A Little Birdie Told Me...

...that it was Friday! This week went by SO fast, I can hardly believe it. Hope everyone has a great weekend!

(Image courtesy of miss tessmacher)

Earth Day 2010...

I'm taking an environmental ethics course this term and it has really opened my eyes to the sensuous world surrounding us that we tend to take for granted at times. Even if only for a second today, take a moment to stop and appreciate an aspect of nature that you normally wouldn't pay attention to. Go for a walk, explore a new hiking trail, have a meal outside, open the windows or just take a deep breath of fresh air. In honor of Earth Day, I thought I would post a few tips that could inspire changes (big or small) to benefit this beautiful planet we call home...

1. Reuse your water bottle/coffee mug - Avoid buying bottled water or single use coffee cups and purchase reusable BPA-free, stainless steel and porcelain drinkware. www.vesseldrinkware.com

2. Buy food locally - "Eat local, buy local, be local". Support your local farmers by visiting farmers markets, family farms or locally supported supermarkets. Eat seasonal and buy sustainable. www.localharvest.org

3. Buy compact fluorescent light bulbs - You'll use a quarter as much energy, they will last about 10,000 hours longer, they're safer and you'll save money in the long run...and don't forget to turn them off when not in use.

4. Recycle - Recycle garbage, books, newspapers, cardboard boxes, glass, plastic, old electronics, batteries, ink cartridges and practically anything you can think of. Get creative and make something new out of something old!

5. Use your own bags (grocery or shopping) - Reusable bags save trees, save water, help air pollution, help our oceans and can be fun to pick out. www.reusablebags.com

6. Consider natural and organic cleaning products - Some of the best non-toxic cleaning products I've ever used are vinegar, lemon, baking soda, olive oil and essential oils. www.eartheasy.com

7. Support companies that are cruelty free - There are many reasons why cruelty to animals is bad for the environment, but at the heart of things...it's just wrong. www.caringconsumer.com

8. Conserve water - Turn off the water when possible (brushing your teeth, etc.), take shorter showers, check for leaks and run your dishwasher and clothes washer with full loads. www.eartheasy.com

9. Teach children to love the environment - Lets teach our children at a young age to respect people, animals, nature and the environment. After all, how we treat the environment now, affects their world later. Environmental links for kids: www.nrdc.org

10. Educate ourselves - One of our greatest gifts is the gift of knowledge. If we take the time to do research and educate ourselves on what is really going on in our world, we'll never have to judge, question, or second-guess what we hear through the grapevine...we will know for ourselves.

HAPPY EARTH DAY!

Smile Please...

Nothing like a little color and a few attacking clouds to brighten the day...

(Image courtesy of setev)

Things that make you go hmmm...

"A man is but the product of his thoughts...what he thinks, he becomes" - Mahatma Gandhi

(Image courtesy of h.koppdelaney)

Tick-Tock, Tick-Tock...

Have you ever had one of those days when you have a million things that you really HAVE to do, but somehow time just gets away from you? Then as the day goes on you keep staring at the clock, somehow thinking that time is going to start magically going backwards just for you. Then all of the sudden it starts haunting you and you keep running into a clock everywhere you go because it truly is trying to remind you that you are running out of that beautiful little mystery called time. Suddenly all you can hear is tick-tock, tick-tock, tick-tock and not only have you gotten nothing done that you were supposed to, but now you still have a million things to do in a much shorter period of time and you've gone a bit mad...

Yeah, I'm right about there. ;)

(Image courtesy of AaronH)

Bunnies, Chocolate and Eggs, Oh My...

Hope everyone has a beautiful, relaxing Easter weekend!

(Image courtesy of grahamblackall)

My Favorite Mistake...

Have you ever made what you believed to be a terrible mistake, only to find out it was the best thing to ever happen to you?...

[Some of the most common inventions today evolved from mistakes...chocolate chip cookies, ice cream cones, pacemakers, velcro, potato chips, post-it notes, coca-cola, silly putty, popsicles, frisbees and the one and only slinky]

I've always believed that everything happens for a reason, but sometimes it's easy to forget that when you're in the middle of those "moments". I'm so incredibly grateful for who I am and where I am in this life and I truly believe most of it is because of the "mistakes" I've made. The beauty is, we have choices...we can grow, we can learn, we can thrive and make so many discoveries from those mistakes and become the best we can on this journey. We may not always love this beautiful little life, but deep down...I'm pretty sure it always loves us (after all, it did give us chocolate chip cookies).

(Image courtesy of plindberg)

Feeling Lucky...

Just wanted to wish everyone a happy St. Patty's Day...the hubby and I are feeling lucky already because we're off to Cannon Beach, which is thankfully only a short hour away and the perfect getaway for some much need relaxation! Have fun, be safe and get lucky... ;)

HAPPY ST. PATRICK'S DAY!

"Why Oregon" Series (post 3)...

Portland Japanese Garden in Spring

The Portland Japanese Garden is beautiful any time of year, but I love the Spring when the gorgeous cherry (sakura 桜) trees come into bloom. The whole city is covered in cherry blooms this time of year and it's amazing to see. Portland seems to be having an early Spring 2010 and everything is so fragrant and colorful. I feel especially lucky to live less than 5 minutes away from these gardens. It's clearly one of my favorite places in Portland, and if you're ever here to visit...it's definitely worth the trip!

http://www.japanesegarden.com

(Images courtesy of Cedric Wiens and Michel Hersen)

Three. Three. O Three...

Seven years ago today I married my best friend