Friday, November 7, 2014

day 292 : kindness carousel {week 27}

another round of awesome things from the internet!

1) you know how important 'made in the usa' is to me, right? in southern mn, we have a woolen mill that has been around since 1865! last year, blake and i went down to the factory and each purchased a scarf {i have this one}. they are so warm & such incredible quality. this throw is on my wish-list! {they ship worldwide and all of their items would make awesome holiday gifts}

2) speaking of blankets ; this tutorial is on my winter bucket list! {and lets be honest ; you can never have enough blankets during the minnesota winters}

3) this book is so great! its like a modern version of 'alexander & the terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.'

4) YES! ---> 6 ways to give generously while on a budget

5) biz post ---> how to get your blog & shop ready for the holidays

6) your purchase of these {bamboo!}notecards donate 100% of profits to saving the bees

7) local folks! drop off any new, unwrapped toy {either at the history center or other locations around the city} & receive a free admission to the history center! {we have been members for 3+ years & the center is one of the coolest places in the cities} {details of the toy drive here}

8) a local apple orchard donated over 12,000 POUNDS of apples to local food shelves. {this makes my heart SO happy!} // story is here

Wednesday, November 5, 2014

day 290 : #52coffees // week 3

week 3 of #52coffees!
{you guys, i am really enjoying this project!}

my sweet friend nicole was in the neighborhood & we took daphne for a nice, long stroll! 
i have known nicole for a couple years now & she really is one of my favorite people in the universe. her energy and her huge heart are just incredible! 

she's in a band {you can check them out here} and she has a blog FULL of awesome vegetarian recipes! 

Tuesday, November 4, 2014

day 289 : {BOOK REVIEW} The Take Back of Lincoln Junior High

one of my 2014 goals is to read 52 books. right now, i am pretty far behind {i think i've read about 35-ish books} 
a couple months ago, roseanne cheng sponsored my blog! she's an educator, an author and the founder of teachable lit
between blake & i, we have worked with kids our entire adult lives. we have spent HOURS talking about education, behavior management, reform, the role of education in politics, and SO MUCH MORE! 

roseanne's blog is great ; if you love books and/or working with kids ; i recommend you check it out! 
she recently released a book, geared towards middle schoolers and i was lucky enough to receive a copy! 

the book follows a group of 6th graders, whose school has made quite a few financial cuts. big corporations get involved in the school and suddenly, the school is thriving. as the plot advances, we find {just like everything in life} that all that glitters, is not gold.
i really enjoyed this book & think there are so many teachable moments for kids & great reminders for adults! 

for my educator // book-lover // librarian // parent -friends ; i recommend checking out roseanne's blog & her book! 



Monday, November 3, 2014

day 288 : half-marathon training plan {week 2}

here we go! 
i am kicking off week 2 of my half-marathon training.
{you can see my week 1 recap at the bottom of this post}



week 2 //
monday 3rd: 30 min run // run 1min + walk 2min {repeat 10x}
tuesday 4th: cross train 30-60min {hot yoga // bike ride // barre}
wednesday 5th: 28 min run // run 2 min + walk 2 min {repeat 7x}
thursday 6th: rest day
friday 7th: cross train 30-60min {hot yoga // bike ride // barre}
saturday 8th: run 3miles // run 1min + walk 2min
sunday 9th: 60min of hot yoga


week 1 // 
monday 27th: 30 min run // run 1min + walk 2min {repeat 10x}
tuesday 28th: cross train 30-60min {hot yoga // bike ride // barre} // biked for 90 min
wednesday 29th: 30 min run // run 1min + walk 2min {repeat 10x} // skipped the intervals & just ran for 30 min
thursday 30th: rest
friday 31st: cross train 30-60min {hot yoga or bike ride} // HOT YOGA!
saturday 1st: run 3miles // run 1min + walk 2min // took a nice run around lake harriet
sunday 2nd: 60min of hot yoga


{its hard to see, but i have been running in these leggings and LOVE them!}
{ps : i am a spandits! ambassador ; if you grab a pair, mention that i sent you!}

Sunday, November 2, 2014

day 287 : Give Thanks & my favorite graphic designer {FALL BE NICE BOX}

november, you guys! 
the winters here can be cold & brutal, but there is something so amazing about getting ready for a new season {and a new year!}

we made quite a few changes to the be nice box, when we launched the fall box {yep, still available! grab one here} one of those changes was making individual good deed cards. {in the past, there was a treasure map with all of the good deeds drawn on}
there are 30 good deed cards & they turned out SO great! they are small enough to put a couple in your wallet, tape to the fridge or slip in an envelope for a friend // stranger! 

i was so lucky to have my sweet friend dajon design the cards for the box!
also, {because, seriously, she's so great!} she made the gift for the boxes! 
every box contained a fun paper garland that reads 'give thanks!}

if you are looking for a designer, dajon recently launched her newest design project called 'brand happy.' {i highly recommend her!!}

Saturday, November 1, 2014

day 286 : November goals

happy november, folks! 
i have another huge list of things i am shooting to accomplish this month!
{you can find a recap of my october goals at the bottom!}


1) floss and brush each night {yes, this is a goal!} i am so afraid of the dentist & had to get two cavities filled last week. after i left {and finished crying}, i vowed to never get a cavity again!
2) continue following my half-marathon training plan {i will keep blogging my weekly plans}
3) blog 30x {my goal is to have this project finished by mid-january!}
4) purchase a kick-ass birthday gift for blake
5) pay blake & my mom {i owe them each a bit of money & i am trying so hard to get them paid off!}
6) sell out of fall boxes {you can grab one here}
7) pay more attention to my BNB IG, FB & twitter accounts {i have been neglecting them & its been driving me bonkers!}
8) donate everything! {i have a few bags of things that need to be taken to the local thrift store}
9) finish BNB budgets {seriously, i need to get this done!}
10) sell half of the winter be nice boxes {they are here!}
11) visit bogarts donuts!
12) bike on the brand new protected bike lane on 36th {i have been past it on the bus ; it looks SO awesome!}
13) visit the walker library! they reopened this summer & we haven't been yet.
14) attend 2-3 networking events {i am already registered for 3 of them!}
15) put $X into my savings account
16) read 3-4 books {i have 23 books at the library on my 'to-read' list}
17) volunteer 1-2x
18) donate to Give To The Max Day! {def one of my favorite MN traditions!}
19) complete 4 more #52coffees


october 2014 goal recap : 
1) practice yoga // barre 10x // completed 5/10
2) run 10x // ran 6/10
3) make loan payment to mom {my mom gave me some money this spring & i am ready to start paying her back} // not done
4) register for spring half-marathon // not open yet
5) start a new part-time job {i have two jobs lined up, but neither have started yet ; fingers crossed for next wee!} // one didn't pan out & i turned in my final paperwork for the other last week
6) read 4 books {i have 9 library books sitting on my bedside table!} // read 2 books
7) blog 20x {my goal is to finish this project before jan 1st ; ideally, ill have to blog 25-30+ days} // completed 18/20
8) start purging the apartment ; every room and every drawer // shelf. the change in seasons always motivates me to clean out things we aren't using.
9) fulfill a local order for grab bags {fingers crossed for finishing this by saturday}
10) #100happydays for both instagram accounts. i really want to be better with documenting small, everyday moments and want to take a photo a day on both IG accounts  // definitely not done
11) meet 3-4 people for #52coffees {i will blog about this soon, but i am really pumped to try this new social challenge // experiment}
12) make my initial investment back from the Kindness Superhero Box! running a business can be a lot of money up front, man. // so close, but not quite
13) reopen my etsy shop for winter wear // not done
14) launch the Kindness Ambassador Program {another thing i am excited to blog about soon!} // not done
15) plan the winter Be Nice Box
16) get all BNB budgets in order {this has been on my list for MONTHS!} // oh man, NOT DONE
17) update tax sheet and sales maps {also something that i have been meaning to do for a long time} // nope
18) super-purge the craft room {its a tornado in there, guys!}