Cool Stuff

I actually went shopping after work for something other than groceries the other day, and Bam!--I fell in love with a new thing...which is exactly why I stopped going shopping after work in the first place!  I just had to share this with you all!  There's a great little shop at Oakbrook Mall in Chicago called  Nature's Home.  Their claim to fame is to "proudly bring you earth-freindly products dedicated to the care of your home, your family, your friends, and our precious planet."  Now you all know I am trying to be greener, healthier, etc., but most of you also know that this type of whole hog store is not the path I would typically take.  I usually dip my toe in and wait a year for the water to feel warm before proceeding.

Enter---the window display that changed my mind!!  They had tons of tee shirts on display from Tees for Change.   Let's break this down:  T-shirts --what's not to love, and Change--um have you been reading this blog!  I'm all about change these days.  Two of my favorite things in one place, and I was literally SUCKED into the store.

See below for my very first purchase from this great little company.  It came complete with the world's cutest tag noting: "organic cotton, sustainable bamboo, sweatshop free, fair trade, yoga inspired, eco fashion" And the back of the tag sealed the deal with a quote from...drumroll please... Andy Warhol! "They say that time changes things but you actually have to change them yourself."  No kiddin' it took me 30 years to figure that one out!

  My new idea is to walk up to people and say "Hi, my name is Change"  and see if they figure out what to do next!  I know--it's goofy, but oh so Heidi in spirit right, and pro-hugs which I love.

So there are a few lessons here.  First...all those little marketing details really do pay off and draw clients in.  The right window display can target a whole new audience, and put your clever in your tags people!  Second...old dog over here is into the new tricks.  I have always heard about and supported anti-sweatshop and sustainable products, but never really lived the theory.  There's something empowering about knowing that the shirt I have on helps more than it harms, and embodies the principals I believe in.  It's an easy way (yes, I said easy...something in our lives should be, right?) to feel like I have made a conscious choice that makes a difference.  I am no longer a lazy spout of verbal support with no action.  Where and what you choose to buy will make or break a company these days.  Sales are down to a level where losing and gaining one client actually shows and makes a difference on the books.  What a great opportunity to give some feedback to the companies we support the efforts of.

And....as a sure sign this is a correct trend in my life.  I came home to a fabulous note that my building is FINALLY setting up a RECYCLING program!  If that is what the extra $15 a month on my new lease is going to I will proudly pay it, and recycle with a smile.  

That's all for now.  Next time you are shopping with a few bucks to spare, go buy a t-shirt and support these folks.  They are producing a product full of good vibes inside and out!

Baby its cold outside....

So yesterday I had to walk somewhere in Chicago.  Its been ages since I had to travel on foot (the drawback of working in the suburbs).  I miss that NYC walk everywhere as fast as possible vibe more than I thought.  But what I didn't miss was cold ears!!  Its getting to be that time of year when I go into hibernation mode.  I start organizing my apartment as much as possible and nesting like all of my pregnant friends.  All because I know I'm going to need to hunker down for a long winter soon.  So....I have decided to share my top 10 tips for surviving a Chicago winter.  May they help you get through to May!!

1. Bob Marley...don't laugh it works.  I have a mix of Marley, steal drum bands, and marimba music that I listen to on my way to work in any snowstorm.  I use it on my i-pod when I shovel my car, and it makes me warmer, happier and able to get through the day. It transports me to the Virgin Islands through my ears.

2. Fruity tea.  I drink a pot of fruity tea to warm up once I get inside.  Anything that is berry or orange or lemon inspired.  It's like the flavor of summer iced tea with the warmth you need in the winter.

3.  Awesome new slippers.  Every winter I buy new cozy slippers.  When your feet are cold, its best to make them cute so they are warm AND adorable.  See below for last years slippers, I haven't bought this years yet...waiting for something to strike me.  These are from Target...just too darn cute, they make me smile whenever I look down. After all, if the sock monkeys are happy...everyone is happy.

Yes, these are bright green sweatpants...see #7 for explanation.

4. Good movies.  My netflix activity doubles in the winter.  Its like the black and white movie on a rainy day deal, but with snow.  So stock up your list of stuff to rent and start collecting pizza coupons.

5. Flannel Sheets.  Yes, I'm a decorator and I believe in flannel sheets.  They feel great, and they even look great if you embrace the idea and take your time finding them.  Speaking of embracing, they cuddle better than summer sheets too!  Egyptian cotton always feels cool, that's what makes it awesome in the summer, but in the winter...brrrrr.  I go flannel and I'm proud of it.  Even when they don't match my other bedding...I love these flannel sheets and hope they make it another year until I find another set I like just as much.  I call them the cherry bomb sheets.  I think they came from The Company Store.  I've had them for a few years now....they date back to my red lacquer phase (yes, I had one and I'm proud of it.  I'm actually thinking of revisiting it).

6.  Fireplace...or candles.  If you don't have a fireplace, candle it up.  It won't make you warm (at least not in my drafty old apartment), but it will remind you of fireside times--which are a winter positive in my book.  Also, they have these great fireplace heaters that look like fireplaces but act like space heaters.  Some are even remote controlled.  I have always wanted to get one for my studio , but there just isn't a spot yet!  So candles, the big ones in their own containers with multiple wicks are the best.  And I have recently joined the Soy candle fan club.  If its good enough to eat, its good enough to burn.

7. COLOR your world!  The leaves get personality in the fall for a reason, they are trying to brighten up those gray skies and keep us happy.  I do the same in the winter.  I know basic black is everyone's favorite because its slimming, chic, and virtually stain proof...but its also what you wear to a funeral, and winter in Chicago is depressing enough.  So find a hot pink sweater or my personal favorite, a fruity pebbles scarf (thank you Katie, that scarf is still keeping me warm and happy).  Wear your colors proudly and be the sunshine we are lacking in our chilly days.

Happy tree outside my window trying to be the sun for me.  Pardon the blur, I took this with my screen down.

8. Find summer stuff indoors.  Call the us crazy in the midwest, but we do this.  I like the Nature museum's butterfly exhibit here in Chicago, or Garfield Park's Conservatory with indoor gardens.  There is nothing like hanging with butterflies inside while the snow is falling, or go to an indoor waterpark for the day (we have one of these too within a few hours drive).  Get your flowers and your summer fun inside.  You may have to seek it out, but its there.

9.  Don't Stop Grilling and other traditions!! Don't give up your summer favorites just because society tells you to!  I grilled in the winter in my house in NJ with my hat and gloves on as much as possible.  I just ducked in the sliding doors when I could to warm up, and drank some hot tea while I waited.  There is no reason to stop tasting the summer.  Grill it up, and have some lemonade while you are at it! This is another way to fool our senses..just because our eyes see the snow, does not mean we can't taste and smell the summer bbqs we love.

10.  Safety in Numbers. Snowflakes travel in packs and the only way to defend yourselves against them is to team up.  So bulk up with your friends and brave it.  Have hibernation parties!  Check in on your cold weather friends and keep each other active during the chilly months.  Together we can make it to summer with minimal damage to our spirits and waistlines.

I know its only October, but its been a cold one. This post may be early, but start the preparations now.  Find your slippers and your flannel sheets and if you see a candle on sale, snag it for your survival kit!

Long time no type!

Been a crazy few weeks.  Teaching 2 online classes while working a 9-5 is more of a handful then I expected.  Literally, my fingers are so sore from typing!  I have one student in my class who was home-schooled and VERY needy, she is also producing the best work, so how can I deny her assistance?  I am sure I felt equally overwhelmed when I taught my first class while working, and this too will become more comfortable overtime.  So, I apologize for the recent inconsistency. 

A couple of huge revelations have come up in the past few weeks.  I have recently connected with a great book called Caffeine for the Creative Mind.   It focuses on how to keep your creative going, and how to exercise that element in all the basics of day to day that we get stuck in.  How to have that big great idea after you just ate lunch and were going through the motions.  How to work with very regimented creative tools and software with scientific priniples in a creative way.  It is full of little exercises that will help you consistently look at things differently so you can solve the puzzle a new way.  I HIGHLY recommend it for any designer, artist, or manager.  Its great for creative problem solving and for anyone in a rut in their job.

I know so many people who aren't totally thrilled with their jobs right now, which is why we call them jobs and not passion activities! But they aren't looking for a better option or a way out because of the economy.  They are just killing time in the "safe" place they found to hide.  Perhaps some of these exercises will help make a safe place to hide more interesting, or provide a creative idea about how to get to a happier place. 

I am struck too by the fragility of human life and the abrasive way we as a society are currently interacting with each other.  People are so hurtful on a day to day basis, and we have even started being careless with ourselves.  We are so connected, yet so very distant and selfish.  We self medicate, and push ourselves too far. We make snap judgments about people we don't even know.  Like hungry animals fighting over the last piece of meat, it is often abrasive and harmful.  What happened to love thy neighbor?  I have had people lie directly to my face and not bat an eye.  This is something that is so very foreign to me, and so shocking that I look like a dear in the headlights.  The department of Human Services has a large line outside in the morning when I pass it everyday and not enough people to help.  Its HUMAN services, shouldn't we be able to provide that, at the very least?

I have decided today that I will move forward with an even stronger resistance to the negative in society.  There is no reason that we should not continue to treat ourselves with the love, care, and the delicate nature that our mothers did when we were babies.  Why shouldn't we hold each other, and protect each other from the negative?  Lately, meditation has been a way to protect myself, to nurture my inner self, and to heal the wounds of the day, but I have slipped from my schedule with all of the extra juggling.  It has made me realize what a difference that quiet stillness makes. 

I also recently realized that I have a pattern of staying in positions where I continue to trust people who stopped protecting me. This is true of past work and personal relationships.  Once people start hiding behind you and feeding your ego by telling you its because you are strong.  Once you are the one who is left alone to solve the problem they created and they look at you and shrug like they are lost.  Once you are left bruised and holding the bag.  They stopped protecting you, and in doing so you cannot trust or rely on them anymore.

The new question is this....how do you spot it before you are trapped in the cycle?  What are the warning signs?  This is the difficult part, and one I will have to dwell on a bit.  What I will do is find a way to love myself and my neighbor and resist the negative without hurting myself or trusting in a facade. 

Vegetarian Soy Flax Chili!

I just made the best pot of chili ever!  And its SOY FLAXSEED CHILI so I can say its HEALTHY!  Whoa...groundbreaking stuff.  In my effort to ward off the evils of my DNA when it comes to chronic illness, I am on a healthy kick.  Apparently if I want to live past 35 I have to stop eating like I'm 5....its a bit of a bummer, but I'm getting good at it.  So, here's a recipe for you to try!

Get a clove of garlic and a diced onion started cooking in a BIG pot with a bit of olive oil. While that's started open a can of chick peas, a can of soy kidney beans, a can of soy black beans, and a can of crushed tomatoes.  The can of crushed tomatoes should be about twice as big as the cans of beans. Mash up the black soy beans in the can.  If its too much soy for you, you can use the normal beans..I was just trying to be super healthy tonight, and I did miss the classic kidney beans a bit. 

Add a bag of morning star farms grillers crumbles (I think they call them meal starters or something) to the pot with the onions and garlic and stir it up.  This is the only "fake meat" I will eat.  You never know its not ground beef, and its awesome!

Drain and add the red beans, chick peas, crushed tomatoes and mashed black beans to the pot.  Pour a bit of Ortega taco sauce in, maybe 1/4 cup (or left over salsa you need to get rid of) and bring it to a boil.  Add salt, pepper, oregano, and chili powder or tobasco to taste.

I also added about a 1/4 cup of roasted flax seeds (this makes it taste a bit nutty).  You can grind these in a coffee grinder if you want to taste and see them less, or leave them out if its not your thing.  With my joint history I needed to learn to love these suckers, and sneaking them in my chili is a great way to do it!

And Voila!  Put on some slippers and enjoy your Kickin' Soy Flax Chili.  Served best hot!  FYI--tastes just as good with ground turkey, but don't eat it every night for dinner...you'll be tryptophaned into a turkey coma for days.  I was a zombie last time :)

Trust me people...I spent years made up of 60% bacon cheeseburger...if It wasn't good, I wouldn't be posting it!

Travel Tips

A whole new month and I am just now posting! Its been a bit of a crazy week.  I took a weekend trip to New York and visit my old stomping grounds.  I came back to Chicago, and jumped into teaching two classes.  So I'm just now doing laundry, etc and getting my bearings again.  I thought I would post a few of my favorite travel tips for you all.  Just a few clever things I have picked up from experience, and being around nomadic theatre people. 

How to find you car at the airport, concert staduim or anywhere where there are WAY to many options:
Use your cell phone camera.  I try and park near the signs that identify the areas like G3, or whatever.  I always take a photo that shows the sign and my car's relationship to it.  This way I remember the number and how close my car is to it. If its a really big lot, like the economy parking at O'hare, I take another photo of that sign halfway between the concourse or bus stop or whatever and my car...so I know which way to head.  Then when I get back from my trip, its just lining up the landmarks in the image!

How to keep your shampoo bottles, etc from leaking:
Whether they are travel bottles or larger this works!  Unscrew the lid and get a piece of saran wrap or a piece of a plastic bag.  Lay it over the top of the bottle and screw the lid back on over it.  This will create a seal so even if the top comes a bit loose or flips up, you don't have shampoo allover everything.

Packing tight:
I found years ago that the best way to pack is to roll your clothes around each other.  There are fewer wrinkles and it takes less space.  I lay 3 pairs of pants on top of each other and roll them up like a jelly roll.  Its compact and you don't have to deal with creases across them.

Best Airplane snack: Butter Rum Life Savers.  They last forever and keep you busy.

Those are the best of for now.  Its a short goofy post, but maybe these tips will come in handy for you.  If you have your own tips--please share them with me!  I'll take any help I can get with streamlining life these days!