Healthy Monday: Multi-Tasking is for Superwoman

Cute, cute, cute! Rosy Print Designs, "Super Hero Girl."

My hubby and I were watching something on our computer t.v. recently (our television is hooked up to a computer and we watch stuff on Hulu) and at the same time I was tapping away on my laptop, hoping to get some work done. I responded to something that happened on the television and my husband looked at me incredulously and said, "You can actually follow what's going on while working?" I gleefully replied that I could, as I was a woman and that made me a superb multi-tasker, a fact proven in a recent study. However, the next day I was holding my baby, trying to put on makeup, get dressed, and print something out on my computer, and I ended up walking out of the house forgetting to put deodorant on (a nightmare in my sweaty world!) and a whole slew of things missing from my daughter's diaper bag. So while multi-tasking is sometimes a necessity, I am pretty sure that it causes us to perform with our cognitive flag at half staff. And there is the science to prove it. A team at Stanford University found that heavy multi-taskers consistently managed to forget certain tasks and were more easily distracted by irrelevant stimuli.

Perhaps I am writing this out of my own self need, but as a working mom and a devoted wife, I sometimes find that trying to do it all leaves me feeling anything but accomplished. Rather, I am left exhausted, stressed, and as explained above, often forgetting those everyday necessities. So I hope this Healthy Monday post leaves you with two simple reminders: one is that it's okay to put some things on the back burner. Two, if you absolutely must multi-task, always have a backup stick (or container) of deodorant in your purse.

Today: A Deviation...

Handmade Bucket List Journal with Vintage Maps

It occurred to me the other day that not only have we entered the year two thousand and eleven, but this is the year I turn freaking 30! This July I'll be 30!!! But you know what, I've never been one to attach my identity to external elements, such as my hair length, nail polish color, my last name - I changed it when I got married without hesitation - or even my age. Still, it seems a milestone year and one I should commemorate somehow. I have a feeling I'll be buried in bibs and baby food (my daughter's birthday is five days after mine), but perhaps I should write a bucket list. Or at least a list of something to complete before... 40. 40!!! Ugh, that's only ten years away. Just yesterday I was 10 and marveling over the popular girl's trapper keeper with a radio. I better start writing. Do you have a bucket list? If so, what's on it?

Happy Friday everyone!

Blood Spatter Notecards

Does anyone here watch Dexter? I love that show. It's kind of a dark comedy about a blood spatter analyst and his "dark passenger." It's also a series of books for the more enlightened crowd. Anyway, these awesomely graphic note cards by eco-letterpress studio, 9 Spot Monk, kind of remind me of Dexter. It's the splatters of ink that make me think of blood.

Vintage Fabric Wrapped Wreath

If I had the time, I would make one of these for Valentine's Day. If I had time, I'd be one of those moms who pastes paper hearts around the kitchen table and gets creative with cupid themed cupcakes. And I would definitely make a pretty wrapped wreath all with red and pink fabric to mark the romantic holiday coming up. Alas, I do not have that time. But if you do, this DIY vintage fabric wrapped wreath tutorial is over at In Color Order. For those getting married, it might be a really unique way to add some colorful decor to your venue or reception.

Healthy Monday: In The Food for Mood

Stress can lead to fat and mood swings!? Yep! That's what Rachel Katz says, an eco-loving bride-to-be and owner of Natural Zest Health Counseling in Plantation, Florida. She was kind enough to write up a guest post on how to eat better during high stress times and satisfy the sweet tooth.

The thing you've dreamt about since you were a little girl is finally here, you're planning a wedding!! All your dreams are coming true! And all of the stress is beginning to build up. Not only do you have the anticipation of a single day that is life-changing, but you want to make sure that every single, little thing goes according to plan. Stress happens, but you can (and should) take steps to take care of yourself.

Did you know that stress can lead to weight gain and prevent you from losing weight? If you're stressed out, the body thinks it needs to hold on to all that stored up energy (aka fat). So take a chill pill, a yoga class, get a massage, drink a glass of wine with a good friend - do what you need to do to take care of yourself.

Eat right. The food we eat can affect how we feel. Stress usually drives us towards sweets, cookies and ice cream (Ben and Jerry's anyone?). But for some people (and I'm one of them) eating sugar (and that includes breads and pastas which turn into sugar) makes my mood go up and down. So what should you eat? (Be sure to check out all the awesome links and recipes Rachel included!)

• green - as many leafy green vegetables as you can handle - think salads, soups and omelets (or quiche)
• veggies, veggies, veggies - veggie sticks and hummus/guacamole, marinated veggie salad (make it once, eat it for days), fresh sprouts (quick and easy on your countertop), roasted veggies are easy, healthy and have a sweet taste
• whole grains - ditch your pasta and try some brown rice or quinoa (full of protein and nutrients), quinoa tabbouleh is great to keep in the fridge and grab when you need a bite
• if you get that sweet craving and gotta do something about it, try fruit or dark chocolate, did you know there is chocolate mint tea out there? try some for dessert!

Remember to visit Rachel at her website, NaturalZest.com!

Whistle Blower for Peace

I think it's important to bring certain controversial and hard-to-hear issues to light, but as I have said from day one, that's not what this blog is about. It's true - I aim to bring eco-friendly happiness and joy into your life, but I suppose every once in a while I might bring you something beautiful, which may stand for something troubling. I'm not going to get into a whole diatribe about peace and humanity and whatever, but today I'm sharing with you the Falling Whistle necklace. Wearing it symbolizes being a whistle-blower for peace. Particularly peace for Congo, as all proceeds from this necklace are used to rehabilitate and advocate for war affected children. Available at Holstee, $34.00 - $104.00.

Enjoy your weekend! Here are a few links and articles to keep your brain busy and your mind merry!

HBO's Amazing Story about Temple Grandin

Letters to Romeo

Eat more veggies

Addressing your envelopes

Top 5 hot chocolate mixes

Earthly Affair Invitations

Plugging my own lil' biz-nass today! If you are new to this blog, then you may not know that it's the official blog of Earthly Affair: eco-friendly invitations so awesome even mother earth will send you a thank you card (it's a new tag line I'm trying out - what do you think?). I've got lots of purty invitations all printed on 100% post consumer recycled paper (no new trees used!) and printed digitally at a local family owned business. We are offering 20% off to celebrate the grand re-open. Just use the code: "grandopen" at checkout. Expires January 23 so get a move on!

The "Alcazar" wedding invitation suite is classically beautiful, featuring a damask illustration inspired by an antique jewelry box found at a flea market. This invitation can be used to prove to Aunt Ida that eco-friendly and elegance are not mutually exclusive!

One thing that's new at Earthly Affair this year is the introduction of website cards! Website cards come in handy when you want to direct guests to your website, but you don't want to crowd the invitation with the additional wording.

The Selena Website Card/The Chelsey Website Card



We've also started offering an array of backing cards! So lovely! And all made with either 100% or 30% recycled content.



The Rustle Invitation: Is there anything more fun than hearing the crunch of fallen leaves under your feet on a beautiful Fall day? We love it so much, we'd totally understand if you lined the aisle with freshly fallen leaves on your wedding day.



The Water Invitation: You want a small beach side wedding, your mother wants a ginormous intergalactic affair on a private island. At least get the invitation you want. 100% recycled and featuring soothing colors, the "Water" invitation suite is sure to satisfy your modern tastes.



The Fresh Invitation: There are different kinds of "fresh." Fruit can be fresh. Teenage boys can be fresh. But the "Fresh" invitation suite boasts nothing like the latter or the former. It's more like the kind of fresh from a calming breeze on an August day.

Phew! If you made it to the end of this, then check out the entire Earthly Affair website for additional invitations! :)

An eco-friendly office isn't hard to manage, but keeping it clean is another story.

The above is not my home office, although it's quite an envious space.
Found at Apartment Therapy. (Where else? AT is the bomb!)

I just got off the phone with a very sweet customer who patiently listened to me explain the Earthly Affair customization process while I simultaneously tried to extract a pad of paper from my six month old's mouth. In fact, you could actually say my baby ate my to-do list (I tweeted a pic too.) Suffice to say, my whole office needs cleaning up. It's duhty and I don't mean that in a cool, sexy Lady Gaga kind of way. I have been on the lookout, perusing Pinterest, when time allows, trying to find inexpensive, yet stylish ways to get things organized. But while I may be a bit messy, I do keep things eco-friendly. Here are a few ways you can keep your home office eco-friendly too:

• Kind of common sense, but... turn off all the lights and equipment at the end of the day. Or, if you're like me and your day doesn't really end until 12 or 1 am, then put your computer into sleep or hibernate mode in the evening or afternoon.

• A stuffy office needs... some plants! They're pretty and they help clean the air. I got an inexpensive one from Kroger!

• Ditch the toilet paper... and use the inside tube to wrap up and organize cords.

• Get a box... and label it as the recycle bin, Then tape a list of what can be recycled next to it. If you share an office or have eco-inept roommates, this is an easy way for them to help with your recycling efforts. My recycle bin is an old Ikea clothing box.

• Kill the paper... and stop using so much of it. I'm slowly making the transition to an online to-do list. There are a few online programs and apps to help you do this, but my favorite is Remember The Milk. It helps me stay organized and up to date via my iPhone or computer.

• Be a voyeur... and keep the blinds open! Light up your office with the rays from the sun, not from a light bulb. I have a little window in my office, but when the sun goes down, I use a desk lamp with a compact flourescent bulb.

• Be thrifty... and scour consignment stores, thrift stores, or re-purpose old furniture from around the house for your office. My work table is an old kitchen table from my in-law's home.

Do you have any eco-friendly tips for keeping the home office more manageable? Sharing is caring! Tell me your ideas!

Handmade Ring Pillows

Itty bitty pillows for itty bitty hands to keep safe those itty bitty rings. Granted, the ring pillow is an accessory that can easily be overlooked or bought quite cheaply at almost any wedding shop, but if it's in your budget, these are absolutely adorable. Each one contains a little bit of something unique, whether it be a vintage button, upholstery fabric, or an upcycled tablecloth, they are all handmade and most sell for about $45.00. Available at Lillian's Garden.

Real Wedding and Asparagus Centerpiece

This couple hitched a ride to eco-bliss when 14 Stories helped them plan their earth friendly wedding. A caterer was hired to serve up a vegetarian buffet, complete with locally grown and sustainably harvested produce. Their decor was a beautiful selection of plants and vegetables (check out the asparagus centerpiece!) and to top it off, the couple took the bus to their honeymoon suite! A bus! I wonder if the bus driver gave them a free ticket to ride. :)


I'm also lovin' the flats. If you ain't the high heelin' wearin' kind of gal, don't try to be one on your wedding day. You'll only end up with blisters and a bunch pf pictures where you are trying not to grimace.

Moldy Bread and Terrariums

When I was in seventh grade, my science teacher had us all bring in a container with one slice of bread in it. We then took our containers, bread within, and stashed them in the back of a dark, dusty cabinet. A week later, we take out our containers for the big bread reveal. But bread is not what I had anymore! It had mutated into something resembling a swamp creature, except it was much, much worse! White hair, green fuzz, black spots! My science teacher was so thrilled with my ugly bread that she declared it the best moldy bread of the class! I was overjoyed to be the queen of the moldy breads!

Anyway, this has nothing to do with the below pictures, but if you plan to purchase or make terrariums to display at your wedding, which would be a super cute idea by the way, don't store them in a dark, dusty cabinet... Actually, can plants grow mold on them? Ah, nevermind, I seem to be waffling. Enjoy the beautiful terrariums below, all found at The Slug and the Squirrel.

Rainbow Babies

Parade of the Ducks

Baby Terrariums

Our first giveaway (at Earthly Affair)

You'll have to forgive me - it's currently 12:10 am and I am one sleepy girl, so I am going to make this short and sweet!

Another giveaway!? Yes, another one! Except this one is from lil' old me! We're celebrating the fact that the new Earthly Affair site is up and running (Yippeeeee! No more listening to 80's music on Pandora at 1 am and eating sandwiches for dinner in order to get this site done). Now we need help in spreading the word and to bribe you (yeah, that's pretty much what it is - a bribe), we're offering the chance to win a brand new Kindle!

Here's how to enter:

Become an Earthly Affair fan on facebook

Or tweet this!

DO BOTH TO INCREASE YOUR CHANCES OF WINNING!

Contest ends February 15, 2011

I'll be back tomorrow with a clear, rested head. In the meantime, have a wonderful day everyone!

Giveaways and Georgia Snow

Man, it feels good to be back! I have been working my ass off getting the new site ready for Earthly Affair! Launch date was Monday, but I have been somewhat mum on the subject because some kinks are still being worked out. In the meantime, check out this awesome, awesome giveaway from the blog of Eco Beautiful Weddings (you know, that seriously kick ass e-zine). You could win a FREE bridal gown by Chris Kole of The Cotton Bride. Have you seen Chris' gowns? They are absolutely stunning!

Eco Beautiful Weddings is having some pretty killer additional giveaways. Like this week long loan of Chevrolet Cruze. Rental cars can get expensive and if you won, this would be one expense to eliminate. Plus, it's nice to be able to throw those fast food wrappers on to the floor of someone else's car when you take a road trip (let's be honest, you know you're bound to stop at some fast food spot when you're on the road).

P.S. Down here in Georgia, we have been covered in snow and ice for the last two days! It has been crazy! But gone are the days when "snow days," were "not-have-to-work" days. Technological innovation, while wonderful, tethers us all to our jobs and my hubby has basically been working from home, while I try to juggle the responsibilities of working on Earthly Affair and taking care of my (almost six month old!) munchkin! To all my Georgia readers, stay safe and warm out there!