Be an Optimist!

Did you know there was an optimist's club?  I love it!  I don't have time for it, but I downright dig the fact that there is one.  Their main focus?  Bringing out the best in kids!  How can you go wrong with that?  Check them out & read the creed; I have nothing left to say.
http://www.optimist.org/

The Optimist Creed

Promise Yourself...

To be so strong that nothing can disturb your peace of mind.
To talk health, happiness and prosperity to every person you meet.
To make all your friends feel that there is something in them.
To look at the sunny side of everything and make your optimism come true.
To think only of the best, to work only for the best, and to expect only the best.
To be just as enthusiastic about the success of others as you are about your own.
To forget the mistakes of the past and press on to the greater achievements of the future.
To wear a cheerful countenance at all times and give every living creature you meet a smile.
To give so much time to the improvement of yourself that you have no time to criticize others.
To be too large for worry, too noble for anger, too strong for fear, and too happy to permit the presence of trouble.

What it means to be Green

Being Green.  What does that really mean?  That phrase has really become quite the piece of marketing bait, catch-all phrase.  But what does it really mean?
Simply, being green means that you consider the impact on the environment before you act/spend/do.  
Now, there are several shades of green, to be sure.  Our light-hearted take: Light green: maybe all you do right now is recycle.  That's fine - every step forward is a step in the right direction.  Kelly green: You recycle, buy organic, you've switched out all your light bulbs and you're thinking about composting.  Tree-hugger: you do all of the above, buy shade grown- coffee, do Meatless Mondays, use a reel lawnmower, shop local, landscape for the local wildlife and on and on and on.

Is one any better than the other?  Depends on your point of view, but is the winner of a marathon any healthier or better than the 2nd or 3rd place runner?  She may be a little faster, but they all ran the race well.  We are of the very firm belief that every person can make a difference and that small steps made by each one of us can lead to big changes.  We all may be at a different point in the race, but we will all finish winners.

Not the Time to be Cheap

We all like to save a buck.  Especially B.A.B.Es.  But, even we have to admit that there are items that warrant sucking it up & succumbing to the concept that you get what you pay for.  Imagine how happy we were to find an article that discusses this very thing - saves us the time to research!

Check out the following bits of info about how & when it's wise to spend....
http://shine.yahoo.com/event/financiallyfit/7-cheap-purchases-that-will-make-you-pay-2490933/

Feathered Friends

Are you BioHappy? Biohappiness key to future - SciDev.Net

Are you happy? Most of us living in the suburbs do not have to think about biodiversity or living in harmony with nature. Our 'hood was plowed, planned and built, with little regard for the surrounding trees, plants & animals. Because we B.A.B.Es like to expand our minds and think outside ourselves, it is worth noting that there are many areas of world where they do think of such things because they live it.

It's never too late to live in harmony with, or at least have a mild affinity for, nature. Along with that may come a feeling to help give a voice to those other B.A.B.Es around the world that need to be able to survive with their nature [somewhat] intact.

Biohappiness key to future, says Swaminathan - SciDev.Net

Better at 40 Than at 20 | Health, Beauty, Fashion, Love, Careers and more - MORE Magazine

This more about how you feel than you're actual looks. This author, who happens to be 41, feels fabulous! I love my life, I feel like I look better, feel better & know more who I am & what I want.

How about you?

Better at 40 Than at 20 | Health, Beauty, Fashion, Love, Careers and more - MORE Magazine

Jumpin' in the Great Outdoors!

Sometimes, going downstairs or to the gym, indoors, just sucks.  Today was one of those days.  It had rained all morning and the sun was now out with a gentle breeze.  Birds were out & my cats were dying to get out - not to eat the birds; my cats are not allowed to eat my songbirds - house rules.

Jumpin' around in the backyard!

So, I spent 5 minutes & hauled all my portable equipment to my backyard.  I improvised on some exercises by using bands wrapped around a tree trunk, did my jump-ups on my favorite old log - I even have a name for this exercise - Stump Jumps!  I used a Swiss Ball instead of a bench and you can do push-ups anywhere.  It takes very little equipment to get in a good workout in the great outdoors!

I'm sure there are a ton of stats on how your endorphins really respond to fresh air or something and other things that really, I don't care about.  To be honest, it just plain feels good to get outside on a nice day.  The sunshine on your face, smell the smells and hear the sounds.  It's great to get fresh air and I felt really Rocky-like (like Rocky 3 or 4 or whichever one he fought Dolph Lundgren & had to train in a barn) improvising my exercises and equipment.  It was a good day.