Live A Little - Food Glorious Food, Let's Make it Fun Again!

Food Shouldn't Be Laborious, It Should Be Glorious!
There seems to be a lot of talk these days about "clean" food and eating right.  Consumers are tired of chemicals being passed off as food.  We want real food that makes us feel good and keeps us healthy right??  BUT...it has to taste terrific and I think it should be fun!!  Making a meal shouldn't be all about what you HAVE to do for your family or how many calories you are counting.  Living a fabulous lifestyle includes eating foods that just simply make you feel satisfied and happy right?

Food Is Just One More Creative Way To Live Life to It's Fullest
I have never been a great cook.  I can bake up a storm - sometimes - but I never really knew what I was doing so I kind of stuck to the same old stuff.  These days, I have realized that cooking is fun.  I don't even need a recipe or a plan and I can bring my kids into it and have a lot of fun!

3 Ways to Make Food Fun Again
I remember when I was a kid, I loved food and enjoyed easting all of my favorite things.  As an adult, it can be easy to make food our enemy instead of the pleasurable necessity it should be.  I want you to get excited about food again and stop thinking of it as our enemy. 

1. Fix Your Favorite Foods from Childhood - Whether it was your mom's fabulous goulash or that amazing chocolate cake from the little shop that closed long ago, it is time to recreate and share those glorious and delicious memories with healthy organic ingredients. 
2. Take One Day a Week or More to Just Enjoy Your Food and Eat What You Like - I take each weekend as my time to stop counting calories and just eat what I enjoy.  It is very satisfying and frankly fun to look forward to the weekends when I know my taste buds will be treated to almost anything they desire.  
3. Make Food Shopping a Joy not a Chore! - Part of making food fun again means dealing with the not so fun food shopping chore. I do most of my shopping online at the Green PolkaDot Box and it is inexpensive, guaranteed nonGMO (no genetically modified organisms) and I can do it at any time of day or night.  I love it so much I am a Founding Trust Member!  I have found tons of great (and yes healthy) finds I would never have had the time to uncover if I was shopping on a time crunch in a place like Whole Foods with my kids!

Enjoy what you like and share that good food feeling with your family.  Food should be fun and delicious.  Let's start enjoying it again. You with me??

Live a Little Monday - How to Laugh a Little

Even a trip to Target can make us giggle with the right accessories!

Are You Too Busy to Giggle?

With three young girls, a husband, a business to run, a fish, a dog, a cat and all the trapping of a life, days can sometimes get pretty busy and pretty mundane so I always try to laugh a little.  Every single day, our lives offer plenty of chances to giggle but if you are "on task" and too busy to notice, the laughter and resulting happiness will go unnoticed and un-enjoyed.

"I love people who make me laugh. I honestly think it's the thing I like most, to laugh. It cures a multitude of ills. It's probably the most important thing in a person." - Audrey Hepburn 

Here's How to Find Your Laughter

This week, my Live a Little Monday tip is to slow down and learn to live your best life by looking for the laughter in all of the places you would normally miss it.  In order to do that, you must be present in the moment.  Stop multi-tasking all of the time and live in the moment. 

I know this picture is fuzzy, but I remember laughing so hard because my girls wouldn't stop tickling me every time they snapped the picture.

No matter what happens in your life, keep a smile on your face and keep an eye out for the joy in the moment that could otherwise go unnoticed if you are too busy and aren't open to it.  It is a little thing, but it goes a long way in creating your best life.  After all, laughter costs nothing, anyone can do it and it will never make you feel anything but good.

In my family, it doesn't take more than a set of secret bunny ears to make us giggle.

Now go giggle and tell us all about it below!

Want to Live a Little with Us!

Each week I link up in the Live a Little Monday with my friend Katja and her Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.  It's just one of the fun ways we celebrate finding the treasure in self, people and planet here at EB each week.

Do you have a blog? We would love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. It's really easy.  Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

Live a Little - Why Girls of All Ages Should Believe in Happy Ever After

Does Happily Ever After Exist?

When you were a little girl, did you dream about your happily ever after?  At this point in your life, have you given up on happily ever after?  Have you decided that Prince Charming, two kids and a castle is a figment of our imagination created only by dreams of a child and it is a waste of time?  

What Was Your Happily Ever After?

Little girls hold dreams close to their hearts about their perfect happily ever after and unfortunately when they grow up, they have a hard time letting go of those childish dreams.  Life has a way of turning out differently than you may have thought doesn't it?  Or maybe, for those select few out there, their lives are as perfect as they seem from the outside looking in? 

I think not.

I think everyone has dreams left unfulfilled, passions better left buried or a Prince Charming who never showed up at their front door.  Yet the full capacity to live one's dream of a happily ever after is all about acceptance and realization - accepting where your dreams are taking you today and realizing that no one lives the happily ever dreams created in the mind of a child.

Life is just not that perfect.

Where Are Your Dreams Taking You Today?

Part of living your life to its fullest is about letting go of a little girl's dream of the future, and holding firmly to the "dreams" of the present as the woman you have become.  Our little girl dreams have a place in the progression of our lives, but to truly feel alive, we must hold tight to the reality of the moment we are living in...with or without Prince Charming, two kids and a castle.

Happily Ever After is Now, Cherish and Thrive In It

The dreams of the woman you have become can define you and allow you to live more fully than you ever thought possible, but dreams cannot surpass the beauty of the gift we have been given for the happily ever after of now.

Never make the mistake of thinking that your little girl, happily ever after dreams of the future will surpass the fulfillment of now.  Do so and you run the risk of missing the unlimited possibilities of the life that is right in front of you - because happily ever after is now. 

No matter where your happily ever after finds you today, accept that "now" is the fulfillment of all you have gone through to get to this moment and resolve to cherish it.  It is a shame to waste this one life you are living by doing anything other than thriving in the happily ever after of now.  Don't let it slip away.

Want to Live a Little with Us!

Each week I link up in the Live a Little Monday with my friend Katja and her Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.  It's just one of the fun ways we celebrate finding the treasure in self, people and planet here at EB each week.

Do you have a blog? We would love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. It's really easy.  Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

You Want to Be Healthy? Start by Being Realistic

Sustainability Isn't Just for the Birds

I write about health all of the time on this blog because our health cannot be extracted from the "go green for the planet" conversation. How can we sustain our planet if we are all unhealthy? Our health and the health of our planet are inextricably connected.

 "Our future depends on our knowledge and actions. What choices will you make today that will change your health and the health of our world tomorrow? Together we CAN find the path that will lead us to a greener, healthier future." - SSS

You Want to Be Healthy?  Start by Being Realistic

Maybe I am grumpy today or maybe I have just had it up to "here" with folks who want a magic pill or those who unrealistically blame everything and everyone, but themselves, for their unhealthy lifestyle and weight.  Or maybe, when I look around me, I am concerned at the size (and poor health) of 1/3 of my fellow Americans.  

"More than one-third of U.S. adults (35.7%) are obese." - CDC

Being Fat Isn't About Beauty, It's About Health

I grew up in a family of obese people.  I knew from a very young age that I would do all I could to insure that I never became unhealthy because of my weight.  I understood that, even though I loved my family as the beautiful people they were, they had a hard time walking even short distances and it seemed that they never did anything but talk about their next meal instead of their next adventure.

Are You Ready to Really Live?

I am not here today to tell you that there is one way to a healthy future, life and body.  What I am here to tell you is to stop whinng, looking for that magic pill, or feeling like you will never get back to a size you feel good about becasue you totally flipping can!  If your future matters to you and if you want to really live your life to its fullest, get off of your ass and do something about it now.

As for me and my ass, I am going to do a workout even though I have had back surgery and can barely walk most mornings, I have three kids, I am 43, I don't have the time, I...well you get the point don't you?

Connect with Shane on Google+

P.S.- People always ask me where I get my organic food and personal care products and I love to tell them about The Green PolkaDot Box! Backed by the Organic Consumer's Association and EnvironmentalBooty.com, you can easily buy NonGMO organic groceries, including Harvest Fresh Organic produce, at wholesale pricing online.  It's like a Sam's club but focused on products for green, healthy living! You can even shop by dietary restrictions like gluten free, vegan or diabetic and it all comes right to your front door. Enjoy!



Photo Source: UTMB Health

Live a Little - 3 Tips to Focus In On Finding YOU Again

It's Time to Begin to Find Yourself Again...Starting Today!

If you have been wondering where YOU went after you got married, had kids and became someone else's wife, husband, dad or mom, today is the day to begin to find yourself again.

Here We Go...

Here are 3 tips to help you focus in on finding the passion in who you are meant to be to live your best life.

1. Find One Physical Activity You Love and Do it Often - For me, working out is my salvation.  It is my time to do something for myself and it makes me feel great.  Physical activity releases endorphines and those feel good neurohormones work to keep you feeling positive and happy.  Find a physical activity that you love and set time aside do it often because it will help keep you fit and make you feel fabulous.
2. Think About What You Used to Love to Do Before You Were Married with Kids, and Start Doing It Again- I realized a couple of months ago that I never read for pleasure anymore.  It made me sad because I used to love to read.  For the last 20 years, most of the books I have read have been about kids, marriage, social media and living green, but I rarely read anything for fun.  I changed that recently by reading the Shades of Grey Trilogy, which was interesting to say the least, and I am looking for my next fun read.  What do you miss that you used to do?
3. Let Go of The Past, Revel in The Present and Get Excited About The Unknown of The Future - On some days, if I allowed myself to, I could let my mind wander through some of my past decisions and begin to feel like I am living the wrong life because of them.  Focusing on letting go of the past, living my best life today and feeling excited about the unknown of my future makes me feel most alive.  Forget about the things you cannot change, find joy in the now and get excited about what is around the corner.  I am not saying you should stay in an unhappy marriage or accept living a life of defeat.  What I am saying is that I know a lot of women who wish they would have taken a different path in life and have kind of given up, and given in to accepting the mundane.  Don't let yourself become one of them. 

Reap The Rewards of Knowing Yourself and Experiencing a Life Well Lived

It is when we feel most alive and connected with our own desires and excitement about life that we can add to the lives of those around us.  Focus in on yourself by using the 3 tips above to reap the rewards of a life well lived.

You will never lose yourself, or your passion for life, if you refuse to sell your desires short.  Our desires are the fuel that we need to drive us to living our best life.  Live your life each day by focusing in on what creates a life worth living for you, and your spouse and your kids will only reap the benefits of your rewards.

Live a Little With Us!

Live a Little Monday - Being Green Starts from Home

What Do You Love About Your Home?

I love the way the light from outside and inside collide and come through my house early in the morning and I love my home.  It might not be the biggest or the nicest, but after the last few years, I am happy we have been able to keep this old roof over our heads. 

Recently we put down bamboo flooring, which is an amazing change from living with the holes and stains in the carpet it replaced, and today it got me thinking about something a friend of mine said.

Being Green Starts from Home

My friend Katja, who I greatly admire for her wit, business prowess, intellect and recycling skills said that "being green starts from home" and she is right. People are always asking me how to be green and the fact is, it can start as just a simple extension of your home life. 

What Does Your Home Say About What You Believe In?

There are so many of those popular design programs on TV these days that show you how to create the most organized and beautiful home on the block.  Well that is just wonderful until you start to use how your home compares to your neighbors' in organization, size or decoration as a yardstick to measure your importance in life. 

I think a better gauge to measure your importance in this life, is to ask what your home says about what you believe in rather than what you have.

Believe in green and let those beliefs be reflected in your home life through your purchases, actions and design.  Do this and there will be no yardstick begin enough against which to measure your importance in this life.

Live a Little with Us!

Live a Little - Educate Yourself on Green: Why Reuse a Cup Infographic

My Lex and HJ on their first day of 2012-13 school yr

Do You Stop Learning When You Leave School?  

All three of my girls are back to school and I, along with millions of other moms and dads out there, am breathing a collective sigh of relief.  If you listen you can hear it. It is the sound of structure for the kids and a home office for me free of Barbies and dancing and hula-hoop hooping and noisy iPad apps that miraculously generate their own charges on my iTunes account.  It is the sound of silence and I am loving it.

I also love that just because we aren't kids in school anymore, that doesn't mean that we can't keep learning and educating ourselves.  Right?

My Reece after her first day of 2012-13 school year
not wanting me to take her picture.  LOL

What Are Your Reasons To Continue Your Education

There aren't too many days that go by when we don't learn something new just in the normal day to day people we encounter and the experiences we have.  And I, for one, hope I never stop learning and educating myself on everything I can possibly expose myself to.  I never want to become one of those people who thinks they know it all or worse yet, are too busy, tired or depressed to care about learning anything new.

Here's a Little Green Education for Your Takeaway Today

Obviously I am into educating folks on how to be green and today I am going to teach green in graphics.  I am CMO for Factory Direct Promos and I really love working with them because we work together to spread the green message.  Factory Direct Promos creates customized,  eco-friendly solutions to the traditional promotional products which can harm the planet.  

Factory Direct Promos makes reusable bags from recycled plastic bottles, memorable seed business cards that sprout into wildflowers, eco drinkware and many other innovative, eco-friendly promotional items businesses, associations, non-profits and schools should use.  Their client list includes Home Depot, The Salvation Army and Marriott among many others.

Take a look below and tell me if you don't feel smarter about how to be green with just a two minute, eco-friendly Infograohic lesson called "Why Reuse a Cup?"  Share on Facebook and Twitter and click the image and you can help us spread the green ed by copying the code onto your company or personal blog or website!  I want the fast food restaurants of the world to hear this message because it is pathetic that they are contributing to this mess when they could be leading the way to a more sustainable tomorrow!

Click image to see a larger version
Why Reuse a Cup? via Reusable Bags - Factory Direct Promos

Live a Little with Us!

Each week I link up in the Live a Little Monday with my friend Katja and her Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.  It's just one of the fun ways we celebrate finding the treasure in self, people and planet here at EB each week.  

Do you have a blog? We would love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. It's really easy.  Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

Live a Little Monday - 3 Tips to Savor the Summer and Not Let it Go...Ever

Did Your Summer Go Too Fast?
This is the last week of summer vacation for my kids and I must say that it was way too short.  Was it like that for you too or is it just me?  As I get older, it seems that life is on hyper speed and there is never enough of the slow, delicious days of summer anymore.

What Do YOU Miss About Summers of Long Ago?
I remember when I was a kid, it seemed like the days were never ending and the summer romances were as abundant as the fireflies.  Now, finding a firefly is as rare as finding a moment to enjoy a little romance with my main squeeze of 20 years. I wonder what my kids will remember about their summers when they are my age?  Will they have fond memories or simply memories of uncompleted summer packets and me screaming at them to stop singing, dancing, running, screaming etc., so I can get some work done. 

sigh

How to Savor the Summer and Not Let it Go...Ever
As the glow of my summer tan fades into the pasty white pale of winter, I have a few ways I am going to savor the summer.

1. A Picture is Worth a Thousand Summer Sunrises - I have so many pictures from this summer and of summer's past and I plan on perusing them as often as I need a summer fix.
2. Let's Eat, Drink and Be Merry! - There is no reason to enjoy all of the awesome summer recipes for food and drink only during the short summer.  I plan on living it up with a watermelon martini sitting by the fire in February.
3. Close Your Eyes and Go There - This summer on vacation, we had a great room with a private balcony overlooking the Gulf of Mexico.  I spent probably too much time out there working instead of savoring the view but I have the sights and sounds of that relaxing spot ingrained upon my mind. There is every reason in the world for me to revisit that place in my mind as often as I wish with just a simple meditation.

Live a Little with Us!

Each week I link up in the Live a Little Monday with my friend Katja and her Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.  It's just one of the fun ways we celebrate finding the treasure in self, people and planet here at EB each week.  

Do you have a blog? We would love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. It's really easy.  Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

Live a Little Monday - Shake It Up

It's Time Live a Little and Shake It Up Organically!
It seems like these days everyone is trying to eat better and lose a few pounds.  Some succeed by depriving themselves of everything yummy, while others, like me, Go Green and Get Fit while snacking along the way.  Really it is whatever works for each of us but for those days when you really need something sweet, I have a totally organic way to shake it up.

All you need is:

1. Organic vanilla ice cream - I like Publix brand but anything will do as long as it is organic which means it is free of artificial dyes and flavors and comes from cows that were not given bovine growth hormone.
2. Organic Oreo type cookies - For our family there is only one brand that we love for more than one reason.  We love Newman's Own because they are tasty and all proceeds go to charity.
3. Organic fat free milk - Again any brand will work as long as it is organic and free of bovine growth hormone.
4. Real organic vanilla extract 

Now comes the fun part!
Just take a few big scoops of ice cream, toss in about 5 or 6 Oreos, about a cup and a half of milk and a couple of drops of real vanilla extract and mix it all up.  Garnish with one more Oreo and enjoy.

Aside from being one of my favorite organic treats, when my girls are having a hard day or celebrating a great one, I always make one of these for them and they always feel special.

Enjoy!

Live a Little with Us!

Each week I link up in the Live a Little Monday with my friend Katja and her Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.  It's just one of the fun ways we celebrate finding the treasure in self, people and planet here at EB each week.  

Do you have a blog? We would love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. It's really easy.  Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

Live a Little Monday - Create A Summer of #Doing with bing

Create A Summer of #Doing with Bing

I received a gift card from Bing for being an influencer on KLOUT along with an invitation to their Do Something Summer.  Each day bing is offering up a word or phrase to inspire us all to live a little in their Summer of #Doing event.  I checked in and found that the phrase of the day was "Food Forwarding" which is all about sustainable food and was perfect because I had been wanting to have an organic pizza party.


We Had Fun Even Though We Didn't Totally Stick to the Rules - Wait, There Are No Rules with bing

I immediately searched bing for ways to make sustainable pizza, shopped for my sustainable and organic ingredients and invited some friends over for a party. My friend, who rarely purchases organic or sustainably, even did her part with some organic and local ingredients for her salad. 

Bing's new and improved search engine made it easy to go local and organic and we even had a little fun with our pizza dough...

Live a Little - Mr. Roger's Remix, Cultivate the Garden Of Your Mind

You Are Never Too Old for The Lessons of Mister Roger's Neighborhood...

Hi neighbor, welcome to my neighborhood!

Although I am a proponent of not thinking about things you don't think about, when you use your mind for creativity, I say let the thoughts flow.  So many times I see people become immobilized by the negative thoughts in their minds, and no good ever comes from it.  But when the curiosity of your mind leads you to think about positive thoughts, places you want to go or gives you ideas you can use to create beneficial change, I say let it flow.  We can think of the ideas in our minds growing like gardens right?  And who better than Mister Rogers, in this groovy little Neighborhood Remix, to remind of us to use the power of our mind to cultivate and grow ideas? 

Live a Little Monday - Take a Hint from Kyrie & Brielle and Give a Little Hug

The Power of a Loving Hug Can Pull Us Through Almost Anything
If you spend any time at all on Pinterest, you probably have seen the image of two preemies, one with her arm wrapped around the other.  I was looking at it today and I clicked through to the site to get the full story.  I was surprised, and frankly disappointed, to be directed to a fashion blog.  After digging a little further on my own, I discovered the true story of Kyrie and Brielle Jackson.

Kyrie and Brielle were born 12 weeks early on October 17, 1995 and both were barely 2 pounds.  Kyrie gained weight and thrived but Brielle was irritable, not thriving and doing very badly.  Back in 1995 in the US, it was common practice to keep twins in separate incubators to decrease the risk of infection but in this case, one particular nurse was ready to, with the parent's permission, break the rules.

At The Medical Center of Central Massachusetts in Worcester where the twins came into the world, Nurse Gayle Kasparian was desperate and ready to try anything to help tiny Brielle.  Nurse Gayle took a hint from the European medical community and used a practice which, back then, was virtually unknown in the United States - Nurse Gayle placed the twins in the same bed.

Almost as soon as she had shut the incubator door,  Brielle snuggled up to her sister, Kyrie, and began to calm down.  Within minutes, Brielle's blood-oxygen readings improved and as she dozed, Kyrie wrapped her left arm around her smaller sister.  Brielle’s heart rate stabilized and her temperature rose to normal.

If there is a better illustration of the power of a loving hug, I certainly have never seen it.

o out and live a little today, and every single day, by always remembering to give a little hug.  You just never know how you might change the course of a person's life.

Now It's Your Turn to Share How to Live a Little! 

On Mondays I link up with an amazing group of bloggers from the Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.

Have a blog? Love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

Live a Little Monday - Why It's Okay to Fess Up and Say, "I Can't Have it All and Frankly, I Don't Want It!"

Ladies, What Exactly DO You Want?

Have you heard any of the rumblings surfacing in the feminist community about the article by By Anne-Marie Slaughter  in the July/August 2012 ATLANTIC MAGAZINE  issue titled, Why Women Still Can’t Have It All?  Well quite honestly, who the hell hasn't been thinking the same damn thing for quite a flipping while now, eh?  Seriously, I am here to tell you that it is more than okay to fess up and say, "I can't have it all and frankly I don't want it."

Of course on the flip side to that confession is that it really is important to craft your life to be just the way YOU desire it to be.  And that is really the point that should be emphasized here.  None of us can live in anyone else's shoes and judgement should be left to those deciding the fate of convicted criminals, not those who are supposed to be our sisters.  

It's Not All It's Cracked Up To Be 
When I was younger I had a list,  a literal list, full of reasons NOT to have children.  Then I met my husband in a whirlwind romance that I thought was the most important thing in my life.  All I wanted to do was have babies with him.  We ended up with three beautiful daughters after years of trying and a number of miscarriages that would make your jaw drop at the thought of our persistence.

I always planned to go back to work but after my first daughter was born, she would not drink from a bottle at three months of age when I headed back to work.  I lasted 1 1/2 days and then abruptly quit my job to stay home full time with my firstborn.  

I had the cushiest life with my kids until all hell broke loose at the end of 2008.  It was time for me to go to back to work and my life changed from being a lady that lunched, volunteered and complained about what a bad job the housekeeper did, to being a lady that worked to pay for lunch, still tried to be the "always there for everything" mom and was on my hands and knees scrubbing floors and cleaning toilets with tears in my eyes - determined to do what was necessary to teach my girls to be self sufficient and strong in the face of every circumstance.

What You Can Do About It  
No matter where you are in your life or what kind of mom you envision yourself to be, it is important to be realistic with what you want and craft your life accordingly.  Be in touch with what you truly want and then do everything in your power to create the life for your family, and yourself, that you envision.  Don't give up, the life you desire is waiting for you and all it needs to become reality, is a little determination.

Now It's Your Turn to Share How to Live a Little!

On Mondays I link up with an amazing group of bloggers from the Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.

Have a blog? Love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

Live a Little Monday - Find Your True Strength to Go Green and Reach Your Fitness Goals

Thank you to a man who never gave up, Chris Reeves, and Go Green Get Fit on Pinterest for sharing his inspiration

Anyone Can Give Up, It's the Easiest Thing to Do
Have you tried to go green and set fitness goals in the past only to let life get in the way, fall apart and forget it?  I mean who would blame you right?  Attempting change is tough in any area of life but when it comes to fitness and weight loss, everyone understands if you fall apart and give up because many of us have done the same.   Well today is officially the first day of the Sustain Your Self™Go Green Get Fit 12 week health and wellness summer challenge and it is time to Live a Little and reach for your fitness goals.

I am Ready to Find My True, Green Strength and Live a Little, Are you?  
I certainly hope you are planning on joining us because I will be blogging here each week to give you green inspiration, share my fitness tips and tell you how I am doing with my goals so you won't be alone.  It is really going to be 12 weeks of hard work but also a great way to hold it together and find your true strength to reach your goals.

Thank you to Erin from Healthy Home Magazine for this Pin

Have You Set Your Goals Yet?
My Go Green Get Fit goals are to:

• Stay in my desired weight zone - without binging on organic vanilla cookies and gaining 10 pounds like I always do
• Up my heavy hand-weights by a few pounds to 15...oops I mean 12!
• Continue to work with my bum shoulder to resume push ups, my bum knee to try to run again and continue to strengthen my bad back (I had back surgery when I was 21)
• Find ways to green my workouts 

When you set your Go Green Get Fit goals I want you to feel free to share them with us in our comments and give us updates.  I do not expect to be perfect and neither should you.  This is a 12 week health and fitness series for us to work toward our goals, we are not expected to be perfect, just strong and persistent.

Who is Going Green with Us?
Thirty of the most well-respected and connected green bloggers, top health and wellness brands, supporting organizations, coaches, physiologists and nutritional experts will be taking part.  We are all coming together to offer motivation, inspiration and green living fitness information to help women prioritize their health, get fit, lose weight, reduce mega amounts of stress and have a really fun trip along the way.  The cool thing is that collectively, we will be reaching out to our online communities of over 250,000 people nationwide and in Canada who we are inviting along for the challenge!

Green Blogger Team Roll Call: 

• Erin Naumowicz Editor, Healthy Home Magazine
• Kimberly Danek Pinkson Founder, EcoMom® Alliance
• Paige Wolf Author Spit That Out
• Tiffany Washko Editor, NatureMoms
• Diane MacEachern Editor, Big Green Purse
• Katherine Scoleri Editor, SafeMama.com
• April Gatewood Owner and Writer,  Mama on a Green Mission  
• Laura Burns Blogger, Pug in the Kitchen
• Amanda Hearn Owner and Editor, The Eco-Friendly Family  
• Stephanie Moram Owner and Editor, Good Girl Gone Green 
• Sabrina (Bri) Radke Owner and Writer, Eco Baby Mama Drama  
• Jenn Savedge Author and Blogger, The Green Parent and Mother Nature Network
• Brenna Burke Owner and Editor, Almost All The Truth  
• Gretchen Sowers Owner and Writer, Healthful Mama  
• Sarah White Owner and Writer, Mindfully Frugal Mom
• Nikki Board Founder and Editor, Modern Eco Life
• Erin Ely Owner and Editor, Ely Organics
• Katy Farber Owner and Author, Non-Toxic Kids 
• Jen McLaughlin Blogger, Jen and Joey Go Green
• Penelope Jagessar Chaffer Blogger, Toxic Baby Blog  
• Lori Popkewitz Alper Founder, Groovy Green Livin  
• Jenny Gullen Owner and Editor, The Crunchy Wife  
• Nancy Nathan Baldwin Surviving on Pennies 
• Danika Carter, Beauty Editor, Greenwala 
• Anna Hackman Editor, Green Talk  
• Micaela Preston, Editor and Founder, Mindful Momma
• Robbie Schneider, Editor, Going Green Mama
• Lynn Colwell Blogger, Celebrate Green  
• Amity Hook-Sopko  Editor, Green Gifts Guide
• And Yours Truly of Course, Shane D. Shirley-Smith President, EnvironmentalBooty.com!

Green Business Roll Call:
Our 2012 Go Green Get Fit Challenge is Presented By: Planet Shoes
Sponsored by: NatureBox, Erin Ely for MiEssence, My Mama's Love, Active.com
Media Sponsors:  Healthy Home Magazine

Thanks Lynn Colwell for this inspirational pin on Pinterest

Going Green is Not Just About the Environment
There are tons of ways to green your workout that I will share over the next 12 weeks and when it comes right down to it, if you aren't in great, green shape, you are going to be of very little benefit to the planet.  When you are low on energy your entire life is all about just getting by and there is very little room left for greening up anything let alone the environment.

Hook up with Go Green Get Fit to Sustain Your Self and Live a Little! 
Girlfriend, it is time to get off your butt and find your true green strength.  You with us?
Check in Fridays here on the blog for Go Green Get Fit Fridays and be sure to hit the Like button below for our Environmental Booty fan page Go Green Get Fit Challenge updates.

You can also follow along with our Go Green Get Fit challenge on Facebook, Twitter (with hashtags #GoGreenGetFit & #SustainYourself) and Pinterest. 

Oh and did I mention that we are going to be giving away a ton of green living, eco-friendly fitness gear?  Yup, that's right so hook up with us now and start making your goal list.  

Now It's Your Turn to Share How to Live a Little! 

On Mondays I link up with an amazing group of bloggers from the Skimbaco community.  We offer up ideas on finding fulfillment in life, right now, through the little things and not so little things to make the most out of each and every day.

Have a blog? Love to have you link up and join us in this Live a Little weekly blog hop. Sometime this week, write a post with tips about how you Live a Little then link up using the Linky below and get the code yourself to put on your blog.   If you would like to add a Live a Little banner, you can find those here.

Live a Little Idea #12 - Release Your Inner Fitness Goddess and Join Our Go Green Get Fit Challenge to Sustain Your Self™

I know she is in there so get ready to release your inner fitness goddess and join our Go Green Get Fit Challenge and

Sustain Your Self™

So y'all know I am a fitness goddess.  Okay, so, well at least you know I love to work out. I personally like to think of myself as a fitness goddess.  And damn it why can't I?  At 44 I am 124 pounds and as fit as I possibly can be to help me sustain myself.  Sure I need a boob job because my three daughters sucked the life right out of them, or at least what life there was in them, but I have yet to be able to bring myself to do that.  And sure my ass seems to be heading south just a tee tiny tad bit more than it was 20 years ago but I could give a sh@t.  Ya' wanna know why?

It's Monday and It's Time to Live a Little - Follow My Parent's Sage Advice

When I was growing up, I obviously learned many lessons from my parents.  One of the most important lessons they taught me that has really impacted my life in positive ways, is their sage advice to take every chance you can to thank a veteran for their service.  From the time when I was 7 years old and my parents invited two World War II veterans to our home for Thanksgiving (who told my brother and I their G rated war stories), I have made it a habit to thank a veteran whenever the opportunity presents itself. 

It's Monday and It's Time to Live a Little - One Easy Step to Conquer Your Fear

I love taking beautiful cloud pics when I fly now

What are you afraid of?  

Are you afraid of the dark?  Or are you afraid of the truth or of never being with the one you love?  Sometimes it seems silly to be afraid, but yet we all have worries or insecurities that grip us with fear and won't let go until we deal with them.  For me it is a fear of flying that has, more than once, kept me from getting the things I want out of life.  Yet today I am boarding another plane and, once again, I will have to overcome my fear to get to where I want to be and Live a Little.

"Courage is resistance to fear, mastery of fear, not absence of fear." ~ Mark Twain

I was afraid.

It's Monday and It's Time to Live a Little - Idea #9 Take a Moment in the Baby Dolphin Zen Den

A big thanks to Explore.org for today's Live a Little inspiration.

Each time I have played the following Baby Dolphin Zen Den video, one of my girls has stopped, mesmerized, to watch it with me.  This little Baby Dolphin Zen Den really is mesmerizing and makes you feel so relaxed.  Watching the dolphins' fluid motions makes me forget about everything going on around me and I just zen out.

It's Monday and Its Time to Live a Little - Idea #8 Take a Hint from the Blue Man Group

I had no idea that the Blue Man Group had a message behind their performance

Last week I had the pleasure of chaperoning for my daughter's 6th grade class as they attended a special showing of the Blue Man Group at Universal Studios Orlando.  If you are not familiar with the Blue Man Group, they are a group of 3 performance artists who started out in NYC by inviting friends and neighbors into their home to watch them perform skits that ignited conversation about current affairs and happenings in their community.

The Blue Men make instruments that cannot be played alone, they require all three of them to work together to make them work

Their home soon became too small and they moved into a theater and eventually became headliners in Las Vegas and went on to have shows all over the world. They do wild things with paint, music, lighting and props that I really cannot explain with words.  All I can say is that their shows are interactive and amazing and last week's show was a reminder to unplug from technology and plug into your community through shared experiences.

It's Monday and It's Time to Live a Little! Learn the Power of Saying, "No" to Yes

 

Is Your Plate too Full to Live a Little? 
It's Time to Find the Power in Learning to Say, "No" to Yes

If you are anything like me, you love to get the most out of life by volunteering.  I volunteer to pick up food for the teacher luncheons, I volunteer to take kids home from this practice or that event, I volunteer to wrap all 700 of the books for the elementary school kids and so on and so forth.