Oh how I love Annie Leonard and her educational video series The Story of Stuff. I just now caught this installment she did about the story behind bottled water. If you’re concerned about the future of our planet, your own health, your bank account, or your future grandkids, you may want to watch this video. It’s not long and it’s very easy to digest, so you have no excuses (especially if you’re reading this blog right now instead of working).
There! You’ve now been educated. So what are you gonna do?
My guess is that most of us who see this will still continue to buy bottled water out of convenience. I’m certainly aware of the horrible consequences of this behavior, yet I have one sitting on my desk at work as we speak. Yes, I’m guilty too, not at all preaching. But I’m eager to make a change, and I hope you will too. After all, the choices we make today will affect what kind of world our grandkids live in. So let’s suck it up and make some positive changes for their sake.
Buy a reusable stainless steel water bottle now. Or maybe you like aluminum. Or even, BPA-free plastic (this is what I have). Where you get it and what kind you get doesn’t matter, but what does matter is this: REMEMBER TO TAKE IT WITH YOU. Everywhere you go!
By the way, I found a pretty entertaining site recently: www.pluckfastic.org
“It is a scientific fact that if you stay in California, you lose one point off your IQ every year.”
– Truman Capote
And on that note, I’m off to Nashville this weekend for the wedding of one of my favorite couples on the planet, Kayla and Tyler. So excited. And just a LITTLE bit excited about seeing my husband for the first time in nearly two weeks. YES.
What a fine day this is! This week, Thursday is my Friday, because tomorrow morning I’m packing up and shipping out to Nashville for the weekend. I’m actually excited to fly, and I didn’t think I’d be able to say that so soon after our extensive wedding/honeymoon traveling in May. What a nightmare that was! I think I can handle the four hour flight to TN, however, and I’m very much looking forward to what will be waiting for me on the other side!
Some of the stuff making me happy this week:
Ordering an HTC Incredible! after months of deliberation and years of whining about service, my contract with AT&T is finally up and I’m ready to kick that crummy service to the curb once & for all. To answer your question, yes, at times I think I might miss having an iPhone. But, the amount of frustration I feel over having seven dropped calls in a row are not worth the cool-factor. It’s literally wearing on my physically! Isn’t that pathetic? I have too many friends and family far away to sacrifice not having a cell phone that WORKS. Plus, I’ve heard nothing but good things about the Incredible. I can’t wait for the phone to arrive and for the moment I have full cell reception in my apartment and won’t have to stand in awkward positions to get service. Extra coolness: I got the phone on Amazon for only $149 with a 2 year contract. It wasn’t as painful to sign a 2-year contract with Verizon as it was with AT&T. And thanks to my Prime account, I got 2 day shipping free. Hip hip hooray!
Weddings! The reason I’m flying to Nashville is to see the wedding of two of the cutest people on Earth, Kayla and Tyler. Now that my own wedding is behind me, I’m beginning to look forward to enjoying weddings again. I can’t wait to see these two tie the knot and then celebrate! The question remains: will I cheat on my gluten-free diet to eat wedding cake? Pray for my strength, thx.
D’autres choses j’aime:
free lunch – still amazing, even after a few weeks | hearing crickets chirping outside – even in the middle of Hollywood. reminds me of home! | mediatemple‘s customer service | mashed cauliflower | waking up before 7 on my own and being fully awake | finding a note from julian in the bottom of the trash bin (if you didnt miss me already, you definitely do now) | making to-do lists, few things in life are as gratifying as crossing list items off | Dave Ramsey’s ‘Total Money Makeover’ – awesome book! | handwriting | realizing that there are little people in Nashville that call me ‘aunt Sarah’ – I’ve never been an aunt before!! And they are the most perfect kiddos ever! | picture texts from my super hot husband | @ replies on Twitter from his fans telling me they think he is the most handsome man on the planet since Heath Ledger died (ok…? hah!) | watching The Women and being reminded of when I played Sylvia Fowler in our high school production of the original play | knowing the lyrics to really popular pop/r&b/rap songs and not being ashamed (I blame my short commute for the fact that I listen to the radio again) | soft, fluffy, (new) white sheets, fresh from the dryer | meyer’s lavender-scented dryer sheets | the new quinoa recipe i tried this week – omg, so good! | watching all the chick flicks i can handle before my husband comes home | surprise birthday parties for my girlfriend Tracy | chocolate custard with caramel, almonds and figs on top | realizing one of my cats resembles a furry gummy bear | moving to a new team at myspace | rediscovering a dress in my closet that I had pretty much forgotten about – it’s like shopping for free! | good hair days | coffee | looking forward to fall (yes, already!)
I haven’t had as much time to peruse the internet this week, so I hope you’ll forgive me for my shortened list this week. I hope you’re all having a very happy Wednesday!
Well, I am afraid I haven’t been as “update-y” as I intended to be re: my gluten-free journey. I’m now 11 days into my 14 day anti-gluten trial and I have to say, the results so far are quite wonderful.
Changes I’ve noticed:
1. More energy. Overall, I’ve had a lot more energy than I am used to. This means I’ve been more productive and less ready to take a nap the second I get home from work in the evenings.
2. Better mood. I’m still a girl, which means the occasional mood swing is still in effect, but in general I have felt much more happy and personable. I’m pretty friendly as it is, but all-around I feel more pleasant.
3. Clear-headed. In a way, it kind of feels like the fog in my brain cleared out. This could be due to the increased amount of fruit and vegetables I’ve been eating, but it’s worth noting regardless.
4. Less sugar cravings. I’m still in love with chocolate covered caramels (which thank GOD are gluten-free), but I have been wanting much less sugar than before. I’ve also noticed that I am less prone to snacking on junk in between meals.
5. Different sleeping patterns. This is a weird one. I’ve noticed myself staying up later and waking up earlier with more ease. Monday morning, I was up bright and early at 6:30am, UNHEARD of for me. These past two days, however, it’s been difficult to wake up, but I think it’s because I’m fighting off a swollen gland and my body tends to ask for more sleep when that happens. I’ve read about some people having more restful sleep and less vivid dreams when giving up gluten, but my dreams are just as crazy as ever. I’ve always been an intense dreamer.
6. Much less tummy aches! Oh my gosh, totally a big one for me. Digesting food is soo much easier than it was two weeks ago. I no longer feel like I have a rock in my stomach after eating a meal (that was for Julian. “Meal. MEAL.” I hate that word.) and I don’t feel so bloated. That alone is worth giving up pasta and bread.
At first, I wasn’t quite sure what I could eat, but was happy to discover that rice and potatoes were still on the menu. I have been careful to learn which ingredients are safe and read labels on all food I buy and prepare (no wheat, barley, oat, malt, etc), and got over my embarrassment of asking waiters at restaurants about gluten-free options. There have been a couple melancholy moments when realizing I can’t eat things like chicken fingers, waffles or crumb cake, but all in all, living without wheat hasn’t been that hard. Then again, I have been living alone and cooking for myself during this time, so that could be a big part of it. I am dreading the moment I have to eat at someone else’s house and can’t eat whatever it is they’re serving. How do you tackle THAT?
- I need to find more gluten-free snacks. It took me months after going vegetarian in 2006 to find “safe” snacks and meals that I didn’t have to think about in-depth. I’ve been eating a lot of fruit, nuts and vegetables if I need sustenance in between mealtimes, but I’d like to find more gluten-free options. I did find some great websites that listed common snack(and junk) foods that are gluten-free.
- I’m proud of myself for trying new things. I’ve never had quinoa before, but last night I made this AMAZING dish with quinoa, chicken broth, chicken, peppers, onions and garlic. It was SO delicious and get this – I found the recipe on the back of the box of Trader Joe’s quinoa. Did you know that it is basically a perfect food? It has all NINE essential amino acids. I also bought gluten-free pasta and crackers from Whole Foods but have yet to try them.
- I totally failed at the apple cider vinegar daily dosage. I haven’t even opened the bottle. I’m honestly scared because I imagine it tastes like bile. One of these days I’ll work up the courage.
- There are a ton of amazing gluten-free desserts. This has been one area where finding gluten-free options is not hard at all. Earlier this week, we celebrated my girlfriend Tracy’s birthday at The Little Next Door. French food = EXTREMELY HARD TO RESIST. Thankfully they had not one, not two or three but FOUR different desserts for me to choose from. I had the most incredible chocolate custard with caramel, almond and fig topping. Can you tell I like chocolate and caramel? Just FYI, creme brulee is also gluten-free. And flourless chocolate cake, of course.
So, will I keep it up?
I’m definitely going to finish out my two week trial. After that, I’m not really sure. I am definitely loving the way I feel, but I’m not sure if I’ll last forever. I’m not sold that I have a full-on wheat allergy, but I do think that it irritates my insides more than the average bear. I might extend the trial by a week or two and then eat a little gluten to see what it feels like after going through a detox. That will be the real indicator.
I’m a little swamped at the moment, which is why I haven’t updated much these past few days, but I assure you I do have things in the works! In the meantime, please check out the latest Real Wedding post I wrote for 100 Layer Cake! It is totally gorgeous!
Happy one year, ya bunch of pinks! I cannot believe it’s been a YEAR since I started theoneinpink.com. As other bloggers can surely relate, I’ve grown to love this blog, and the people who read it, more than I thought was possible. I’ve been blogging for years on various other sites (some of the entries you’ll see I’ve imported, which is why you see entries from 3 years ago), but this is the first place I really invested the time and energy to create one space for all my writing, thoughts and inspiration – my REAL inspiration, not just one side of it.
Warning: sappyness ahead. This place almost feels like a garden to me (oh boy, here she goes) – something that takes attention, pruning, patience, and dedication. It gets messy sometimes, and sometimes I just don’t care about tending to it. Then I get an email from one of you, telling me how you’ve been inspired or motivated by something I’ve shared, about how you just ~*love*~ reading my garbled mess, and my entire attitude changes.
I’m not saying I am some kind of poet or Mother Teresa or anything like that (c’mon), but it blows my mind to see how many people come to this silly little blog everyday and it truly motivates me to keep going – keep sharing – keep putting just a little bit of positivity back out there. On this very special milestone I just want to say THANK YOU to any of you who have bookmarked, shared, commented, emailed, subscribed, or just plain read. Even if you never came back again.
To celebrate, here are some of my favorite posts from the past year. If you’re a new reader, I hope you’ll check them out.
This week is not the happiest in recent history for me, as my hubs is in Nashville filming for the next week and a half and I am left here alone to cook for one, spend my nights without any cute newlywed banter, rely on my cats for snuggling, and attempt to make coffee for myself as wonderfully as he does (it’s a challenge). I miss him so. But there are still so many things I love in general, and so I give you this week’s Things I Love Thursday (#28!).
Netflix. You may have heard me mention more than a few times that we don’t have cable. A few months ago, we invested in a super nice Blu-Ray player that streams from Netflix and a few other places (we actually got a great out-of-the-box deal at Best Buy). I am not one to spend lots of money on home entertainment systems, but these past couple months we have MORE than made up for that cost. You can pretty much get anything on Netflix these days, including TV shows, and many of them stream so you don’t even have to wait for the DVD in the mail. We are definitely getting our moneys worth from Netflix… I don’t miss cable one single bit!
The library. I used to LOVE the library as a kid, back when there was no such thing as Amazon, before books could be read via a digital handheld device. I love the peacefulness of it, the little old librarians, the fact that you can borrow any book for free, hang out and study/research or read for as long as you want and no one will ever kick you out (unless they’re closing). As an adult, I have been less than loyal to my library, but all that has changed this past week. I’ve gone a little nuts lately and my hold list and current stack of borrowed books at home is a bit more than I can handle. I sure do wish more people loved the library – I recently learned that due to budget cutbacks, the library will now only be open 5 days a week here. They already have such limited hours, so this is very sad indeed. I also think that all you talented web designers should volunteer your talents to your local library to give their terribly pathetic digital catalog system a nice upgrade – it is in a very sorry state!
Julian’s hidden notes. I have the best spouse. Because he wouldn’t be here to make me laugh in person this week, he hid little lovey post-it notes all over our apartment for me to find as I’m going about my business. He texted me a couple nights ago when he knew I’d be watching a movie and told me to “look up” – I found a note that said “I wish I was right here with you.” Last night I was cooking and opened the spice rack to grab some paprika and found a little “something smells good…” note. I turned on the lamp in the dining room and was surprised to find “I <3 U" post its, illuminated from the inside of the lamp shade. In the mailbox, in the shower, under a candle, even in the roll of toilet paper, Julian put a lot of effort into making sure I'd be finding these this week and I LOVE HIM for it. Every girl should be so lucky. I wonder how many are left for me to find???
Little love droplets: Trader Joe’s Dark Chocolate Covered Caramels (gluten-free, thankyouverymuch!) | “Hello, Hoy? Whatsinyourwok?” | inside jokes with my J | this town in France, I want to live there! | cruising the farmer’s market after church on Sunday | how much better the fruits and vegetables taste when you know they were grown locally and organically | using leftover ingredients in the fridge to make an amazing breakfast scramble | really high-powered fans on really hot days | The Business of Being Born – INCREDIBLE film for anyone with a uterus (or as my friend Nicole said, “anyone who loves anyone with a uterus”) | having so much energy this week (could it be the lack of gluten?!) | laughing about the ridiculously silly arguments you get in right before you fall asleep just because you’re tired and cranky | husbands who surprise you by cleaning out the fridge | when the valet guys at work let me park in the 1st floor visitors parking! | really productive days at work | seeing magic happen behind the scenes here | when Scout or Pep find a spot and sit there for about 8+ hours a day for days on end | the way they tuck their heads & paws when sleeping | books you can really get into (I just finished Redeeming Love and it was amazing!!) | free smoothies at work (blueberries, bananas, apple juice + raspberry sherbert, mmm!) | a man in the elevator assuming I am 17 years old. Plus 10, I told him! | The fact that french fries are gluten-free | casual chats with my little sister on the phone | helping my Mom design her website |
What’s making your week?
Another Wednesday, another need for a little mid-week refresher! Don’t worry, the weekend is only two days away, and those two days happen to be the best of the work week. Plus, it’s summer, which makes everything alllll better. Happy browsing!
Not too long ago, my Julian and I decided we were in need of a quick little peaceful getaway. Not having much in the way of time (and considering we did just go on a European honeymoon), we decided staying local was the best bet for us. Neither of us are from this coast, so we had to enlist the help of native friends to give us recommendations on the best places to go (I knew San Diego wasn’t gonna cut it). Knowing my taste, my girlfriend and then-coworker Lauren told me that we just HAD to go to Solvang, a little Danish town up in Santa Ynez Valley. I’d never even heard of the place at the time, but it seemed to be quite popular for LA and Santa Barbara-ites in need of relaxation. After a couple Googles, I was sold.
One of the many sweet windmills we saw. Who doesn’t love a good windmill?
We LOVED it – it was easily one of the most quaint, beautiful and peaceful towns I’ve ever been to. We ate ebelskivers, took in the stunning scenery, went on long walks through town (and an early morning run – rare for us – the things you do when work isn’t a factor!), basked in the silence, shopped in used bookstores, marveled at the cobblestone, took full advantage of the incredible breakfast buffet, made friends with a waitress who has a pig sanctuary, took photos of the various wildlife, wandered around Los Olives (MY FAVORITE), drank coffee on outdoor porches of quaint cafes, enjoyed complimentary wine tastings and dreamt about what life would be like if we lived up there. We also stayed in the best hotel ever – Hadsten House. The rooms were incredible, the rates affordable and the service outstanding. I’ve already emailed with the hotel manager about getting more of the free body butter they give you on your nightstand – it’s AMAZING. They also gave us lavender-scented linen spray.
I don’t have as many photos as I’d like, but I’m thankful to have these few. Julian, as willing as he is to take beautiful pictures for me, usually hides all the photos from our excursions on hard drives for me to never see again (until I nag him to email them), but this time, I found some on MY hard drive. It was a pleasant surprise. You can click to enlarge.
It was so difficult to choose which cafes and restaurants to stop at, they were all so adorable!
This is me, posing in the bookstore window while Julian takes a very artistic shot. I have a thing for used bookstores and he has a thing for taking pictures of me in them.
Um, I loved this house (hence the photo). My apologies to the homeowner for my gawking and pointing, but how cute is this?!
And of course, it wouldn’t be a photographic journey with Julian without taking glamour shots of moi. Any self-respecting girl just wouldn’t post them on her blog, but I kind of like ‘em.
This was his idea.
My new headshot? Dontcha love my clown blouse?
If any of you find yourself in the area, I highly recommend you stop by Solvang, even for an afternoon. It will melt all your worries away and you’ll leave a whole new person! Ok, that might be going a bit far, but it will certainly be worth your while.
Wonderful, you found my blog! I'm Sarah, a writer, runner, RVT student, believer, lover of pretty things (and cats.) I'm also a newlywed, which I'm finding quite enjoyable. To learn more about me, just click here. I hope my blog brings you a little bit (or a lotta bit) of happiness today.
