-22T12:57:00.006-04:00

Skin is your largest organ. It is extremely important to your health because it keeps nasty stuff out of your body, keeps good stuff (like water) in, helps regulate temperature, and does a whole host of other important things. Not to mention, it's the first thing people see when they look at you. So when I was deciding which parts of my "routine" to greenify first, it made sense to really look into my skincare. I want to take care of my skin using natural products that will perform just as well as, if not better than, the ones in the drugstore without breaking the bank. And after a little experimentation, this is my routine so far:

I have to admit that the thing I liked most about Pangea Organics Bar Soaps is that they smell absolutely amazing. I have Italian White Sage, Geranium, & Yarrow; Pyrenees Lavender with Damiana Tea; and Canadian Pine with White Sage. These soaps don't strip my skin like a lot of other bar soaps, they moisturize using natural oils, and the scents are all-natural. The coolest part about them is that not only are they made of minimal packaging, but the box it comes in has seeds imbedded in it and can be planted. Total gimmick, but a fun idea.

The bars are about $7, so not the cheapest, but I found mine for 50% off at World Market and stocked up, and a bar will last you for awhile.

I prefer bar soap to body wash because it cuts down on packaging. However, if you really don't like bar soap, I found lots of natural body washes too. Hugo Naturals Shower Gels come highly recommended by just about everyone I asked. They use mostly natural ingredients and contain no SLS, but they wash thoroughly without stripping. Not to mention, they come in delicious-sounding scents like Sweet Orange & Lemon and Shea Butter & Vanilla. Plus they're not terribly expensive ($8-9 for a big bottle) and easy to find at places like Whole Foods and online.
When it comes to moisturizer, I'm pretty low-maintenance. I want something light that I can slap on after a shower, and that won't irritate my skin or smell like butt. Nature's Gate moisturizers do the trick for me. They're inexpensive (about $9 for a huge 18-oz bottle) and easy to find, made with mostly natural ingredients, and the scents are light. I like the Pomegranate Sunflower one for its antioxidant properties but they have a whole host of other lotions for everthing from aging to very dry skin. There is also a fragrance-free line if you're sensitive.
When it comes to body scrubs, I prefer to make my own. Take olive oil (or anything oily) and add brown sugar or oatmeal and voila, you have a scrub. It's so easy I don't really see the point in buying one from the store. If I did decide to purchase a scrub, however, I might splurge on 100% Pure's body scrubs. They come highly recommended for being effective at smoothing without irritating sensitive skin, plus the ingredients are all-natural and mostly organic. Plus there's a huge variety, from Pomegranate to Fuji Apple to Sugared Lemon Peel (and lots more). They're not cheap (around $22 per scrub) but I think they'd be a fun treat for when you don't want to make your own.
Sunburn happens. This weekend I went to a parade covered in SPF 60 and still somehow came back with a nasty sunburn on my upper back. Jason's 98% Aloe Vera Gel has been my lifesaver. Aloe Vera is useful post-sun exposure, as well as for general skin irritation, and it makes a great light moisturizer if you have oily, acne-prone skin like me. And like all the others, it's inexpensive and easy to find in most natural grocers and some drug stores.

Tell me what you think of my new skin routine, and keep an eye out for the facial skin edition, coming just as soon as I get done testing products! :)

PS: You can check out the rest of the Greenify posts here.

Images via Amazon.com

Long or Short?

2009-06-19T12:32:00.002-04:00

I am a fickle person when it comes to my hair. One minute I want it long and flowy, the next minute I really want it short and sleek. And I can never quite decide which style I happen to like best.

I finally went to the hair stylist the other day and told him to do whatever he wanted because my hair was getting embarassingly shaggy and I couldn't decide on a style. Turns out that was a bad idea. My new style is totally cute, don't get me wrong, but it's just not me (for the record, I can't blame the stylist for that since I gave him no direction). It's also shorter than ever, just when I think I might be over short hair. Luckily, my hair grows ridiculously fast so I could have it long again in a matter of months. But I'm not sure what I want next, so I thought I would just go ahead and put it up for vote on here. Stylish readers, please chime in. Which past style looks best?

#1) The long-bob thing I had cut in February:
Pro: Requires little to no styling and very little product.
Cons: Can't really do much fun stuff with it (too short for braids or ponytails), requires trimming every six weeks or it venture into shaggy territory.

#2) Long and layered: aka the style I've been rocking in various forms since junior year of high school (minus those couple of months when I had a perm)

Disclaimer: horrible picture of me first thing in the morning, but you can really see the long hair. And isn't my nephew cute?

Pros: Feels girly, can do lots with it (hold a curl, braids, ponytail), only needs to be cut every 2-3 months.
Cons: Hot, heavy, requires lots of brushing or it looks tangled, doesn't look super fashion-y.

#3) Medium-long hair with bangs, which I had cut in February (this is not the best picture of the bangs since my first stylist sort of botched them, but you get the idea).
Pros: Probably my favorite style of the group looks-wise, got the most compliments, don't have to wax/pluck my eyebrows (teehee).
Cons: Requires constant trimming or risk looking like a shaggy dog, bangs stick to forehead on hot days (gross, I know, but it's true).

Vote for me: which hairstyle looks best? Or is there another one entirely that I should consider?

Greenify Your Closet

2009-06-18T14:45:00.002-04:00

I've been asking around the internet to see what people think are pretty nice eco-friendly shops for clothing. To be honest, I haven't had much luck. Mostly I get angry hippies** biting my head off for daring to consider buying anything new instead of shopping used.

It's actually a little ironic because used clothing probably makes up a good 75% of my wardrobe. I am a thrifting maniac- I'll spend hours thrifting for the perfect pair of jeans (ahemJBrandskinniesahem). However, even I have to admit that there are some things that are just about impossible to find used. Which means that sometimes even us thrifting maniacs have to consider buying new. And that's when going green gets a little tricky.

Lots of stores are coming out with "greener" (and usually more expensive) options for their clothing. But of course, there's a lot more to it than what the clothes are made out of. Before I call my wardrobe green, I want to look at the sustainability of the place I buy it and how much energy went into creating it and transporting it. And I have to do all this without completely blowing my budget.

Luckily, it turns out that one of my old favorites (which I constantly blather on about here) is actually pretty eco-friendly. Etsy has a whole host of sellers with really cute clothes made out of organic cotton and other sustainable materials. They're all hand made, so there's no factory waste to worry about. And you have the option of search for items within so many miles of your zip code, so you can stay local if you want. Prices vary, but there are several stores I found that offer organic cotton clothing that won't completely wipe out your savings. Take that, angry hippies.**

Two of my favorite items (above)

The Date Dress at econica's shop is made from organic cotton and bamboo.
The gardenia top at zelaya's shop is just plain gorgeous (and there are lots more like it).

**Disclaimer: For those of you who consider yourself somewhat hippie-ish and are perhaps angry at my use of the term angry hippie, know that fully distinguish between hippies and angry hippies and I happen to love the former :)

Have you ever shopped at Etsy before? And would you guys/gals be interested in hearing about more places where you can find (hopefully decently priced) eco-friendly clothes?

Images via etsy.com (see links)

Summer Reading List

2009-06-17T15:19:00.003-04:00

One of the best parts of summer is that I no longer have a huge pile of required class readings to do. Three months of reading things because I want to, not because I have to, is sheer bliss.

You can see the beginnings of my summer reading list, above. I like to create a big list every summer and see how far I get by fall.

My list so far:

The Golden Road: Notes on my Gentrification by Caille Millner
Reading Lolita in Tehran by Azar Nafisi (this one has been on my list for a looong time)
Not Buying It: My Year Without Shopping by Judith Levine (and I thought a 3-month spending hiatus was a long time!)
Life of Pi by Yann Martel

What's on your summer reading list, and what do you think of mine?

Images via barnesandnoble.com

First Jobs

2009-06-16T14:17:00.004-04:00

For the past couple of weeks I have been looking hard for a part time summer job, and this past weekend I got hired on at a department store. So it's no wonder that lately I've been thinking about some of the jobs I've held in the past.

My very first job was at Steve and Barry's, a large discount store that sold clothes and shoes, with everything being below $20. I spent entire days folding clothes, making displays look neat, and picking up after messy shoppers (fact: women are slobs when they shop). It wasn't my favorite job, but it did pay for gas and nights out with friends AND I got a 30% discount so pretty much all of my clothes for a year there were bought at Steve and Barry's. The chain finally went out of business last year, though, about a year after I left to go to college.

After Steve and Barry's, I spent a summer pulling weekend shifts with my sister at a dinky little diner that specialized in all-you-can-eat spaghetti and Yum-Yums (ice cream sundaes, essentially). Then I got a job as a lab assistant in my university's medical center, where I still work. And now I'm back to retail, albeit at a much nicer store where things generally cost a good deal more than $20. Guess I'm moving up in the world, right?

Where was your first job? Restaurant? Clothing store? Alpaca farm?

Image via bloggingstocks.com

How do you work out?

2009-06-15T12:17:00.003-04:00

I've been thinking a lot about workouts lately. Probably because I have no more classes until mid-September and that gives me a lot more time to think about getting healthy. Maybe because I spoke to my mom the other day and learned that over 75% of her parents' generation have died of heart disease related conditions (eek) or cancer. Also, probably because it's hot now and I feel like the Pillsbury Doughboy in my tank tops (not to mention bathing suits). So today I thought we should discuss working out.

I'm not super structured when it comes to working out. I don't have a training plan, I just tend to work out when I feel like it and leave it there. Right now my work outs look a little like this:

Running: I've always been a runner. I was in track in highschool (800m, woot) and I never really lost running as a hobby, though I run more sometimes than others. Right now I run probably 4-5 days a week, depending on how stressed I am (I actually run more when I'm stressed). Usually my runs are pretty casual- I'll head out with my ipod and just let my feet lead me wherever until I get tired enough to turn around. Most of the time I don't even time myself. When I have glanced at the time, my runs are usually between 30 and 45 minutes in length, so not super long but not terribly short either. How hard I run usually varies too- I run faster when I'm stressed and slower when I just want to enjoy myself. In case you can't tell, I'm super casual about my running, and I get to wondering whether I should start planning out my runs better. But I've learned that when I plan them, they start to feel like a chore.

Yoga: This is something that I picked up last spring, when I took a yoga class at my university. For awhile there, I did yoga almost every day. It was amazing for muscle tone and posture, two things I struggle with (not to mention obvious psychological benefits). I've let my yoga slip away lately, to the point where I almost never do it anymore. But it's something I hope to bring back over the summer when my schedule is (hopefully) less hectic. Anybody know of any good yoga DVDs?

Rock Climbing: Okay, so this is something I just started doing once a week as of two weeks ago and already I LOVE it. I'm pretty lucky in that my university has a huge climbing center not too far away from me, and I'm thinking of buying a rec pass just so I can have access to it over the summer. Rock climbing is a great upper body workout for me, namely because I have almost no upper body strength. Not to mention, it's just plain fun. I'm encouraging all of you who have access to a climbing wall to give it a shot- I'm planning on going once a week over the summer if I can get ahold of a rec pass.

Those are pretty much my three primary workouts right now. I'm also thinking of picking up swimming over the summer, especially if I do get a rec pass, since my university has several swimming pools as well. What are your favorite workouts and how do you stay healthy? Got any fun suggestions for me?

PS: Thanks for all of your well wishes last Thursday as I went in for my job interview. I got the job! So now I'm a sales associate and fitting room attendant at a large department store in addition to my usual part time job, which means I can actually pay my rent over the summer. Woohoo!

Image by Per Breiehagen via runnersworld.com

Thursday Bullets

2009-06-11T17:04:00.002-04:00

It's Thursday and I just got done with finals week yesterday. Two tests and one giant paper later, I'm feeling pretty tuckered out. Tuckered out enough to miss blogging for a day and a half, heh.
On the other hand- it's officially summer break for me! I don't have classes or papers or homework to deal with until September! So hopefully you all can forgive me for my sporadic blogging if I promise to throw in a few extra posts over the summer?
Summer doesn't mean I get to be lazy. Instead, it means that I have to find a (second) summer job stat if I want to pay my rent. I've got my first job interview Saturday afternoon- wish me luck!
I want an Organic Chocolate Trio from farmsteadorganic's Etsy shop. Organic chocolate fudge goat milk soap, chocolate body balm, and chocolate lip balm. Sounds good enough to eat (not that I'd recommend it).
I have a giant hot fudge sundae in front of me instead.
I just realized that the first ingredient on my hot fudge is not chocolate, as you might expect, but high fructose corn syrup. That can't be good.
I couldn't come up with a good picture for this post, so I stuck one of a cute girl from The Sartorialist up there. On a related note, I really wish I was as cute/hip/pretty as anyone that makes it onto The Sartorialist.
That's about all I can think about right now (post-exam brain freeze). I'll be back in normal blogging mode again tomorrow though! :)

How has your week been going?

Image via The Sartorialist.

Greenify Your Hair

2009-06-09T13:00:00.005-04:00

So as some of you know, awhile ago I officially jumped on the green bandwagon. I want to become more eco-conscious by looking critically at the things I own: those that I need, those that I like, and those that are inevitably wasted. What I don't want is to contribute to the idea that in order to be green you need to toss out all your old stuff and buy new, super-expensive "green" things (that may or may not be all that "green").

That said, as I have been trying to greenify my beauty routine by cutting back on the number of products I own (because, ahem, I own a lot), and picking more natural alternatives for ones that I keep around. And since I know you all will keep me accountable, I thought I'd share my new (much simpler) hair-care routine with you.

Image: drugstore.com

When it comes to shampoo, my stance is that it all gets washed out of my hair anyway, so I'm not terribly picky. I just need something that get my hair clean without drying it out to straw. Shi Kai shampoos do the trick for me- they clean my hair without the use of SLS or other harsh chemicals, and they don't strip it of its moisture. The Color Care Shampoo is my favorite for being pretty gentle and non-drying. The Everyday Shampoo does dry my hair out a little bit, but nothing conditioner can't fix. Better yet, both can be found at Whole Foods or just about any online drugstore, and they're pretty inexpensive ($5-7 for 12oz, depending on where you get it).

Image: iherb.com

My hair is thick and tends to be dry, so when it comes to conditioner I tend to be more picky. The hardest part of switching to green products was finding a conditioner that would moisturize without the use of dimenthicone, which is found is just about every drugstore moisturizing conditioner. I finally found a friend in Desert Essence Red Raspberry Conditioner, which moisturizes using jojoba oil and contains vitamins A and C plus calcium, magnesium, and almond amino acids for healthy, shiny hair. It keeps my puffy hair relatively non-puffy, without making it flat or greasy looking. It also doesn't hurt that it smells amazing, like sweet raspberries on a summer day. And like the ShiKai shampoo, it's relatively easy to find both in stores and online, and it won't break the bank ($6-9 for 8oz, and a little goes a long way).

Image: vitacost.com

As far as styling products go, my hair is admittedly non-picky. It's straight and thick, so I typically look for something that will will add shine and keep it from puffing up mid-day, plus protect it from any heat styling I might do. For me, Giovanni Direct Leave-In Conditioner has worked wonders. Just a dime-sized amount keeps all of my hair under control without being greasy-looking. Plus it does it with natural oils instead of silicone, so I don't have as many issues with build-up. And, as you might suspect, it's also relatively easy to find and inexpensive ($5-8 for 8.5oz).

What do you think of my new hair routine? Does anyone have other natural products I should test out? If so, I'd love to hear them :)

Fabric Mania!

2009-06-08T07:00:00.001-04:00

So I get the idea of making my own pillows in my head, and all of a sudden I'm obsessed with fabric. Some of the adorable printed fabrics on Etsy really make me wish I could sew something other than a square pillow. Maybe I should have paid more attention in home ec?

A few I really love:

Paisley in Earth at uberstitch's shop
Marimekko Sarastaa Floral from imaginefabric's shop (my favorite, and also the most expensive- because it always works out that way ya know?)
Fresh Start from sewhappyfabricshop's shop (cute name, adorable fabric)
Elephant print from KawaiiLovelyFabric's shop (would not match anything in my house, but is SO cute)

What do you think of my choices? Am I the only one who looks at fabric and just wishes I could sew?

PS: Just two exams this week and then it's summerrrrr :)

All images: their respective Etsy shops (see links above)

Farmhouse Fresh

2009-06-04T14:39:00.004-04:00

Despite living in downtown Columbus, which is about as urban as it gets in Ohio, I actually consider myself somewhat of a country girl at heart. Growing up, I lived in a rural community and used to spend a lot of time on my grandparents' farm, where some of my favorite memories are set. The countryside equals peace and quiet, two things I could use a little more of today. So needless to say, I have a soft spot for anything that reminds me of the country.

Yesterday I happened to stumble across Farmhouse Fresh Goods through an article in Real Simple Magazine, in which their Honey Heel Glaze was recommended for dry and cracked heels (reminds me a little of this incident from not too long ago). Looking at their goods and their packaging (I can't decide which I like more), it makes me think SO much of rural Ohio and my grandparents' farm. I'm not feeling particularly spendy lately, but if I were, this would be on the list of places I would like to shop.

A couple of my favorites:
Honey Heel Glaze (made with real honey!)
Strawberry Smash Double Moisturizer (just don't get it mixed up with your preserves)
Fine Foot Scrub Trio (in Sugar Maple, Sweet Cream, and Whipped Honey, mmm)

They also a hilarious ducks butt bag which you can create your own gift bag with. Wouldn't these make the cutest gifts?

All images, Farmhouse Fresh Goods website

Speaking of flowers...

2009-06-03T17:47:00.003-04:00

Isn't this sweet?
The flower shop just down the street from me has had this sign out for a couple weeks now, every day with a different name. Okay, so the economic side of me knows that this is totally a ploy to win over new customers, but I still think it is a super adorable idea. Wouldn't it be a nice surprise to see your name on the board for a free flower? I know I've been checking it every time I walk by, hoping there will be an "Amanda" up there soon.

Of course, if a certain boy just wanted to pick me up some flowers (coughNathancough) that would be okay, too. :)

PS: Please excuse late posts this week and next. I'll be posting when I can, but it's finals time, so I'm crazy busy until next Tuesday when my summer officially starts (woohoo).

Green Thumb

2009-06-02T15:23:00.005-04:00

When I was little, I remember that my grandma helped me make a little square garden right outside of the apartment I shared with my dad. It was my first garden, and we filled it with petunias, marigolds, zinnias, snapdragons, and a couple of massive sunflowers. Flash forward a couple of years, and I got distracted with things like friends and boys, and the garden was filled with nothing but weeds.

Now that I'm older, I've regained my interest in gardening. Unfortunately, there is now nothing outside of my apartment except a parking lot, which isn't very good for growing things. I've been toying with the idea of potted plants, and today I stumbled across several articles discussing that very thing. Coincidence? I think not.

If you've got gardening on the mind, check these out...
Potted Plants 101.
Dummies' guide to shopping at the garden center.
Balcony garden inspiration.
A genius little inside window box idea. (for those of us who only have parking lots outside)

How do you feel about gardening? If you've got an impossible-to-kill potted plant suggestion for me, please share. :)

Both pictures, Apartment Therapy

Pumpkin Pie For Your Face

2009-06-01T09:33:00.002-04:00

I don't do a ton of product reviews here on OHP, because I don't want the blog to turn into one big advertisement. But when I come across a product that really impresses me, I can't help but share it with the world.

One product that I've been loving lately is the MyChelle Incredible Pumpkin Peel. I picked it up from Whole Foods on a whim after hearing tons of good reviews for it on MUA. It's supposed to detoxify and exfoliate dead skin cells to promote skin regeneration- I'm not sure if it does all that, but it DOES make my skin feel ridiculously soft and it seems to help fade some of the red spots I have from past acne. Plus it looks and smells SO much like pumpkin pie batter, that it makes me think of Thanksgiving at Grandma's every time I use it (but please don't eat it).

The best part is that this peel is almost entirely made of organic ingredients, plus there's no animal testing. It seems pricey ($25-ish for 1.2fl. oz., eeps) but I've used it 4 or 5 times and barely put a dent in the jar, so it should last awhile. All in all, I think this might be my next big love.

Photo via iherb.com- which seems to have the cheapest price for MyChelle products. I got mine at Whole Foods.

In which I make a fool of myself...

2009-05-29T16:24:00.003-04:00

via allposters.com

In case you all haven't noticed, I'm a little bit of a do-it-yourselfer. Especially when it comes to my beauty routine. While I do own a LOT of toiletries (see the proof here) I still love to dabble in making my own. Usually this turns out great, or at least okay, but every now and then I do something really stupid that leaves me wondering "why did I think this was a good idea?" Well, yesterday was one of those times.

Let me preface this by saying that I have super dry and rough feet. My feet are like two little (okay, not so little) lotion-eaters. I put lotion on them, and they're dry an hour later. I put heavy duty foot cream on them, and they're dry two hours later. It's pretty ridiculous just how dry my feet are. Now that it's sandal season, I figured I really need to try and do something about it, which is when I remembered back to February when I tried out the honey facial mask. The mask itself is super simple- smear honey all over your face and let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes before rinsing it off. Honey is supposed to soften, calm, and moisturize tortured skin, which in my experience it does pretty well. And since I had a bear bottle of honey lying around anyway, I thought "why not try it on my feet?"

So after my shower (and lots of foot-scrubbing action) I plopped down on my couch with my bear bottle and squeezed honey all over my feet. Feeling pretty genius, I popped open one of my magazines to pass the time. It wasn't until 20 minutes later when I decided it was about time to wash the mask off that it occurred to me...

The bathroom was all the way down the hall and I had HONEY on my FEET.

Oops. I ended up weighing my options for a few minutes: get sticky honey all over my carpet (and no doubt pick up some cat hair on the way) or look ridiculous and scootch/crawl to the bathroom while trying to keep my feet away from the floor. I chose the latter. Thank goodness I don't have roommates (other than Tigger, who is always giving me funny looks anyway).

The good news is that the honey mask did make my feet feel a lot better. They're still dry, but they're a lot smoother and not threatening to freak out and crack anymore. So I might try this whole honey foot mask thing again, but next time I'll be keeping something to wash my feet off next to me on the couch.

Happy weekend everyone!

PS: If someone has a great foot cream recommendation, definitely share. Because my feet are eating mine like it's breakfast.

Feeling Crafty: DIY Pillows

2009-05-27T11:58:00.003-04:00

via Bliss

For awhile I've been toying with the idea of getting my own fabric to make simple square pillows for my couch. This is partially due to the fact that actually buying pillows is entirely to expensive, and partially because of super cute fabrics that I keep finding on Etsy. One of my current faves is this pusswillow fabric from cicadastudio's shop. Wouldn't it look great on a light green couch (like, ahem, mine).

Anybody actually made their own pillows before? Where do you get your fabric?

Greenify: What do you own?

2009-05-26T07:00:00.000-04:00

Don't fill me!- via thetrashcan.org

Awhile back, I participated in a 3-month spending hiatus in which I vowed to not buy anything unnecessary for 3 solid months. One of the happy side effects of this (besides a fatter wallet) was a much bigger awareness of all the stuff I owned- especially things like makeup and toiletries. I realized that I was stuck in a cycle of buy stuff, use stuff, get bored with stuff before it runs out, move on to new stuff, eventually throw the half-full container of old stuff out. Now that I've made the decision to greenify, I've realized just how outrageously wasteful I've been, not only with my money but with the environment too. After all, every thrown-out item is wasted money, product, and packaging, and that can build up very quickly.

So in an attempt to save money AND be more green I decided to really cut back on the amount of stuff (cosmetics, personal care, etc) I use. And in order to do that, I made a (very big) list of the stuff I currently own. And because nothing is more motivating than a little healthy embarrassment, I thought I'd share some of my list with you.

Skincare- Face

3 Face Washes
3 Facial Masks
3 Face Scrubs
1 Serum
2 Moisturizers
6 Acne Spot Treatments

Total: 18 Facial Skincare Products

Skincare- Body

6 Soaps/Body Washes
22 Moisturizing Lotions/Creams/Oils (so much! *blush*)
4 Sunblocks
5 Body Scrubs

Total: 37 Body Skincare Products

Haircare

5 Shampoos (3 of which I hate)
4 Conditioners
6 Styling Products (mousse/gel/serum)

Total: 15 Hair Care Products

Cosmetics:

18 Eyeshadows
7 Eyeliners
3 Blushes
2 Bronzers
4 Foundations
3 Palettes (with eyeshadow, blush, lip glosses mixed)
4 Mascaras
2 Concealers
1 Brow Powder
and somewhere around 50 lipsticks/glosses/stains/balms before I stopped counting.

Total: 94 cosmetics

Grand Total: 164 Personal Care Products!

Isn't that nuts? I was shocked at how much stuff I'd accumulated, especially since I tend to weed things out pretty regularly. But years of mindless shopping (and some sharing with friends- I inherited 10 of those eyeshadows this weekend alone) have led to quite a stash, to the point where I'm not sure I can ever get through everything before buying more.

So my current plan of attack is to limit shopping to stuff I am running out of, so I actually use the stuff I own. Easier said than done, right? As for stuff I've bought but really dislike using (not everything agrees with my skin/hair), I'm going to make sure those go to new homes instead of the trash. I know that Goodwill takes toiletries, as do the local women's shelters and most of my friends.

But I'd love to know what you all, awesome readers, do to limit the amount of stuff you accumulate without tossing it all in the trash. And please tell me I'm not the only one with a GIANT stash of personal care items lying around?

Signature Style

2009-05-22T16:04:00.003-04:00

Thank goodness it's Friday- I've had a super busy week and I am so looking forward to being lazy and visiting friends and maybe, just maybe, doing a little shopping.

Today I was doing a little online window shopping and I realized that I really don't have a signature style. You know how some people always dress in a particular way and it just seems to fit them so well? Yeah, I'm not one of those people. I'm a mixer-and-matcher. Sometimes I'm pretty sure I don't even bother with the matching part, I just love things from all different kinds of styles. Occasionally I feel like I should try to develop my own recognizable style but then, I guess I have more options this way. Maybe it's why I own so many clothes...

Three completely different tops that I love (above, from top):
Lunch Break Top from Cutiemus
Striped Slub Top from Forever21
The Brewster Sisters Blouse from ModCloth

What about you? Are you a signature style person or do you like to mix it up?

Let's Go On a Picnic!

2009-05-21T08:00:00.000-04:00

(via Real Simple)

Random, but lately I've been thinking a lot about picnics. Maybe it's the warm weather, but I really want to grab some friends and a big blanket and settle down in the park for sun, company, and of course some delicious food.

So let's have a fantasy blog picnic today. I'll be bringing stuffed peppers. Don't they look tasty? (I found the recipe here.) What are you going to bring? And remember, it's a fantasy picnic, so we can bring anything!

If someone wants to bring this cake I'd be cool with that.

Omigosh peanut butter-( via Cup of Jo, via You Are My Fave)

Fabricadabra!

2009-05-20T11:48:00.003-04:00

Aren't these pillows from Fabricadabra super cute? I sort of have a thing for bold, geometric pillows. I have neither the money nor the space for these ones- but in another life, I would totally buy them up :)

If you had more money/space, what's the one home item you would buy?

Images: Fabricadabra

Greenify: 3 Green Things That Can Actually Save You Money

2009-05-19T11:30:00.006-04:00

We're starting out slow with the whole greenify thing- more mint green than forest if you know what I mean. I found a few simple (and some pretty obvious) tips for those who, like me, are just starting out with the whole green thing.

Most obvious tip #1: Turn the lights off.
I don't know about you all, but this is something my grandpa ingrained in me when I was little (even though sometimes, ahem, I still forget). Any time I so much as thought about stepping foot outside a room with the lights on, I'd hear a great booming "TURN THOSE LIGHTS OFF- DO YOU WANT TO PAY THE ELECTRICITY BILL?" Besides having a very loud voice, I swear my grandpa had radar for left-on lights, and he was so frugal that he probably would have sat in the dark all night if he could have. His motives were more related to his check book, but turning the lights off when they aren't being used is for the environment, too. According to this article, electricity production creates more than 1.9 billion metric tons of carbon dioxide a year- that's a huge amount. And while eco-bulbs do a lot to decrease that amount, the easiest way is to not use the electricity in the first place.

Still pretty obvious tip #2: Think before you throw away
I would guesstimate that maybe 25% of my garbage on average is stuff that could be reused in some way- old tee shirts and sweat pants can become dust rags (no more paper towels!), old glasswear can hold toiletries, empty lotion jars can become mini storage canisters for things like earrings and bobby pins that you'd otherwise lose constantly (not that I do that). You can even artfully arrange used items to become home decor, like this cool glasswear centerpiece that I found here. It's made entirely of old glass jars and bottles, which look sweet bunched together holding different types of plantlife.
Maybe less obvious? Tip #3: Think before you buy
When I'm considering buying something, I know that the first thing I always think of is how I could use it. If I can come up with a good enough use, I'll buy it. I've found, though, that I can usually come up with a good enough use if I really want something, so that doesn't always work. Instead, now I try to think "how can I not use this item?" Do I already own something like it? Do I honestly need it? Almost everything we own ends up in a landfill some day. One of the ways we can decrease the amount of stuff we throw away is by decreasing the amount of stuff we buy. As a bonus, it's pretty good for your checking account too (my grandpa would have been so proud). I'll admit, though, that this is probably the most difficult tip for me, because I love buying stuff. But it's something I could definitely work on.

Images: lightbuld, MSN Lifestyle via marthastewart.com; glass centerpiece, WholeLiving

Let's Discuss: Greenify-ing

2009-05-18T11:45:00.007-04:00

Not THAT green.

Lately I've been thinking about the whole "green movement" and what it means for our society. I'll admit that at first I thought the movement was a fad- a ploy to get consumers to buy more overpriced stuff. Originally, the movement manifested itself in encouragement to throw out your old stuff and replace it with new, greener alternatives, which doesn't make sense because if you throw the old stuff out without first using it, it still ends up in a landfill, and you just end up going through more stuff. This seemed like such a transparent tactic to encourage more consumerism, that I got annoyed at the whole movement.

But since I've been watching the green movement progress, I've realized that there are lots of people who genuinely taking responsibility for the amount and toxicity of the waste they produce. They aren't just buying expensive "green" products, but reducing the things they use overall, repurposing old items instead of buying new ones, and cutting back on energy use (you know, pretty much what our grandparents do anyway). And you know what? I think this type of "responsible green" movement could be a really good change for our society.

So I figured now is as good a time as ever to announce that I'm jumping on the green bandwagon. And while I'm doing it, I'll be reporting back here with a new segment I'm calling "Greenify". I hope you all will keep me accountable with comments, critiques, and suggestions.

Here's my first question for you, readers: where on earth do I start? And what have you done lately that's "Green"?

Image: Wikipedia

What's your bathroom style?

2009-05-15T16:54:00.003-04:00

I will admit that when it comes to home decor, I'm sort of all over the place. I realized this today when I was flipping through the file of pictures that I've collected from all over the internet for inspiration: the bathroom file alone has 4 distinct styles and I love them all! I'll admit though, that my own bathroom is mostly just white, with a few yellow duckies thrown in for fun. I'm thinking of revamping a little, so I thought I would ask all of you...

Which of the styles above do you like the most?

And happy Friday everyone! It's gorgeous outside, so I'm heading out as soon as I get my work done and I fully plan on soaking up the sun- with SPF of course :)

Images: top image, Domino website (RIP); bottom three, Apartment Therapy

Tempaper: Wallpaper for Fickle Sorts

2009-05-14T12:04:00.002-04:00

I know it probably looks weird to have a wallpaper post just a few days after I declared my everlasting love for white walls. To be honest, I'm not usually a wallpaper person, more out of practicality than anything. See, wallpaper may look cool when you put it up, but it usually gets sort of dated after a few years. And the problem with wallpaper is that it just does.not.come.down. Ever.

But now, a company has come along and fixed all that by creating cool wallpaper that goes up easily and, most importantly, actually comes off. Tempaper, which I read about over at Living Loving Small, is wallpaper designed for people like me who can't or don't want to make a lifelong committment to their wallpaper. It isn't cheap, but they have super cool designs and a roll or two would take care of an accent wall, totally breathing new life into a naked wall you might have gotten tired of.

What do you guys think about temporary wallpaper? Genius idea or totally pointless?

Do you meditate?

2009-05-13T11:45:00.003-04:00

About a year ago I took a several classes on yoga and meditation and absolutely loved them. They made me feel so connected to my body and much more focused and calm. After the classes, though, I never really kept up with the practice because it seemed like it had to be time-consuming to be really effective. But then today I stumbled on an article which found that certain types of meditation showed significant results in a short period of time: after only practicing 20 minutes a day for 5 days, the participants showed improvements in focus, depression levels, anxiety, and the ability to deal with stress. How cool is that?

Which got me thinking that maybe I should look into this whole meditation thing again. What do you guys think? Have you ever tried yoga/meditation?

If you're interested, you can read the article here. It goes into more detail about the exact type of meditation used and the results found.

Image via Yoga Journal- where you can find lots of cool yoga and meditation advice.

Small & White

2009-05-12T14:00:00.002-04:00

Right now I am loving Apartment Therapy's roundup of white-walled bedrooms, which you can check out here. Don't get me wrong, I love me a colorful wall, but there's something about the way white can be both modern and cheerful that makes not being able to paint my rental walls a lot more bearable.

(PS: I really want a big floor mirror like the one in the last picture. Also, the cat. Not that I need another black cat.)

Are you loving white-walled bedrooms too- or are you more of a color person?

Images via Apartment Therapy (see link).

Monday Random List

2009-05-11T11:58:00.007-04:00

I can't think of too many intelligent things to say on a Monday after 4 hours of sleep. So here's a bunch of stuff that I've been thinking about instead :)

My walls are feeling a little naked lately, so I've been eyeballing all sorts of art that I'd like to see up there. I love this Red Wattlebird print from Etsy.
Summer is coming, and I am sans air conditioning. I'm going to need more fans (and this vintage one looks way cooler than my ugly plastic dustcatchers).
Whenever I go to Aveda to get my hair cut, one of my favorite parts is the delicious herbal tea they serve there. My only beef is that they only give you a teeny little dixie cup's worth. Now I can get 4.9oz of it (!) off of their website.
They need to make more moisturizers with high SPF. Preferably ones that won't make me look like I dunked my face in oil. This Aveeno one is promising, but it only has SPF 15, which is not going to work for this pasty white girl. The search continues.
In addition to the perfect sunblock, I've been searching high and low for the perfect white casual dress that I can wear with flipflops all summer long. This Modcloth one was in the running because of the cute stripes on the skirt, but unfortunately it's sold out.

All images via their respective websites (see links).

Things to Read (Again): One Sentence Stories

2009-05-07T06:35:00.000-04:00

Way back at the very beginning of One Happy Panda I wrote about One Sentence, a website devoted to telling stories in, you guessed it, one sentence. Yesterday I was flipping through some of the "stories" on love and I thought it would be fun to share a few more.

True Love, in a sentence...

"I don't care if your last name is a word for a genital condition, I still love every little thing about you." (romantic?)

"I would have never have met my true love if it weren't for my sudden desire to plant turnips." (so random)

"Our hug may have only lasted for ten seconds, but my smile has lasted for weeks." (I love hugs)

What's your one-sentence love story, if you could write one?

You can check out One Sentence for more single-sentence stories (some are cheesetastic or sort of cliche, but there are definitely some good ones in there).

Crafttastrophe Shoes

2009-05-06T11:25:00.003-04:00

All images via Crafttastrophe (see links)

Thanks to my friend Hilary (hi Hil!) I now have a new obsession: hand-painted shoes. In particular, those from the Etsy shop Crafftastrophe. I could be a little biased because I'm typically a fan of anything awesome made in Ohio, but doesn't this store have the coolest shoe designs? I picked out a few of my faves for you all.

From the Top:
Teal Green Feather Flats
Classic Tattoo Wedges (for those of us who are too wimpy to get real tattoos)
Gears and Pearls Heels
Carnival Dots Heels
Neon Bacteria Heels (okay, so maybe I'm a nerd, but I think these are the coolest)

What do you think of my new crafty love? Would you wear hand-painted shoes?

Sad Day

2009-05-06T11:17:00.002-04:00

I have to apologize for my recent absence from the blogworld. Lars the Laptop died earlier this week and he will be out of commission until I can find another power cord. Until then, my posting may be somewhat sporadic, as I will only be able to post when I can find time to hit up my university's computer lab.

That said, I will be posting whenever possible, so stay tuned :)

More Chicago!

2009-05-04T07:56:00.001-04:00

On Saturday I shared my Navy Pier pictures, but here's the rest of Chicago, or at least what I got to see when I wasn't at the conference.

We stayed at the Palmer House, which was over-the-top gorgeous...
Had amazing deep dish pizza at Giordano's...
And spent some time walking around Millenium Park...
and Grant Park.
On Friday we took a walk around the city, and I took pictures of buildings...

and signs...

(We should all ride bikes like this)

And some nice political street art.

I also got some delicious Shepard's Pie at the Elephant and Castle...
and chilled with Bob Newhart outside Navy Pier.
Overall it was a great time, though I am glad to be back home now. And of course I'm excited to get caught up on all the blog reading I missed while I was away!

Don't forget to check out my Navy Pier pictures below if you haven't already.

How was your weekend?

All images in this post are mine, please use only with permission.

Saturday Night Special: Navy Pier

2009-05-02T23:39:00.006-04:00

I just got back from Chicago, and it was just as wonderful as I'd expected and then some. I didn't have a ton of free time outside of my conference to spend in the city, but I did get to wander around Navy Pier on Friday night, which was really nice. There's something about a pier near that great big lake that makes me feel so relaxed.

I'm pretty tired so I'll defer telling all about my trip until a later date, but I just couldn't help sharing some of my Navy Pier pictures with you all. It is really nice there, so keep in mind that I and my dinky cellphone camera could barely do it justice.

PS: Sorry I disappeared for two days while I was in Chi-town. Turns out internet at the Hilton is ridiculously expensive. I love you all, but I'm not made of money. Glad to be back though!

All images in this post are mine, please use only with my permission.

100% Pure

2009-04-29T08:49:00.004-04:00

Lately in the attempt to be less of a planet-murderer, I've begun the painful process of reducing my large collection of bath and beauty products and trying to replace some of them with more natural alternatives. During the spending hiatus, I realized that if I cut back on the number of products I use, I could afford better, more natural alternatives. The switch to natural has been challenging though, since companies have gotten into the act of marketing almost completely unnatural products as natural, and then charging twice as much for them. One $15 shampoo which I'll decline to name contained almost all the same synthetic ingredients as my current drugstore shampoo with a bit of tea tree oil thrown in at the bottom, and it was marketed as "containing natural ingredients". Riiight.

The good news is that if you look, there are product lines out there which do utilize (mostly) natural ingredients in their products, and don't attempt any label-trickery. One that's come on my radar just recently is 100% Pure. They are 100% natural and 100% vegetarian, and they have some pretty awesome-looking products. They aren't super-cheap, but they won't require you to take out a loan against your house, either. I haven't tried any yet, but I am definitely considering ordering some for when my decidedly non-natural current products run out.
A few that are tempting me (pictured above, from top):

Organic Coffee Bean Caffeine Eye Cream ($19) contains natural caffeine for those of us whose plan to get back to nature doesn't include looking like raccoons in the morning.
Organic Pomengranate Antioxidant Hydration SPF20 ($26) is one of their more expensive products but think of it this way: it's a moisturizer, antioxidant, and sunblock all in one.
Cherry Honey Facial Scrub ($18). Unlike many "natural" scrubs, this one does not contain ground-up seeds or pits which have sharp edges that can scratch and irritate delicate facial skin. Instead, it uses jojoba beads to get the job done.

Have any of you made the switch to more eco-friendly products lately? If so, what brands have you tried?

Images via 100% Pure's website (see links)

Guess where I'm going?

2009-04-28T18:13:00.002-04:00

I am posting late today because I have been crazy with work. I'm heading off to Chicago for a conference Thursday morning and that means that I have to fit five days' worth of work into three days. Eeps!

That said, I am not going to complain. Chicago is one of my favorite cities if not THE favorite, so I'm very excited to get a chance to go (squee!), even if I am going to be spending most of my time in the conference. I also haven't been to Chicago since high school, so I thought I would ask you all: what would you suggest I do with the one night of free time I have? I know we are within walking distance of Michigan Avenue, Millenium Park, and some other goodies. I'll probably be in a group so who knows if I'll actually be able to follow your suggestions, but I'd love to hear them! And of course, I will keep you all posted on what actually goes down.

And what's your favorite city on earth?

Image via wikipedia

ThinkGeek: Because we're really all huge nerds inside (yes, even you pretend-cool people)

2009-04-27T11:39:00.004-04:00

ThinkGeek is one of those websites I can count on to have lots of funny and sort of genius stuff at any given time. They especially have a great collection of silly office supplies, which I amused myself by flipping through this weekend.

A couple of my faves:
Origami sticky note pads. So you won't feel so bad about the fifty billion sticky notes littering your walls (it totally counts as recycling).

Paper voodoo notepad. For your a-hole boss when he wants to you to come in on Saturday. Again.
And my personal fave, inanimate object stickers. No real use to these, I just think having a face on my stapler might be amusing.

Alright, so they're all pretty silly/useless items (and I'll admit, probably a little immature) but- funny, no?

All images via thinkgeek.com (see links)

20-Minute Workout

2009-04-24T12:17:00.004-04:00

I've been trying to get my booty (and everything else!) in shape more lately but time has been a huge issue. With a thesis, two jobs, and classes, it's hard to find the time or energy for working out. Running is pretty easy to squeeze into a day (it takes no time to lace up and head out the door) but strength workouts are a bit trickier because they usually involve, you know, going to the gym. Lately my best friend has been the 20-minute workout over on Real Simple's website. It really does only take 20-minutes and while it's not the most intense workout you'll ever do, it works every body part. It also takes minimal equiptment (weights and a chair) so it's easy to do at home between classes and work, which I love.

What quickie workouts do you know of?

(PS: I'm posting more than once today to make up for a slow week so check out the post below too!)

Image via realsimple.com

If I had lots of disposable income...

2009-04-24T12:05:00.005-04:00

I've said it before and I'll say it again: Anthropologie makes some of the cutest dresses ever. All three of these would be great for today (it's in the 70's and sunny!) with cute sandals. I'd also wear the first one, which is more of a tunic than a dress to be honest, with skinny jeans or capris. And I just LOVE the braided straps on the third one.

All images via Anthropologie

How about a vacation?

2009-04-23T16:59:00.002-04:00

I know, I know, I told you all I'd be posting on time today and here I am posting at 5pm.

Today is one of those days where all I can say is that I need a vacation. I usually try to be super positive on One Happy Panda (because honestly, do we need another blog devoted to complaining?) but really, not much has gone right for me today.

I'll elaborate (if you don't want to hear about my complaining, skip this paragraph). It all started when I woke up late and had about 15 minutes to get ready for work- never a good start to the day. While washing my face, I counted about 5 new pimples on my chin as well. Great. I thought I had finally gotten the acne under control, too. I got out the door on time, though all I had time to eat for breakfast was toast and I practically had to run to work to be there by 7:15. But then at work, nothing goes right and everything takes twice as long as it usually does so I get terribly far behind and super stressed. Whatever. I have an hour break before my class, so I figure I can chill out for an hour and collect myself. No such luck. Turns out I forgot to do a very important homework assignment that is due the minute I walk in the door, and I have to scramble to get that done before class. I manage it though, and only show up two minutes late for class. Just in time to realize that we have a pop quiz which I am so not prepared for. Awesome. But whatever, I make it through class and come home to check my email only to find a notice that one of my scholarships (worth about $3,000 a year) is in jeopardy and could very well be cut because of state budget issues next year. Just what I needed.

On top of that, I have a doctors appointment tomorrow that's stressing me because I had blood tests done last week and they called me in to "discuss" my results. Which means something has to be positive, or they'd just tell me over the phone. And I got a reminder call just now telling me to bring in my list of medications. Which means whatever it is, they probably want me to take medication for it. Did I mention that prescriptions are expensive with my health insurance?

On the upside, at least now I'm pretty much done today. My plans right now include a nap, some therapeutic housecleaning, and maybe a self-pedi because my feet are pretty raunch. And then I'll feel 100% better and be back to cheerful blogging tomorrow, promise.

But I'm still seriously dreaming of getting away somewhere nice right now. A beach would be good, or Berlin (see above), which for some reason I've always been obsessed with visiting.

You tell me: what's your dream vacation?

Berlin image via an unknown source- email me if you know where it's from so I can credit it properly.

The General Craziness of Being

2009-04-21T20:01:00.003-04:00

Hi All-

Just a quick note to explain that I may be MIA for the next day not because I don't like you all but because life has gotten a bit crazy. It's midterms weeks and I've got some tomorrow, plus projects and a thesis proposal to whip out. So in addition to not having a blog post today, I may be neglectful of One Happy Panda tomorrow as well. I hope you all will forgive me.

It'll be back to your regularly scheduled blogging by Thursday, promise!

~Amanda

PS: If anyone has any amazing zit remedies, please by all means share. Let's just say I've been a little stressed lately, and my face is rebelling.

Red panda image via wikipedia

Best Worst Music Ever

2009-04-20T11:26:00.006-04:00

Over the weekend I was walking down High Street when someone drove by just blaring their music out of their open car windows, and I happened to catch a whiff of the song. And I kid you not, they were playing MMMBop. Does anyone else remember that song?

Well, I do.

When I was in elementary school, I think I played that song on repeat every.single.night. for months on end. I was officially obsessed. I thought the Hanson brothers were the hottest thing on earth in all their girly long-haired glory. Obviously, Taylor was the hottest. This was when I still had a thing for blondes with blue eyes (something I got over a looong time ago).

And it got me thinking about all the seemingly bad-but-oh-so-good music I've listened to over the years, probably around 90% of which was created in the 90's (think Spice Girls), though I do have a soft spot for cheesy 80's love ballads. Funny how things that were once cool are now terribly cheesy.

What's the best-worst music you've ever listened to?

PS: My Hanson tape totally went missing after a couple months of nonstop use and I'd always thought I lost it, but now I'm thinking maybe my dad had something to do with it. I'm on to you, Dad (though honestly, I couldn't blame you).

PS Again: I like to think my music taste has improved since then. Just so you all don't think I'm a total loser.

Hanson image via rateyourmusic.com, where it did not get very good ratings. Ha.

Etsy Finds: Pretty Birdies

2009-04-17T11:46:00.006-04:00

Lately I've been loving anything with a bird on it, seriously. I'm blaming it on spring, along with all my other obesessions this time of year (see below for some yellow lovin').

Some of my favorite bird-related etsy finds:

Pretty mint-green bird pillow (from joom).
Polka-dots AND a cute birdie? I'm pretty sure this notepad is designed for me (from boygirlparty).
I don't wear a ton of necklaces, but I'm drawn to the whimsy of this pretty bird one (from VirginiaGeiger Jewels).
A take-it-everywhere blue canvas tote with an adorable birdie print (from Kainkain).

(PS: I will be getting links to the items up later, but you can also do a seller search on etsy if you like them- Internet Explorer hates me right now and has crashed about six times every time I try to open etsy to get the links. And this is why I normally use Firefox.)

Yellow for Spring

2009-04-16T18:55:00.002-04:00

I always know it's spring when I start craving pops of yellow every where. It isn't even my favorite color, but I get obsessed with it every year when the weather starts to warm.

From Top:

Cute girl in an even cuter yellow dress from The Sartorialist (I think this is from last year, or the one before).
Yellow flowers and a beaker as a vase (and I'm a dum-dum and forgot to mark the source down).
Pops of yellow in a kitchen (via the late Domino).
Yellow boots (and awesome wallpaper!) via Cup of Jo.

How often do you work out?

2009-04-14T20:47:00.004-04:00

So today I went to the doctor to get checked out for a possible thyroid issue, and I found out that *gulp* I weigh about twelve pounds more than I did last summer. I hardly ever weigh myself, so it came as a bit of a shock to me. But then I realized that with all the stress eating I've been doing this year (think candy, lots of it) and the fact that I've cut waaay back on running (from almost every day to...maybe once a week) I guess I shouldn't have been so surprised. I'm not too worried, since I'm still within a healthy BMI range. Still, it made me realize that I really need to get back on track health-wise.

And that put me in the mood for a little workout discussion:

When I'm not being a lazy-butt like I am now, I generally do a little running several times a week and some yoga poses (planks, in pariticular) for stretching and strength. Sometimes I'll use free weights I have at home, but I'm pretty casual about it. I live right next to a university gym for which I have free admission, but I don't like working out in a crowded gym all that much, probably because I'm way too self-conscious around all the buff gym junkies.

Your turn: how do you work out? Are you more casual or structured? Do you prefer the gym or your home/outside? And what types of workouts do you do (yoga, pilates, strength, running)? I'd love to hear if anyone has tried an "alternative" type of workout like bellydancing- those classes sound so cool!

PS: Has anyone tried programs like Body by Glamour or the Self Challenge? I'm curious about these, but I don't know how well they might work since I'm less worried about weight loss and more worried about getting back on track.

Image via self.com

Dress Love

2009-04-14T06:58:00.002-04:00

By Dace via Bliss

This dress has been making its rounds on the blogworld and I figured I'd go ahead and hop on the bandwagon. I just love LOVE the soft oversized plaid print and the unusual neckline. Target needs to get hoppin' and make me a more affordable knockoff, but I have a feeling I'm just going to have to sit here and lust after the original.

Guest Blog Alert!

2009-04-13T13:28:00.004-04:00

I've got a guest blog going on at Amber Alert today, so if you have a few minutes hop on over and check it out!

But don't forget to check out my usual Monday spending hiatus post below :)

Panda image via Wikipedia.

Spending Hiatus Update: The Final Week

2009-04-13T13:02:00.002-04:00

Money poster by Howard Sokol via allposters.com

Well everyone, this is it: the spending hiatus is now officially over. I have gone three months without buying (almost) anything unessential. I've slipped up (more than once) and cheated just a little- but overall, I've avoided the mindless shopping and unintentional buys that I am famous for. And you know what? It feels pretty darn good.

I don't have any confessions to make this week. I have been doing background research for what will hopefully be an exciting thesis project, so I haven't had time to even think about shopping. Well, that's a lie. I've totally thought about it- but there hasn't been any time to set foot in a store outside of buying the essential groceries. And on top of that, I knew I didn't want to go out with a confession, because then I'd feel like I didn't make much progress. I wanted to go out on a high note.

As far as what happens now, I'm still not totally clear on that. I thought that after three months of shopping I'd be hitting up the mall like it was my long lost best friend the first chance I got. But honestly? I haven't felt like it. I just don't feel like I need anything right now, and while there are lots of things I could spend my money on, I'd rather save it up for when I really want something. I think the spending hiatus has had the long-term effect of helping me realize that.

There is an official game plan of course. I've set up a maximum amount of money every month for "unessential" items (think eating out, makeup, clothes, etc.). Whenever I buy something unessential, I put a "U" next to the purchase amount in my checkbook- which I have to write my purchases in anyway because I rarely use cash. When the "U" amounts add up to my maximum amount, I'm done for the month. I liked this idea because it gives me the flexibility to buy what I want guilt-free, while still controlling how much I spend overall. I like having the flexibility to spend or save as I wish, because I know I always find my way around rigid "rule" systems, even if I'm the one who set up the rules. Of course, I'll fill you all in on how my new system goes ;)

Oh, and if you're thinking of trying to control spending yourself, here's a list of shopping alternatives I made back in February.

And you can read all of the spending hiatus posts here.

Last chance readers: gimme all your sage spending advice! How do you control it?

Etsy Find: Letterpress Love

2009-04-10T18:38:00.003-04:00

I'll admit: I'm totally obsessed with love letters. And I sure would love to get one of these cute letterpress love cards in the mail some day. I'm really liking (loving?) the really intricate typeface contrasted with the simple two-word statement on the front. And the inside is blank so you could write in your own message of love. :)

Plus, these cards are sold through the shop EtsyForCharity, so proceeds go toward a specific good cause of the month. April's proceeds go toward Autism Speaks, an organization that is very near to my heart.

Image via EtsyForCharity.

Sleep Makeover Update: Week Six

2009-04-09T15:44:00.002-04:00

So a month and a half ago I started this sleep makeover hoping I would eventually get to 7 hours of sleep a night and a much earlier bedtime. Well this week, in addition to sharing where I am now, I thought I'd do a little before-and-after comparison:

Before: Averaging 5 hours a night. Now: 7.07 hours (score!)
Before: Average bedtime of whenever I fell asleep (usually around 2-3am). Now: 12:30am on average. Not exactly where I want to be (I'm aiming for 11pm) but much, much closer.
Before: Sleepy and grouchy almost every day. Now: Not sleepy during the day anymore, and (usually) not grouchy :)

Honestly, I feel so much better since I've started sleeping better. I'm still not a morning person, but I don't fight getting up as much anymore, with the exception of when it's really cold outside. I don't feel as irritable, and I don't eat as much junk food during the day. Okay, I eat some junk food, but not as much. And now, I'm wondering how well I could do if I started aiming for 8 hours a night. New goal, anybody?

Weekly bedroom pic: this is another one from the former Domino website (rest in peace). I originally saved it because I LOVED how they arranged the pictures over the bed. I only hope one of these days to be able to do a casual-but-still-balanced picture arrangement like that. I also really love the bird on the pillows and the cool lamp next to the bed. What do you all think?

Alright, readers, tell me: how do you sleep normally? Am I crazy to aim for 8 hours?

As always, you can read the rest of my sleep makeover posts here.

Mini Smellies

2009-04-08T14:43:00.003-04:00

Fragrances are fickle things: you never know how they're going to treat you until you try them out for awhile. Which is why when I'm thinking of trying a new fragrance, I usually look for a mini version. They're less expensive, and I can always buy the full size after I run out if I really like it. But honestly, by the time I get through 1oz. of the stuff, I'm usually ready to move on to something new. I guess I'm fickle, too.

I'm considering the 1oz. bottle of Fresh Sugar Lemon, which can be had on Sephora for around $25. I don't wear a lot of perfume when it's warm outside, so this would probably last me most of the summer.

What's your perfume habit: full sized all the way or do you like to try 'em before you buy 'em? Or do you forego the smellies alltogether? (PS: Sometimes I just like to smell like soap.)

Image via Sephora.com- where you can find all sorts of mini smellies.

Quirky Pictures Day!

2009-04-07T16:40:00.004-04:00

(I'm totally late with the blog post today- it's been a crazy busy day and I have not been home since 7am. Oh, and did I mention it's snowing in Columbus? Yes, snowing. In April. Urgh.)

Every now and then I stumble across something that for whatever reason catches my fancy and think "gee, I should take a picture of that". Well now, thanks to cell phone cameras, I can. Here are a few of the quirky (and okay, somewhat random) pictures I've picked up over the past few years:

You read that right, elephant poo poo paper. That way when you have to write a letter to someone you don't like, you can send them a piece of poo at the same time.
Mind you obey that last half-MPH. No going 13 MPH here!
Oh, just 50 lbs of Swiss cheese. You know, in case you get hungry. Or if you're not that hungry, it doubles as furniture.
When I first saw this car, I assumed it must be one of those advertisement vehicles, but there was no logo on it or anything. Apparently someone just really liked cows.
Pineapple turkey, courtesy of Hil's mom, every Thanksgiving.

Anybody else take pictures of random quirky things, or am I just an oddball?

Photos in this post are all my own. Excuse the horrible picture quality- we're working with a cell phone camera here.

Spending Hiatus Update: Week Eleven!

2009-04-06T11:53:00.004-04:00

Money poster by Howard Sokol via allposters.com

Only one week left in the spending hiatus! I'm so excited to be able to get out there and buy a few pretty things for spring and summer, although with the weather like it is today (cold and drizzling rain) it seems like warm weather may never come. Le sigh.

Still, I'm feeling pretty upbeat this week because I did a decent job of avoiding the siren call of stores and spring clearances. I was pretty distracted anyway, with the start of classes. And plus, there's nothing like spending a few hundred dollars on textbooks to make you not feel like shopping, right? Textbooks, of course, being one expense I couldn't get away from.

So this week, instead of shopping, I:

Got my butt in gear for classes! One week down and nine to go until summer freedom :) (and by freedom, I mean summer jobs)
Did laundry like a responsible adult, with Hilary, on a Friday night. Because we have sweet social lives like that (and because I hate going to the creepy laundromat alone). I must admit, I bought a magazine to keep us occupied while we waited for clothes to wash and dry, so that was a bit of an unessential expense. I don't feel too bad though, given that we would have been bored just sitting there.
Moved my living room furniture around! I know this may not sound exciting to some, but I love the fact that my living room now has a little extra space in it, which is golden in an apartment as small as mine. Plus, I'm pretty proud of managing to move all the heavy stuff myself, with the exception of calling Nathan over to put the microwave on top of the fridge. Mostly because I almost broke it trying to do it myself.
And the Sarahs and I went to the gallery hop on Saturday night, which I talked about doing back in week seven. This time we found a rather amazing little pizza restaurant that made unusual (and delicious) organic pizzas. Then I promptly forgot its name. But I'm sure I'll be back one of these days, and then I'll remember.

Gallery Hop Night: via the Short North Arts District

Last week I talked about how I was still working out my plans for "phasing out" of the spending hiatus. I know I've gained a new awareness of spending thanks to this spending hiatus but I also know that all changes can be reversed pretty quickly if you aren't careful, much like a dieter who goes "off" a diet and promptly gains all their weight back. So while I don't plan on cutting spending completely out of my life, I do plan on cutting way back, starting with making a budget that will allow me so much money a month on "unessential" things. That way, I can still shop, but I'm controlling how much I spent. And I plan on writing it down *gulp* and reporting back to you all within a month or so to keep myself accountable. My other challenge will be to avoid all emotional/boredom shopping in general. I've learned that that's when I do the most damage, and it's usually not on things I even really want.

How else do you think I could control post-hiatus spending? Spill your wisdom, dear readers.

And, as always, you can read the rest of the spending hiatus posts here.

Can we discuss body image for a sec?

2009-04-03T08:50:00.003-04:00

True story: yesterday I was in Target checking out the super cute bathing suits (okay, and I was supposed to be buying toothpaste, but shhh) and over heard the lady next to me talking to her daughter, who looked to be maybe 8 years old or so. And I thought "cute, a mother-daughter shopping excursion". It was so adorable when the girl very seriously informed her mom that she should get the "one with the spots" (a navy blue polka-dotted bikini, girl had good taste). At which the mother replied...

"...Mommy is too digusting and fat for that suit."

Um, what?

I generally try to focus on things that make me happy for One Happy Panda, but every now and then I feel the need to share something that just bothers me. The fact that some women feel so bad about their bodies that they'll call themselves "disgusting" in front of their daughters makes me so sad. Because you know, young girls pick up on their body image from the women they look up to, like their moms. And some day when that girl hits puberty and becomes a perfectly curvy size 8 like her mother, how is she going to feel? Disgusting and fat?

I'm not innocent of putting myself down in front of others. I used to do it all the time. But eventually I realized that body image is contagious. When you put your body down, other women (and men?) feel the need to do the same for their bodies. Happily, it seems to work in the reverse too. When you're happy with your body and take care of it, other people do the same.

So in the name of universal body happiness, can we all agree to give our bodies a little bit of the love they deserve?

PS: Speaking of polka dotted bathing suits, I think the one above (from VS) is totally adorable. And on sale. Tempting.

Sleep Makeover Update: Week Five

2009-04-02T15:26:00.003-04:00

Okay so my Thursday sleep makeover post is a bit late today because I (ironically) slept in this morning and didn't get anything done before work. And I'm putting it in bullet form because it's not really coherent enough to make paragraphs.

My first week back in classes after break, and I got *drumroll* 6.7 hours a night! So close to my goal of 7, but not quite there. That's also an hour per night less than last week, but last week I didn't have any classes.
It's also almost an hour per night more than when I started the makeover- a huge improvement.
I've decided that one of the things that really helps me most is switching off the computer and tv well before I go to bed. When I'm up on the computer right before bed, I have a much harder time getting to sleep.
I've realized that I'm a complete scaredy cat. Every single bump or creak in the night wakes me up and has me convinced that someone is definitely breaking into my apartment, and then I get too creeped out to sleep. Which is bad when you live in an old apartment building with 7 other tenants (lots of bumps and creaks).
White noise really helps drown out the scary bumps in the night.
I still suck at going to bed early, and I don't even know why I find it so difficult. My average bedtime is now about 1am, which is actually a 2 hour improvement from when I started, but still isn't early enough. I'm aiming for midnight by my next update :) Wish me luck!
I don't feel as energetic as I did last week- all the more incentive to get back up to 7 hours a night!

PS: What do you think of the bedroom above? I'm actually kind of digging the tree branch headboard thing they've got going on there. Not sure what I think about what appears to be a grasshopper hobby horse. But I love the overall natural feel- nature always makes me feel relaxed (all the more reason to get flowers!).

As always, you can read the rest of the sleep makeover posts here.

Speaking of Flowers...

2009-04-01T15:13:00.002-04:00

via sunset.com

If you love flowers but have no idea where to start (um, like me), the Sunset Plant Finder is a pretty cool tool. You can search plants by climate, type, and water/sun requirements. You can even search for houseplants (great for us city people). Then you get a list of potential plants with both the scientific and common name, plus info like care instructions. How much easier could it get?

The plant pictured above is the bellis perennis, or English Daisy. So pretty!

(via Apartment Therapy)

Spring Daffodils

2009-04-01T09:40:00.003-04:00

via Apartment Therapy

Don't these spring daffodils look lovely? Le sigh.

According to the folks over at AT, they're in season too. I will be on the lookout for them in my local grocery store tonight.

PS: I also think the wooden hippo in the middle picture is awesome.

Have a hankering for spring flowers too? What's your flower of choice?

Surprising Clearance Dresses

2009-03-31T15:33:00.003-04:00

I must be in a shopping mood today, given my earlier post on colorful coats and now this one.

But I saw these two dresses while flipping through the interwebs and just had to share, as both are from places I don't normally look for inexpensive dresses.

via urbanoutfitters.com

I love all the cute, hip clothes at Urban Outfitters but I feel like a lot of their dresses are a wee bit overpriced. At $25 (on clearance), though, this pretty Kimchi Blue Graphica dress is a steal. They show it with tights, but I'd wear it with flat sandals on warm spring/summer days.

via Alloy.com

And while I know Alloy has great clearances, I have always thought that they were a little bit teeny bopper for my taste. Then one of my friends suggested I take a second look, and I found this cute metallic stripe jumper. It has a sexy/girly feel that wouldn't look totally out of place on someone outside of Jr. High- and it's on clearance for less than $20.

Lesson learned: keep your options open. You never know where you'll find things you love.

In-Between Jacket

2009-03-31T15:21:00.002-04:00

I don't really have an in-between seasons jacket, so pretty much every morning in March/April consists of me trying to decide if I want to wear a coat and be hot or wear a sweater and be cold. This cute hooded jacket might just solve that problem. Plus, how cute are the green and yellow colors? They make me think of spring!

(via Buckle)

Spending Hiatus Update: Week Ten

2009-03-30T07:34:00.006-04:00

Money poster by Howard Sokol via allposters.com

Not to sound repetitive and all, but I really cannot believe how quickly this three months of no-spending is going.

Today is my first day of classes for spring quarter, so I will make this update brief.

My spring break was full of relaxation and catching up with people and fun, so there was (surprisingly) little temptation to shop. I had been worried that boredom would lead to shopping, but it turns out that I can usually find something else to do, even if it's just picking up a good book or magazine. This week, instead of shopping, I...

Visited Grandma
Cleaned and organized (am I the only person who actually likes this?) so now my place looks fab
Laid around with my old copies of Glamour and Real Simple (my two fave magazines of the moment)
Celebrated my friend Hilary's birthday (woo!)
Went to the zoo with Nathan (pictures to come, of course)

I had a great week, to say the least, and am just a tidbit sad to go back to classes and responsible adulthood.

I have also started thinking about the end of the spending hiatus. I only have two weeks left (!!!), and I'm not sure how I am going to make sure I don't go back to my old mindless spending ways. The hiatus has made me more aware of how things that seem essential aren't generally that important, and I know that will help me a lot with future shopping. I am also more aware of my habit of emotional spending (under stress or loneliness) and the fact that it really only makes me feel guilty later. I want to make sure that my new awareness lasts, though, so now I am asking you all for your sage advice...

Dear Readers: How do you think I should "phase out" of the spending hiatus? How do you manage your (unessential) spending?

And, of course, you can read all of the spending hiatus posts here.

It's Compliment a Blogger Day!

2009-03-27T11:41:00.003-04:00

via Wikipedia

I originally started One Happy Panda because I wanted a place to share the things that made me happy. Well, one of the things that makes me most happy is giving and receiving compliments (something discussed in this blog post over at Operation NICE). When I was in the 4th grade, my dad suggested that I try and give three compliments out every day to help me make more friends- I'm not sure if it made me much more popular in the end, but it has made me realize I love giving random compliments!

So I thought we should try a Compliment Day here on One Happy Panda. Pick a blogger (or two, or three...) and give them one heartfelt compliment- it can be about their blog, their hair, their writing, whatever you like about them. Drop the compliment in their comments/email/whatever, and if you want (though it's totally optional) direct them back here so they can read what this is all about and pay the compliment forward. And maybe we'll start a chain reaction leading to happy bloggers everywhere. :)

My three compliments for the day:

1) Amber (from Amber Alert): You are an inspirational writer and person, and you make me realize that I need to kick my butt in gear! I think you will be a wonderful journalist in the future.

2) Joanna (from Smitten and A Cup of Jo): You are probably one of the nicest, most upbeat bloggers out there. Reading your blogs always makes me feel more cheerful, even when I am having a really bad day. Plus, you find the BEST things on the web (and I'm not sure how you do it either).

3) Melissa (from Operation NICE): I love that your blog is devoted to niceness, and I think it was incredibly nice of you to think of it. Operation NICE is my go-to destination when I want to read something both inspirational and happy.

Alright, now get out there and start blogger complimenting! (And psst, if you're feeling like a real overachiever, you could even compliment some real-life people as well).

Tank Dresses: Yay or Nay?

2009-03-26T17:04:00.003-04:00

via Frances May

Right now I am loving the idea of comfy, sexy tank dresses for the summer. But there's a little voice inside of me that thinks they might make me look a little frumpy or plain. What do you think?

This one by Alexander Wang would look cute with my new sandals and long, beachy waves. Too bad I don't have $226 or wavy hair.

Sleep Makeover Update: Week Four

2009-03-26T15:17:00.004-04:00

via Domino

Well it's sleep makeover makeup time. To recap, last week (during finals) was the first week I saw real progress, getting very close to my goal of 7 hours on average. Aaaaand this week...

I did it! I got 7.07 hours of sleep on average.

Of course, I am on spring break, which makes it a lot easier to get sleep. And the bad news is that while I slept more, I still struggled with going to bed any earlier than 1am. But still, this is progress, right?

Next week will be a bit of a test because not only do I work early part of the week, but I have morning classes too. No late mornings here! But I don't think it will be too bad- if anything, it will force me to go to bed and get up more consistently, which should help.

I also have some more incentive now: sleep makes me feel great!

I get lots more done during the day, so I feel more accomplished.
I have more energy to work out and I'm not downing sugar to stay awake, so I feel healthier.
I know that sleeping puts me in a much better mood now :)
AND- remember when I brought up the acne/insomnia link a couple weeks ago? Well, my skin has looked a lot better lately! That's not necessarily what I started this sleep makeover for, but it's such a huge bonus since my skin has been stubbornly bad lately. I'm so excited by it!

We'll see how next week goes when I'm back to being a responsible adult and getting up in the mornings.

You can see the rest of my sleep makeover posts here.

PS: I know you all like canopies, but what about more alternative headboards? I think the yellow canvas on the one above is super cool.

I took a Blogger Break.

2009-03-25T20:17:00.004-04:00

Sorry I've been MIA for a couple days everyone. I decided to visit my grandma and give the computer a rest, since it IS my Spring Break and all. Together we were lazy, watched tv, shopped, and ate way too much candy. Which is totally my idea of a good time.

via Kohls.com

Plus I picked up these cuties from Kohls, and since they were a gift from grandma they technically don't count against the spending hiatus. I know, I'm such a cheater. :)

It's back to your regularly scheduled blogging from here on out though.

What do you do when you visit family?

Spending Hiatus Update: Week Nine

2009-03-23T11:44:00.006-04:00

Money Poster by Howard Sokol via allposters.com

I can't believe I'm on the tenth week of my spending hiatus right now! Who knew three months would go so quickly?
Week nine comes in three parts: the confession, the distraction, and the temptation.

The Confession:
I bought nail polish. AND lipgloss. Clearly there was a sale at the drugstore. Want to know the really ironic thing? The nail polish chips easily and the lipgloss is way too light and frosty.
Lesson learned. Things always seem way more necessary/appealing in the store.
Also, I'm potentially making another purchase soon. I've been looking for non-ugly lamps for awhile now, and I found two that I love on Craigslist for a total of $5. Not only is this an incredibly good deal, but it may not be around for long. I'm sure that's cheating big-time, but considering I've been looking for these types of lamps for awhile, I think I might go for it. Thoughts?

The Distraction:
Last week was plenty busy with exams and lots of studying. I also...

Saw the OSU/Siena basketball game in Dayton. Lets just say I was not happy with the guys in black and white stripes and leave it at that, shall we?
Got Jeni's Ice Cream with Nathan and walked around North Market looking at all the goodies. So much fun, and now I've decided I should go there more often to pick up fresh produce and homemade foods from local people.
Went errand-running with Hilary in what I'll call the Great Navy Blue Shirt Expedition. Hilary started a new job this weekend (congrats hon!) and who knew v-neck navy blue shirts were so freaking hard to find?

And finally, The Temptation:
I have to admit I'm already starting a little post-hiatus shopping list. Some of the items are just for fun, others are ones I'm seriously considering. A few of my picks:
Cute colorful sandals from American Eagle (which I wrote about back here).
Clinique's Up-Lighting Liquid Illuminator to de-dullify my skin. (via TDO)
Room Sprays to make my apartment smell pretty (and not like Febreeze). (via RiverCitySoaps' Etsy shop)

You can read the rest of my spending hiatus posts here.

Dear Readers: what are your confessions/distractions/temptations?
PS: Check out my centennial post celebration below :)

100th Blog Post!

2009-03-23T11:09:00.002-04:00

One Happy Panda has officially reached 100 blog posts! I thought it called for a little celebration, and some nostalgia...

Some things you may or may not have seen already:
The spending hiatus.
The classic Chewbacca hair moment
and then I chop my hair off
and smear honey all over my face
and make scrubs with other food type things.
I take pictures of gorillas
and then force myself to sleep (zzz).

Here's toward making it 1,000! :)

PS: I'm playing with the template and colors of the blog, and feedback is much appreciated, especially if anything is difficult to read or see.

Balloon image via Pink Sherbet Photography (flickr)