Since as early as I can remember, recycling has been a key component to garbage day. Taking the extra effort to separate recyclables into paper, plastic, and cans was incredibly important. We were all saving the plant, one plastic bottle at a time. As of late, even doing that isn’t good enough. All plastic is bad, even if it can be recycled because…come to find out…91% of our “recycled” plastic isn’t actually recycled. How appalling! 91%! How have we not found out about this sooner? I have also read on the interwebs (this article and this one) that USA sells (for decades) the majority of our plastic waste to other countries, China and Indonesia to name a few, and even they don’t want our ridiculous amounts of plastic anymore. Some of this waste is getting recycled into new products, but the majority is being dumped into their landfills. This can no longer be “out of sight, out of mind”. Shouldn’t the push to go plastic-free have started ages ago?

It might seem daunting to make the change to a plastic-free existence. It is INCREDIBLE how many daily items are made of plastic: toothbrush, cosmetic packaging, sandwich bags, etc. Even sneakers are destroying the planet. According to TreeHugger.com, Adidas has developed a sneaker that never needs to be thrown away. The sneaker is called the Futurecraft Loop and it can be recycled over and over into new sneakers.

I have made some smaller changes: reusable grocery bags, reusable coffee cups, metal straws, etc. and have really focused my attention on the products that I use and the packaging the come in. We stopped using plastic storage containers ages ago and only use the glass containers. I also try to buy products that don’t have plastic bottles or products that have containers that can be reused. Lush has some great products that are bottle-free. I like this, this, this, and this. Some of the other products that I have been using (or want to start using):

• Glass storage container set
• Reusable Straws
• Reusable produce bags
• Reusable sandwich bags
• Cold Coffee Cup
• Beeswax Food Wrap (want to try these!)

In April, I decided to finally take the leap into a new fitness program…and it has changed my life! Well, maybe that is a little dramatic, but it certainly has made a difference in my fitness journey. I have always been a gym rat. I love the gym, but I live about 25 minutes away from any of the gyms that I like going to. Just driving to and from the gym takes a huge chunk out of my day. But I did it anyway…and saw very little results.

A little about the program: It is definitely a lifestyle change for me. It has a full nutrition plan, but it isn’t a diet. The program is more about portion control…and let’s face it….I struggle hard with portion control. This takes all the guess work out of how much to eat of each category. Super easy! I also never feel like I am going to bed hungry. In actuality, I sometimes struggle to get in the recommended amounts of some of the categories because I am not hungry. I have to work on making more meals that cover all of these categories, but I am a work in progress.

The program also includes tons of streaming workout programs…like Netflix for workouts. This allows me to do a workout from home in 30 mins every day. Easy peasy. No packing a bag for gym with all of my work clothes, makeup, hair accessories, etc. I can get up in the morning, workout, and get ready at home. (UPDATE: I actually changed my workouts to early evening. I felt that I was missing out on some much needed sleep by working out in the morning.) The most important part of this program, for me at least, is the accountability factor. I check in with my workout team daily with what I am doing, how I am doing, any struggles that I am having. Making me accountable for working out and eating right has kept me honest with myself.

I know this is a bit late since I have had this hairstyle for a few months now…but **shrug**.

Folks, it was time for a change. You know the saying: New year, new me! Well, it’s a new year, but it’s the same old sassy me. This time with new sassy hair.

I have wanted to rock this hairstyle for quite a while now (almost a year). I waited until after my wedding (for obvious reasons, you’re welcome Mom). It had been over 2 years since I had tried something new with my hair and it was hard not to switch it up! I first saw this hairstyle on one of my favorite YouTuber’s Mykie from Glam&Gore–if you are interested in some pretty cool fx makeup you should definitely check her stuff out.

Update: After months of rocking this hairstyle, I am still loving it. I love that I have the ability to part it different ways to get different looks. It is quite a challenge keeping up with the shaved part though. I don’t know how guys do it! I find myself making an appointment to get it shaved every few weeks or so. Despite that…I think that I will keep it like this for awhile.

The wrapper of my Dove dark chocolate really spoke to me yesterday. It says “You can do anything, but you can’t do everything.” – Shirley K. Maryland.

Lately, I have been overwhelmed to the EXTREME. Ask anyone and they will tell you that I am excellent at multitasking and taking on a lot of responsibility at one time. For instance, starting grad school while planning my wedding and working full time. I even aced my midterm, which was due two days after our wedding. Granted I was only taking one class last semester. This semester has just been, for a lack of a better word, overwhelming. Two classes, work, buying a house, selling a house, and planning our honeymoon…CRAZY!

I am trying to remind myself, daily, to take it one day at a time. That, yes I can do it, but that I don’t need to do it all at once. The buzz phrase these days is self care. And it is so true and so important. Taking time to take care of myself and stepping away from the stress to regroup has really helped. The other night I went home after work and the hubby was out of the house. So instead of cooking and homework (what I normally do every day), I chose to do a face mask, paint my nails, have a glass of wine, and binge on Netflix. It was seriously needed. Just that little bit of a reset has turned my week around.

De-stressing practices that works for me:

• Deep breathing – I wouldn’t go so far as to say meditation…because, let’s face it, I can’t take sitting still not thinking about anything for long periods of time. Just a few long, slow, intentional breaths. In ballet classes ages ago we used to lay down and imagine waves gently crashing over our bodies and taking away tension/stress/sore muscles. I still do this with my deep breaths: In goes the air, out goes the stress.
• Anything that has to do with face masks and skin care. Taking the time to apply, sit, remove a face mask, apply a serum and moisturizer and give myself a good face message in the process is my idea of heaven.
• Read a good (non-fiction) book – Escaping into another fictional world or someone fictional character’s drama is such a treat after staring at chemistry books all day.
• Netflix – just like reading a good book, getting lost in a good show or movie can help me de-stress like none other.
• And if worse comes to worst (or worse…the interwebs can’t actually agree on the proper way to say this…and yes, I did Google it), I clean. Organizing and cleaning make me feel in control of something and when the house is clean all seems right in the world…for at least a minute or two.