Sluggish

In light of last night's discussion of comparing spiritual discipline with physical fitness and exercise, I have been super tired and rather lazy when it comes to working out lately. Ever since Jbear stopped his morning p90x routine and my gym buddies have gotten injured or started a crazy work schedule, I have little motivation to go to the gym or doing much physical activity. I haven't seen my gym membership card in over a month... not that I really need it.

It really helps to hang out with health-conscious people. They rub off on you.
In my post-Mission Peak fitness-enthusiast stage I tried to do some rubbing off on my dad.
I bought him EA active to whip him into shape while he stays at home all day.
Workouts are around 20-30 minutes and actually make me sweat a bit and sore the next day.
He asked me when it was over after 2 minutes and has not touched it since. Aiya.
Those pictures are for my eyes only.

On top of that, I finally uploaded pictures from my camera and looked at what I've been eating lately...
Sluggishness-inducing Rating: 1 healthy ..... 5 deadly

Splash Cafe: fish tacos + clam chowder w/ crab meat on top

Rating:  5
(so heavy i didn't want to go to the beach. i wanted another caramel apple and a bed to sleep.)

Coupons + 20th Anniversary BOGO totally got me.
Do you know how much sugar is in these things?!?

Rating: 3
(maybe the fruits evens out the ice cream?)

My first Sloppy Joe since elementary school.

Rating: 10
(did I have any vegetables this meal?)

Maybe sushi isn't so bad? The context of the meal wasn't so great though.
Rating: 2

chicken salad bagel
Rating: 2

i don't drink diet coke but aren't these cans adorable?

Rating: 0

fried squid balls!
Rating: 4

sukiyaki bowl

Rating: 3

wonton soup.
lol i should do a whole post on jenny's expressions.

Rating: 1.5 (msg included)

fried gyoza - pork with napa cabbage

Rating: 2.5 

claim jumper's banana cream pie

Rating: 4

(bananas are totally healthy right?)

chocolate bundt cake
if you have never had "Nothing Bundt Cakes" you are totally missing out!

Rating: 5

Today: Extreme Pita Rating: 2

Baskin Robbins Rating: 4

It's 31cent scoop night! Until 10pm!
Tomorrow Carvel has free low-fat ice cream!

Bodies are like machines.
What we put into our bodies is what we break down for energy and nutrients.

What have you been (not) running on lately?

Extra Crunchy

I always considered myself a bit green even before I knew the term. Every once in awhile, instead of playing hopscotch during recess like the other kids I convinced one of my good friends to walk around and pick up garbage around the playground. I leave my reusable hippie bags in my trunk for when I go to the store and when I inevitably forget them I reuse the plastic/paper store bags. I try my best to recycle and tend to give the sad Indian look to those who toss their empty bottles in the trash instead of the recycle bin a distant 3 inches to the left. BUT I do not drive a hybrid. I do not make my own laundry detergent. I am definitely not vegan or vegetarian. I do not compost. I do not attach solar panels to all my possessions. Apparently, I am not green at all compared to the true green lifestylers.

Earlier this week I was looking up some Earth Day deals and happenings for my event + deal blog and came across some pretty strange, ingenious why-didn't-i-think-of-that, and bizarre earth-friendly ways to reuse, reduce and recycle. Here are a few...

Reusable Cloth Pads
yes. it is what you think it is AND it is considered a party in your pants. boys- you don't know what you are missing out on. you might as well wipe yourself with a rag every time you go to the toilet instead of tossing charmin down the white porcelain train. hmmm. maybe cloth diapers already do that? if you aren't set on trying to wash your you-know-what knowaste actually turns diapers and feminine hygiene products into building products. i don't know how or what kind of products but those British are rather clever.

Matter of Trust - Hair for Oil
this is pretty creative. maybe you do not have the 10 inches of hair to donate to locks of love, your haircut may still be helping the environment... without your consent. yes, those unloved split ends and clippings that end up on the salon floor. the ones that are swept up and quickly forgotten. a stylist from Alabama noticed how sea otters hair were soaked in oil after an exxon oil spill, he came up with the idea to use hair, wool, etc. to make mats to soak up oil from oil spills. sign up your favorite salon or wig maker or sheep shearer! Louisiana may be needing some of these.


Clean the World - Save Soap Slivers
what do you do with your soap slivers? i slap them onto the back of my new bar of soap. too bad hotels don't do that. can you imagine paying $100 for a hotel stay and find an oddly colored hybrid irish spring/dove lump of soap instead of the perfectly wrapped, fresh bar in the bathroom? i'd start wondering if my bed sheets and towels were clean. luckily, hotels are signing up and donating those slivers to impoverished countries and domestic homeless shelters.

Bead for Life - Bead Necklaces
i finally saw one of these types of necklaces. it was so colorful i didn't even realize it was paper! these Ugandan women use recycled paper to make jewelry to sell. definitely an example of one (wo)man's trash is another (wo)man's treasure. here is a how-to to make your own.


Adult Toy Recycling
that doesn't mean stuff from brookstone. after seeing this i'm pretty convinced anything can be recycled. i am pretty clueless on what most of the items they mention are, but apparently they recycle batteries too. all i can say is good for them!

Tire Sandals
some companies turn rubber from tires into various other products. here are directions to turn your old car tire into your next pair of shoes. definitely a i'm-crunchier-than-you weekend activity.

Sky is the limit! We could just not manufacture anymore new items and thus eliminate the need to recycle but that is just crazy talk, the new iphone supposedly has more buttons and the new ds has a bigger screen and tv may be going 3D... i suppose those older generations would make nice paperweights?

More recycling oddities...

Closet confessionals

I did laundry today (last Saturday), including my sheets.

In the words of London, Yay me!

I think I unconsciously let my laundry build up because I have such small closet space
and I hate trying to cram all my clothes in there.

cramming = wrinkles

For some reason I seem to progressively losing closet space with each move and accumulate more junk.

I think God is trying to tell me to shop less and live more simply with less stuff.
Decrease the stuff and increase living life without worry of tripping over something.

When I was in high school my room was my palace. I had two huge closets (atleast in my mind).

One of them could have been the size of my room.

Oh wait, it IS about the size of my current room + closet space combined.

Except now-a-days I've had to cram everything from my college apartment, mom's house and dad's house into my current meager room which is actually the smallest room I've ever lived in. Ever.

(But atleast I don't have to share it like my freshman dorm. It's my own chaotic space. I am thankful.)

Thank you God for storage space.

Anyways, I was really excited to see this

Bluefly Closet Confessionals

featuring favorite Bravo stars tearing apart and sharing their closet innards.

Its amazing how many ties, shoes, purses? and clothes Christian Siriano can fit in that small space.

I remember spring cleaning my closet with my old roommate and I did not want to get rid of anything.

Everything had memories attached to them. Of course I need both peasant skirts! They are no longer in style but they might be one day. I know I only wore the white one once but I got it in Thailand and I'm not planning on going back anytime soon. So clearly, I should keep it.

She would sigh a deep sigh and quote Stacy from What Not to Wear

declaring I was holding onto emotional baggage.

Its nice having pretty things but once you start drowning in them it might be time to cut back.

You end up not taking care of the things you have been blessed with and take them for granted or get greedy and want more or get anxious about protecting them and do not want to share with others or let them become a sense of pride, etc.

Having stuff can cause a lot of worry.

One of my favorite verses

25"Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? 26Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?

28"And why do you worry about clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? 31So do not worry, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' 32For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.
Matthew 6:25-34

Happy Spring Cleaning!

I Love Free #3

I heard a story on NPR about people's different tax season rituals. I haven't really come up with one. For most people its a time of stress, but once its done and sent out you can reward yourself with some of these 2010 Tax Day Food Freebies and Deals.

cmitsolutions.wordpress.com

All Deals for Thursday 04/15/2010 (Tax Day) unless otherwise noted:

Cinnabon - "Tax Day Bites" two free cupcake bites per person from 6pm-8pm. They're available only while supplies last. 

MaggieMoos' - Free slice of their new ice cream pizza from 3-7 PM. (I've never even heard of this place. Where is Clovis, CA?)

McCormick and Schmick’s - Dinner and drink specials + $10.40 (get it?) dinner and drink specials at the bar. You'll also get a “Tax Relief Certificate” for another $10.40 of free food and drink. On April 16 the celebration continues with Tax Preparer Appreciation Day. Tax professionals will receive a free dessert and their very own $10.40 certificate.

Starbucks - Bring a reusable travel mug into your local Starbucks and get a free brewed coffee. Not quite for tax day, sbux wants to encourage people to use their own mugs and save some paper.

Taco Del Mar, Del Mar’s or Mondo’ - Sign up online and get your 1099 coupon for a free taco filled with cheese, lettuce, pico de gallo and a choice of fish, pork, chicken or beef.

P.F. Chang’s - 15% discount on all food (does not include alcohol).



Tax Day Special By Store - check your location

Chik-fil-a - Some locations may be offering free mini-biscuits from 6-10:30AM.

McDonald's - Some locations may be offering a Big Mac or Quarter Pounder for a penny when you buy one at regular price. Might only be FL? How come the south always gets the good deals?


Subway - Some locations gave away free cookies in past years.

[I wish Chipotle would give out free burritos *sigh*]

NOT Tax Day Related

Jamba Juice -  Happy 20th Anniversary! Buy one get one free with coupon!

jamba yum

Sources: Slickdeals, RedPlum