baggies to go

this weekend wasn't as much as a bust as i would have thought, though as my roommate suggested it's better to just walk across a parking lot then drive there. as errands occupied the majority of the weekend, i'd have to say that i gave about 50% of my efforts to that green world i hope to occupy, though with my thoughts in other places our little party forgot one of the simplest green tasks - reusable bags. so we thought of a solution: with all our back problems thanks to the large purses now occupying every ladies shoulder's, it's possible to fit one more thing that might be useful come errand shopping at a local pharmacy or farmer's market.

Check out the Baggu and Chico Bag - both stylist reusable bag options that also fit compactly inside a purse side pocket!

take a walk on the wild side

walking is the best form of exercise and also provides an easy way to get to-and-from places without using the energy of your car (and it saves gas!)...so i tip toed to dinner last night with my roomies family, mmm, and co-pooled as well

ooweee

hmmm...new version to my hybrid, you say?

Check out Wired Magazine's new piece on the plug-in prius - little skeptical, not going to lie...but with one million miles and three years testing, it might be a new step for the third generation.

day 2

meh...

in my cookie baking disaster last night (yes, i burned nearly the entire batch of gingerbread), i only managed to drive my super cool prius and carpool once again...i've got to start getting more creative here

it's everyDAY

i just had a brilliant beyond brilliant idea. in lieu of the recent obsession America is having with both blogs and the recent blog-turned-book-turned-movie Julie and Julia, i've decided to create my own daily sort of nuance that might, in turn, spark a novel, spark a movie, spark fame! (haha)

everyday, i'm going to tell you (yes, i'm talking to you) about my daily green activities. my dream is to get more than three readers/subscribers and make myself a bit more enthusiastic about this whole writing out into space thing....wish me luck!

so here goes...

to start things off, yesterday i carpooled with the co's

Come visit my Examiner page!

San Diego Women's Style Examiner - http://www.examiner.com/x-15595-San-Diego-Womens-Style-Examiner

woohoo!

wouldn't it be nice...

holiday time

Even though in our bright and sunny Southern California the weather hasn't changed much from the fall or even summer months, I can already feel the winter season upon us thanks to Christmas tunes, events and fall sales. KyXy is already playing holiday tunes by the hour and I've got tons of holiday inspired fare to enjoy throughout the last three weeks of the year. From ice skating in Coronado to the promise of some weather (I missed the rain this weekend) and maybe even a trip to my favorite place in the state (San Francisco), I just can't wait!

surviving local

It's one thing to shop green all the time, but another to actually shop local. With so many outlet mall, chain stores and free-for-all retail going on lately, it's often difficult to see straight. For those of us in San Diego, check out my new article on Examiner on the newly created organically designed JessBecause, an Encinitas owned boutique that is modernly designed with a flair for boho. As I discovered talking to the owner, all one needs in life is a little color and some positive attitude. Let's try to take that motto with us wherever we go...no matter where we are.

Check it out!

Though her Encinitas shop is still just a "toddler," as owner and designer Jessica Reif says, before long her brand JessBecause will "be a full grown lady!" in what she hopes will someday be a nationally recognized brand. The enthusiastic shop designer who has dabbled in everything from visual merchandising while studying in college to retail work at Anthropologie and Shop Dreamy in Encinitas, is welcoming new guests every day to her Etsy shop and traveling boutique, JessBecause. The creative center which provides the San Diego local "an avenue where I could let my creative energies run free" was a long time coming, and she found it through one avenue; namely: color.

"I've always done something 'artsy' ever since I was a little girl," she says. "The materials would constantly change, but whatever I was working with definitely involved color, lots of color! It was only natural for me to choose a career that resembled my childhood pastime." Yet she isn't an amateur - to say the least the veteran colorer finds inspiration in every avenue – from the locals to the vast World Wide Web, where everything from 'Bohemian' styled merch to vintage typewriter rings are brought to life in her home. "Sometimes I find great deals from really big companies and other times, I owe a huge thanks to the mom & pop shops for coming to my rescue. When it comes to supplies, I have to get creative there…It's almost required of me to think of unconventional ways of doing conventional things. I'll admit, it's a pretty fun process."

Besides being ingeniously and creatively marketed, what sets her shop apart is her outlook: "My daily mantra: 'Keep the positivity flowing, keep our bodies clean and limber, and make our ever-changing surroundings a little more pleasing to all of the senses.'" Finding the abnormal in the ordinary, she creates life's provisions complete with a touch of vintage flair to make the mundane seem exceptional. Following her love for design, JessBecause was recently launched and has become the center of this young adventurer's life.

Visit her Etsy shop, JessBecause.com and check out her events calendar – she'll be hitting up the Encinitas Farmers Market (parking lot of Flora Vista Elementary, 1690 Wandering Road) on December 6th and Painted Rock Holiday Boutique on December 10th (Painted Rock Elementary, 16711 Matincoit Road, Poway, CA).