Music Monday: Song Pick of the Day: This is a 90s Throwback to Early Jewel!

February 6, 2017 Loveley

Sooooo, if you've been reading my blog posts, you've probably heard me refer fondly to the 90s. Hello?! They were the best. Only regret: Skinny eyebrows were in at that time, and I naturally had big caterpillars on my face (as every Indian gal does). So, of course I plucked them to oblivion as many teenagers of that time period did. And, now I want my caterpillars back, not because big eyebrows are big now, but because looking at things with my grown up eyes vs. my teenage trying-to-follow-what-you-see-in-a-magazine eyes, now I see how nice thick and full eyebrows are. But alas, due to that early plucking, they will never be the caterpillars again.....Damn you Pam Anderson with your Baywatch eyebrows!

Okay, so that had nothing whatsoever to do with Music Monday, but, it is a 90s-related regret. What is NOT a 90s-related regret however, is my still-going-strong love of early Jewel.

Eco-Wednesday Green Living Tip of the Day: Skip the Dryer Sheets, and Try One of These Ideas Instead!

February 1, 2017 Loveley

Happy Wednesday! It's snowy, gray, and cold outside, but I'm pretending it's sunny and balmy instead! It's totally working too! Until I look outside. :)

Okay, so here's your eco-Wednesday tip, the whys and the what elses. A LOT of people use dryer sheets when they dry their clothes? Why? So your clothes smell like factory-made fresh rain or a mountain spring? So you can avoid static cling that would be traumatically embarassing and cause you to lose your friends and strangers to point and laugh? Or because you just think this is a requirement of laundry and you've never known anything else? Well, whatever the reason is, I'm letting you know, you do not need them! We haven't used dryer sheets in.....ever. And, we are just fine!

Music Monday Song Pick of the Day: Lana Del Rey Cover of a Nat King Cole Song

January 30, 2017 Loveley

Image Credit: Lana del Rey photographed by Sean and Seng for Interview Magazine 2012

Good morning and happy Monday! Okay, so I try to keep most of my political views out of this blog because that just takes us down a negative path (but if you're interested in that stuff and want to sign petitions with me, you can find me on Facebook!), and I want to keep this space free of the heavy and depressing stuff. BUT, the song I picked for today's Music Monday is exactly what we need to try to keep in mind as we go thru our day, especially if you're worrying about all the insanity going on in our world. As scary as things become, we must keep a positive attitude! Or at least we should be positive in between our ranting :)

Quick Parenting Tip: My Go-To Meal When I'm Super Busy and Because I Hate Cooking: Super Easy and Much Healthier Version of a Kiddy Classic

January 25, 2017 Loveley

Hey busy parents! Hey busy single people! Hey lazy-cookers! Hey people who care about kinda-heatlhy eating! Hey people who fit more than one of those categories! Okay, so that would be me (except the single people part). Sooooooo, I'm always ridiculously busy and am always struggling to find a good healthy meal for the kids. Cuz honestly, if it weren't for them, I'd probably just be eating Ramen noodles and pizza rolls every night (yum!). And, then, add on top of that my hatred for cooking and all things involved in prepping to cook. Well, I do have ONE go-to meal that I can rely on and not feel guilty about. Which is good because I spend a large portion of my waking moments with total mom-guilt about everything (real and imagined).

And yes, there's a gluten-free option or a vegan option, so if that's you, keep reading too!

Eco-Wednesday Green Living Tip of the Day: Don't Throw Those Pills (or Any Other Kind of Medication) Down the Drain!

January 18, 2017 Loveley

Sooooo, I was browsing Netflix the other night, looking for a new show to obsess over, and I came across Crazy Ex-Girlfriend. So, I thought I'd give it a try (ummmm, yeah....). Anyway, there was this one scene in the first episode that totally made me freak out...like, "do people seriously do this?!?!?!"

Music Monday: In Honor Of MLK Jr. Day: A Song About the Peace We All Seek

January 16, 2017 Loveley

Hey there people! It's late in the day, but here's today's Music Monday song pick: Imagine by John Lennon. This is in honor of Marting Luther King Jr. day because it's about the peace that is possible if we all work towards it. That's the goal people! Get it together!

John Lennon Signature Box contains 9 Albums, all the singles, a disc of rarities & a book from Yoko, Julian & Sean. Available on Amazon: http://bit.ly/JLbox & iTunes http://bit.ly/JLboxi Video from Lennon Legend DVD: http://bit.ly/lenleg JL Videos on iTunes: http://apple.co/2hIilCu Notes from Lennon Legend DVD: A brand new transfer, taken from a first-generation 35mm inter-negative of the original 16mm Imagine film negative.

Ahhhhhh, it's been a nice break! But I've got some new posts coming soon!

January 14, 2017 Loveley

Ahhhh, so I've been on a writing break because going back to non-holiday-time life takes some adjusting! Kids back in school....well, eventually. Kids sick as dogs and coughing in my face and using my shirt as a tissue for their runny noses....gross. Back to work (BLAH! no explanation needed).....Back to routines.

Well, now I'm back to life (baaaaack to life... baaaack to reality...who sang that?) and I've got some posts coming up.

See you soon!

My 2017 New Year's Resolutions

January 6, 2017 Loveley

Loving life! Let's do more of this in 2017!

FINALLY DONE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yay for procrastination!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Do I usually blow off the idea of new year resolutions? Yes. But this year, I have some for real goals. Some vague, some specific. Let's get into it!

Music Monday: Unreleased Lana Del Rey Song Pick of the Day: Other Woman

January 2, 2017 Loveley

On Lana Del Rey's previous album (not her current one) Ultraviolence, she has a song called The Other Woman. That is a cover of The 1959 song by Jessie Mae Robinson performed and popularized by Nina Simone on the album Nina Simone at Town Hall. Today's song pick is NOT this song. Today's pick is Other Woman, and you are going to love it!

Basement Bathroom Reno Part 5: A New Vanity Light Finally Installed, and a Bunch of New Hardware Just Arrived!

December 30, 2016 Loveley

Yay!!!! It feels like it's been forever since I've done an update on this project. This is the last progress update on this project before I do the final final FINAL completed project post. I canNOT wait to be able to say that it's finally done! Okay, let's jump in...click to keep reading!

Music Monday (a day late) Song Pick: Livin' La Vida Loca - yes, that is REALLY what I picked :)

December 27, 2016 Loveley

Whatever. Don't judge me. I loved the 90s! And, hello, they're totally back.

Okay, so if you're my age, you remember this song well. It was that super fun song with the super fun music video (i LOVE this music video). If you're in your 20s or younger, you may not remember or ever have heard this, so either you're going to take a happy stroll down memory lane, or you're going to find a new favorite. This is the perfect pick me up song for a gloomy and cold (in Michigan) December day.

One Great Way to Get Into the REAL Spirit of Christmas Giving

December 23, 2016 Loveley

My kids selecting the perfect gift....keep reading to find out what they're looking at!

So, Christmastime is here, and along with that comes all the gift-giving. Well, in today's consumerist society, it's easy to get lost in all the crazy and forget what this is all about. And especially if you have kids, we need to be reminded about the true spirit of Christmas.

Reposted in time for Holiday Gift-Giving: Gifts for Kids that Won't Clutter Up the House and Eventually End Up in a Landfill

December 20, 2016 Loveley

I originally posted this on September 2 of this year, but I'm reposting this because I think it is fitting for the current gift-giving season. Click below and enjoy!

Gifts for Kids that Won't Clutter Up the House and Eventually End Up in a Landfill

Music Monday Song Pick of the Day: Chelsea Hotel No. 2

December 19, 2016 Loveley

Good morning, and happy Monday people! Today's song is actually a Leonard Cohen (he died in November of this year) song, but covered by Lana Del Rey. It's called "Chelsea Hotel No. 2". Keep reading for the story behind this song. It's a great song, and it's done really really well (duh, it's Lana! of course it's done well!).

Music Monday Song Pick: Get Up, Stand Up: Dedicated to the Standing Rock Protesters

December 12, 2016 Loveley

Hi folks, it's been a while since we've had a Music Monday song pick! Been super busy with the Feel Good (Do Good) Holiday Gift Guides, but now I'm back with a good song for you. Often, as you know, I pick a favorite Lana song (thought I've included other stuff as well), but this week, the song pick is dedicated to the protesters, Native American and not, at Standing Rock, that are trying to stop the Dakota Access Pipeline. If you want to keep up with the latest developments on that, you can click here.

2016 Feel Good (Do Good) Holiday Gift Guide Day 4: Indego Africa

December 8, 2016 Loveley

Back again with more feel good (do-gooding) gift ideas! Today's shop is actually a non-profit social enterprise (oooh, sounds fancy) that my sister sent me a link to (she's got her finger on the pulse, people!) and that I've now fallen in love with! Not only because they are seriously doing good in the world, but their stuff is freaking beautiful and modern! (aka, These things are now on my forever wish list.) We're heading over to Indego Africa!

2016 Feel Good Holiday Gift Guide Day 3: The Living Threads Co.

December 4, 2016 Loveley

So, we're back on our journey of great socially and environmentally conscious companies to check out for your holiday gift giving ideas! Today's shop is Living Theads Co.

2016 Feel Good Holiday Gift Guide: Day 2: Ten Thousand Villages

November 29, 2016 Loveley

Poet's Gold Earrings - $90 - Hand made in Columbia with pewter base and 24K gold fill

Sooooo, I KNOW I said I would do this Ten Thousand Villages gift guide the day after the post about The Citizenry, BUT, I've been busy, so, a little late, but here it is!

2016 Feel Good Holiday Gift Guide: Day 1: The Citizenry

November 26, 2016 Loveley

So, I've awakened from my Thanksgiving food coma, and I'm ready to start thinking about Christmas! And, of course, along with all the religious parts of Christmas comes the gift-giving. Of course, experience gifts are best (in this girl's humble opinion), like tickets to a concert or a gift certificate for a massage, because they don't take up space or create waste, and they build memories, which are way better than stuff. BUT, if you're looking to actually buy something, I say look for something that is not only beautiful, but that will last a long time, and that was produced in a socially conscious way that helps people, not harms them.

Eco-Wednesday: Be Green Tip of the Day: Watch "Before the Flood" So You'll Be the Smartest Person at Thanskgiving

November 23, 2016 Loveley

Today's tip is an easy one. It only takes a small amount of time and effort, you get to watch/listen to my first boyfriend, Leonardo DiCaprio (eyebrows wiggling suggestively), AND, it will change your life. Double AND, this is just in time for Thanksgiving. So, when your relatives start annoyingly discussing politics, you can put that nonsense to rest by bringing this up. At least some good may come of it. There's nothing to debate about whether or not climate change is real, so you can avoid all the bickering. Unless you have that REALLY brainwashed relative who still thinks it is a hoax....ug. Then, all I can say is, bring earplugs, stuff your face with turkey (if you are not vegetarian/vegan) and pray that it puts you to sleep quickly, or rab a glass of wine, and may God have mercy on your soul :)