Green Yogis

The other day I was at my University’s yoga club meeting and a girl made a comment about how yoga mats make good thermo mats when you’re camping. It made me think of what else you could do to reuse those old yoga mats that you never use anymore (because all of us yogis wanna re-use and save the environment right??) lol.
Anyway, the first and most obvious option is to donate mats to YMCAs, thrift shops, volunteer yoga organizations, etc. But sometimes they just aren’t in good enough shape to donate. In those cases I have a few ideas:
-Cut them to fit under any uncomfortable mats that you stand on a lot (in the kitchen or bathroom) if the floor still feels hard underneath
-In the trunk of your car to protect the bottom from mud or sharp things
-Cut small to fit under chair or bed legs that may scratch up hardwood
-They could also go underneath these furniture “legs” to level out any unbalanced pieces
-As long as they’re washed well, they work as an insulator that you put in-between the fabrics in quilts

-Prime material for slip and slides!!! Remember those things??
Ha, so those are my ideas for now. I sincerely hope that someone does the slip and slide one. Tell me about your ideas on how to reuse!

Love,

Ami G

Accessorize Affordably

I’m an eBay addict and have been scoring big lately, so I wanna share with you my fav thing to buy online: jewelry (and accessories).

First, most of the time you don’t have to worry about sizes (rings excluded- those are tricky). Second, since there is such a plethora of sellers, you get a huge variety of styles. Third, on a site that is auction-style there is so much potential to get a great deal!

This works best if there is something specific that you are looking for. For example, I have wanted a cameo for soooo lonnngggg, but they’re difficult to find and can be somewhat expensive. The one posted below however, I got for 99 cents including shipping!! Actually, every item pictured here I received for $2.50 or less (including shipping), which is way better than what I could find in the store.



Top: Shows a 24 inch gold chain on the left, Namaste yoga pendant on the top, and cameo on the right.
Bottom: Peal headband on the left (so Ami), and large pearl earrings on the right.

Happy shopping, show me what you find! Caution: This gets extremely addicting.

Love, Ami G

Pavement Pounders

Hey Readers!

When I blogged about the Underwear Affair, I promised a pic from the event, so here's a quickee post for a follow up!

First photo is of my sexy team --> The Pavement Pounders.
Second is of the amazing Lady Gaga impersonator. That GUY did an awesome job.



It was an excellent event and I highly encourage it to all! So.Much.Fun!!

Love, Ami G

Little Black Dress

I’ve wanted to learn more about wine for a long time, but didn’t really know how to get started. Then I came across a wine log that I saw at Starbucks (or was it Chapters?? That in between area always confuses me), so I went online and bought one for cheaper just because I’m a bargain hunter like that lol.

So my terminology is getting better and I’m actually starting to remember which wines I like and why! So I decided to share one of my new favs with you; it’s perfect for a girl’s night!

It’s produced by Little Black Dress (so fitting already, right??), and I went for the Cabernet Sauvignon, I like my reds with a full body. I was drawn in by the cute girlie label and the fact that it was 13.5% - I like looking at the alcohol content for ladies nights! The price was around $14, and I was just as satisfied with the taste as I was with the name! The only thing was that I found it a little fat (meaning that it wasn’t quite acidic enough to taste balanced). However, some of my girlfriends might prefer this since they are just starting to drink wine, and less acidity means they won’t get as much of a strong finish (the last flavor you sense before swallowing). So this is a great balance of a full wine that I like, and smooth, gentle drink for the wine skeptics. Last, their slogan is definitely worth mentioning: “Responsible drinking is always in style”. Make sure your get-together turns into a slumber party so no one is driving after their taste of Little Black Dress!

If you’re interested, they also have a website (www.littleblackdresswines.com) which is kind of adorable and had little black dress styles to match your wine or your personality. But I took the test and it said that I’m not into lace and frills…. So wrong. I live for lace. But still a fun idea.

Cheers!

Love, Ami G

Bottled Bacteria

On the radio today I heard something terrifying: That 70% of bottled water has enough bacteria in it to not even pass the test for good tap water, and this study was done in Canada! I decided that this was worth researching, but ofcourse they’re not letting out which brands have these elevated levels. It turns out that they weren’t just a little bit over the limit either; they were up to 100 times the recommended level of heterotrophic bacteria!

Some claimed that there is still no need to worry, and that studies on fruits and vegetables would give the same results, which I do believe. But I drink an incredible amount of water, so just to be safe I’ve been using a classic tip that I learned years ago: lemon wedges.

Putting a lemon wedge in your tap water will filter out a significant amount of bad bacteria, and keep in the good stuff that bottled water companies sift out. It may take a little bit to get used to the taste, but I’m at the point where I prefer some lemon in my water! Plus, lemons have tons of health benefits on their own: release toxins, high vitamin C, good for skin and hair, etc. The list goes on.

Just maybe be careful about this tip if you’re out at restaurants, those bar wedges that have been sitting on the counters and handled my many hands aren’t the wisest choice for someone who is bacteria-conscious.

Love, Ami G

Shopping Rules

So, as it turns out, I am an expert shopper. I have a knack for finding every cute thing in the store, which is oober fun while I’m shopping, but not so fun when I look at my bank statement. And I clean out my closet twice a year and find sooo much that I never wear and just give away, even though some things have hardly ever been worn!
So I’ve come up with a couple rules to stop myself from spontaneous purchases that I will later regret. The shoes and jacket posted to the right were purchased after I followed all my rules, and I am sooo happy with them ☺

First off, I’ve stopped random purchases on anything over $15 unless I’ve already planned to buy it. For example, consider I go jean shopping because I’ve ripped a hole in my only skinnies, and I happen to find a pair of jeans that I love for $100, and an adorable matching top for $30. I can buy the jeans, because that had been planned for, but not the top. I keep the “over $15 rule” because when you find something cute for under $15, it’s probs a good deal so go ahead and snatch it!

Second, I wait to see if that article of clothing crosses my mind alot. Most things don’t because there is just so much out there that thinking about all of it would consume my whole day. If my mind does keep wandering back to that one thing, I ask myself 2 questions.
Can I find something similar for cheaper? Like at XXI, or is this unique?
Does it match what I already have? AKA, will I wear it? My jacket and shoes defs followed my rules!

*My only exception is when I find something adorable at the beginning of a shopping day in another city for over $15. Then I allow myself to get it if I’m still thinking about it at the end of the day, because driving back would just be a ridiculous hassle.

So that might have sounded a little complicated… but if you’re a shopaholic, it makes sense and you catch on fast! Have fun and show me some of your must-have items!

Love, Ami G

FootzyRolls

Loves It!!
This idea is too genius. I have definitely brought flats or flipflops along in my bag just incase those oh-so-pretty stilettos end up oh-so-painful. But then I don't want to put my dirty heels into my purse, and I can't carry a clutch because sandals do take up a significant amount of room (well, compared to other clutch necessities such as gloss and camera!).
But footzyrolls are the solution! They roll up and are built for this type of treatment so they are durable. And as long as you carry them in the bag that they come in you will always have something to protect your purse from your used heels!


I only have one suggestion for this product.
They have options for what color your footzyrolls are, but not yet for the bag. If they made a cute or catchy design for the shoe bag then they could also market the convenience of not having to lug around your used shoes in a boring carry-along. Us Gen Y folk love having options.

Click here to check out the website!

Love, Ami G