Wednesday, July 31, 2013

day 70 : ask a driver to stop texting while driving {and then not freak out when he gave me the finger}

you know that texting & driving is dangerous, right?
maybe you think you are a really good driver, so its fine.
or you really need to tell your husband to pick up a pizza.
or you just have to confirm with a friend that you are running a bit behind.
regardless, its dangerous.
and depending where you live ; its against the law.


i dont text while driving. ever.
blake doesnt either.
see, we ride our bike most days of the year.
both of us {and other bikers, too} will tell you how many close calls they have had with drivers who werent watching.
i have been almost hit or run over so many times by a driver who wasnt paying attention.
just yesterday, a girl was texting on her phone & she blew a red light and there was a biker {not me, but i saw the whole thing} in the intersection. she missed the biker by less than a foot.


a few weeks back, i was at a 4-way stop {and i stopped first} & had the right-of-way. as im going, there is a women texting, head down ; doesnt even slow down ; just plows right through the stop sign ; didnt see me OR the sign. we were in a residential area, so i chased her down & told her how close she was to hitting me.
i could go on & on...

this morning on my way to work, there was a grown man texting {at a light} right next to me. i stared until he made eye contact & told him to stop. its against the law in minnesota & its SO dangerous.
he gave me the finger, told me to bleeeeep off & ran the light a second before it turned green.
{not all good deeds are well received.. ;)}


i am begging you NOT to text while you are driving. all it takes is one second to hit a car, a pedestrain or a biker. and im sure i sound like a pain in the butt ; but seriously. if you hit {or KILL} someone, your entire life will change forever!

day 69 : help a little girl protect the elephants


hi you guys! 
do you have $5? 
want to show a little girl that she is special AND raise money to protect elephants?

a few days ago, lynne {the same women that helped save emma's life}shared about a little girl named sohana that lives in canada.
she is 6 and has been in love with elephants her entire life. she opened a lemonade & cookie stand and raised $95 to help protect elephants!! she created a sign explaining why she loves them & why we should protect them! her family started a fundraising page for her through the world wildlife fund, so those of us that live far away can still donate.

so far, she has raised OVER $200.
if you want to brighten her day, go here!

Sunday, July 28, 2013

day 68 : buy some grass for my dog {seriously}

yesterday at the farmers market, i bought a container of 'pet grass' for daphne.
i have been thinking of buying some for a while now, but there was a big container, organically grown & only $3, so i bought it.
daphne wouldnt touch it yesterday ; she just kept circling & sniffing, but wouldnt eat it.
today, she finally tore into it. she LOVES it.
there is some 'pet grass' {i cant think of the scientific term right now} around the lakes that daphne loves eating ; but i thought having some in the house would be great for her.

do you know much about 'pet grass'? dogs {cats, too} munch on this grass to help aid in digestion. whenever daphne eats something that is questionable {often!}, or when we switch her food, she always munches on 'pet grass'. 
since she is inside more often that outside, i thought having a container in the living room would be great for her.
some people say shes spoiled.... 
;) 

day 67 // thank the trainer for a great class

this one is so fun! 
yesterday daphne, blake & i went to a free human + dog fitness class hosted by dolvett quince from the biggest loser.
daphne didnt get to partake as much as i would have liked [shes still working on her manners...] ; but id like to think that she enjoyed some of it. ;)

after the class, we got to meet dolvett & thank him for the class. the class was free & i appreciated that we were invited. i thanked him for being there.
and seriously, what a fox ;) 


Friday, July 26, 2013

day 66 : clean up someone else's mess

this one is SO easy [and seriously takes 2 seconds!]
tonight, blake & i had to run to target [my bathroom scale finally bit the dust!] & while he ran to the bathroom, i wandered a couple of aisles. 

there were a bunch of toys on the floor, so i picked them up & put them where they belonged.
thats it. i was standing there, i saw their 'home' ; so i bent down and put them back.
easy! 

Thursday, July 25, 2013

day 65 : run a 5k that benefits charity

happy thursday!
todays good deed is to run for charity! 
if you have been following my other blog, you know i am training for my first duathlon [3.5 mile run + 26 mile bike + 3.5 mile run]. 

tonight, there is a 5k run happening a few blocks from our place & a portion of the proceeds go towards Girls on the Run. GOTR is a national organization that works with young girls to build up body confidence, talk about real issues & to get active [they run a 5k at the end of their session!].

this morning, blake & i biked 50 minutes as a part of the duathlon training & i will be running tonight.
[if we are being totally honest, my legs are f e e l i n g  it!!]

wish me luck! 



Tuesday, July 23, 2013

day 64 : demand justice for millie

you guys, this is a sad one.
i will keep the heart-breaking details to a minimum, but for millies sake, please read the entire post!

two weeks ago in savage, mn [about 35 minutes outside of minneapolis] rudolph poppe brutally beat his golden retriever millie with a sledgehammer. millie was an older dog & she had an accident inside the house. mr. poppe was angry, so he tied her head in a plastic bag & beat her IN FRONT of neighbors.
millie was conscious the entire attack [makes me want to throw up!] ; but was taken to an animal hospital & put down due to the extent of her injuries.

currently, mr. poppe is in jail awaiting his sentencing. he is charged with 2 counts of felony animal cruelty // torture & 1 count of  resisting arrest & 1 count of disorderly conduct. and 2098423098 counts of being a big, massive jerk. 

there is a petition circulating demanding justice for millie & asking the court to prosecute mr. poppe to the full extent of the law.

in honor of millie, the petition is here.
i am *begging* you to sign this petition & pass it on. share it through email & social media.
my heart is so sick over the fact that this happened to a healthy, loving animal. as i type this, i am thinking about daphne & how much she loves & trusts us. we saved her life & brought her into our family. i am disgusted that this could ever happen.

Monday, July 22, 2013

day 63 : help a family that lost everything in a fire

happy monday!
before i get to my good deed, i want to give you a background story.

this is princess & i first saw her story on facebook last fall.
she was neglected, abandoned, living in bushes and terrified of humans!
a sweet 13-year old boy, patrick spent months trying to convince princess to trust him. he would bring books & homework near her & just sit there, until finally she was rescued and given medical attention.

in january, princess was adopted & now lives a really great life with another female pit.
arent they so beautiful?


a couple weeks ago, patrick [the boy that saved princess' life] & his family [his mother & 3 sisters] were forced out of their duplex in atlanta. someone threw a molotov cocktail // fire bomb // something terrible through their neighbors window & they lost their home.


i do not know patrick. or his family. heck, i was in atlanta in 6th grade for a few hours. i really have no connection to this family ; but a) the idea of them losing everything breaks my heart and b) the fact that this little boy saved a dogs life ; i knew i wanted to help.

i found out they shop at a nearby wal-mart, so i mailed them a giftcard. its not much & i wish i could do more ; but hopefully, they will be able to buy diapers, milk or some fun toys for the kids.

if you are interested in donating, let me know & i can set you up with who you can contact [there is a donation 'hub' where everything can be collected & donated]

days 60, 61 & 62 : dog poop, corn fritters & shopping at the co-op

ive got this weekends good deeds all in one post.

day 60 [friday] // offer someone a poop bag
i was on my way to work early on friday & i see a women walking her dog on our apartment lawn. the dog is pooping and the lady just walks away without cleaning it up [maybe my biggest pet peeve on the planet!] i pulled up to her & offered her a poop bag. she told me she wasnt going to clean it up & flicked her cigarette at me.
maybe not a successful 'good deed' ; but its the thought that counts [right?]

day 61 [saturday] // keep the change
each saturday, we start our day with a trip to the farmers market. its only a few blocks away & we usually take daph, stock up on food, grab a pastry & turn it into a long morning walk.
i picked out three ears of local corn for $1.75. i gave them two $1 bills, but they were out of quarters. it was only a quarter & not a huge deal ; but for small, local farmers, every penny counts, right?
[ps : i didnt get a photo of the corn when i bought it ; but blake made these awesome fritters last night!]

day 62 [sunday] // shop the local co-op
we are super lucky to have so many great food options within walking // biking distance.
we have 3 farmers markets, a co-op, a trader joes and a whole foods all within 20 minutes [by bike].
along with being a member at our neighborhood co-op, we also benefit from deals & specials at other co-ops, as well.
for us, shopping at the co-op is the best choice. we pay a higher price overall, but we are supporting local businesses, putting money back into our economy & telling companies [large & small] that 'people over profit' is important to us!

Friday, July 19, 2013

day 59 : support local artists & see a rad art exhibit

hi everybody!
last night, we went to the walker art museum [really, one of the coolest museums in the country] to check out a temporary art exhibit.

the women i nanny for & her co-worker actually created this exhibit ; so i was really excited to check it out.
did you know that target is based here in minneapolis? they employ a TON of folks & have also given millions of dollars to local causes.

each thursday night, target partners with the walker & allows free admission.
and for 3 thursdays in july [next week is the last one] ; they have this really cool firefly exhibit.
when you are standing in the sculpture garden of the museum, you have a really great view of the minneapolis skyline ; you are also able to see the target corporate building.

without giving too much away, i will say that when you place your hand on the jar of fireflies, something happens at the top of the target building!
the project is so cool & it was really fun to support local creatives & to watch people [of all ages] play with the light show!
if you are local & are free next thursday night, i highly recommend you check this out!

Wednesday, July 17, 2013

day 58 : tell rolling stone magazine their cover is insensitive

hi everybody!
todays 'good deed' is simple ; i have signed a petition asking rolling stone magazine to pull their most recent cover.
if you want to see the image, you can click here [i am not interested in posting it & giving it more publicity]
if you didnt look, the cover photo is of the boy that is suspected in the boston bombings. the photo of him makes him look sleek, sharp & like a heartthrob.
i know that rolling stone is known for controversial covers, but he & his brother killed people.
he is not an idol. he killed a little boy who was cheering on his father. he caused pain throughout this country. he filled a pressure cooker with NAILS and BALL BEARINGS ; that is totally barbaric!

i think this cover is insensitive to the families & the victims ; the bombings were only 3 months ago!
i also think that covers like this glorify the idea that if you make a huge scene & cause a ton of pain ; people love to talk about you & look at your photo.

if you are interested in signing the petition, you can click here.
if you disagree with me ; thats fine. but please, if you are going to comment, keep it kind ;)

Tuesday, July 16, 2013

day 57. yoga & a really long break.

okay, okay.
i am back.
see, we went camping for a week. and then we came back.
and while i did do an act of kindness each day, it became way too daunting to try to document 15 days all at once.
so, i am starting day today with day 57.

here we go : 
day 57 // support a yoga teacher-in-training
we have a really great hot yoga studio in our neighborhood ; blake and i usually go as 'drop-ins' or when they have a really great monthly deal. i love the idea of belonging to a gym // studio, but the reality is, i have 20384092 workout dvds & spend a lot of my time biking, hiking, running outside. i dont love the idea of driving to a gym to workout.


throughout july & august, the studio is offering 4 classes a week that will be taught by yoga teachers-in-training. you can take the class for just $5 [compared to $17 to drop-in normally!] & it gives a new teacher the experience s/he needs in a smaller class environment.

all of my duathlon training has been working my knees // legs like crazy, so i welcomed an hour of 105* stretching last night.


i got the detox i needed, we supported a new teacher & supported a really awesome yoga studio.
if you live in the cities, you can check out their schedule here. [if it says 'community class' in the class description, that means its a $5 'in training' class]

images here

Tuesday, July 2, 2013

days 53. 54. 55. and 56.

yikes! how did i get so behind?!
[speaking of being behind : we are leaving tomorrow for an 8 day trip [[whoop whoop!]], so while i will be tracking my good deeds, they probably wont be up on the blog in a timely manner!
lets recap from this weekend :

day 53 // saturday 29th : last weekend i did the same, but today i supported 6 different farmers at our local market. all are small, organic farmers // businesses in the area. i bought radishes, bread, strawberries, salsa, jam & basil.

day 54 // sunday 30th :
we took daphne out for a late-night walk & there was a guy on a nice ride bike stopped at the curb. we went over and asked if he needed any help. he was working on adjusting the seat. nice & simple.

day 55 // monday 1st : on my way home from work [on my fancy new road bike, btw] ; i was in the bike lane on a pretty busy street. im only on the road for a few blocks & while there is a bike lane, its not marked well & the road is pretty narrow. the car behind me gave me a ton of clearance // room to ride & when we got to a stop light, i thanked him for respecting me on the road.

day 56 // tuesday 2nd : today on my personal facebook page, i shared a really great kickstarter campaign. you can help support it here.

this is super short & sweet with NO pictures.
see you tomorrow ;)