Maybe you have heard of this little thing called PinInterest.  Basically it is a giant online pinboard/scrapbook where you can collect images.  I love PinInterest, it is genius.  Quite frankly I am pissed it was not around a century ago when I got married because it makes wedding planning much easier but…I have been pretty unhappy about some of the recent activity.

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While everyone is on their New Year fitness kick I have seen an unimaginable number of “pins” like the one above.    It makes me sad.  It makes me mad.  Why should all of us want to look like this?  What makes this woman so special?  Abs?  Really?

Do not get me wrong…I have been super guilty of this exact same thing for a long time.  In fact, in my workout binder I used to keep magazine photos of really fit models and celebs as sort of a goal.  [An eternally unattainable goal I might add.]  I cannot pinpoint the exact moment it changed but somewhere along the line I stopped wanting to be those women.  I just wanted to be the best me.  Maybe it was becoming a marathoner…being so impressed with the capabilities of my body, only viewing food as fuel, and my body as a machine as a trained month in and month out. Maybe it was fulfilling a life long goal of becoming a lawyer and remaining dedicated to school for the past 17 years.

Me…I will never have a six pack.  Ever.  That is not my body type.  Those models probably didn’t just finish law school either (or maybe they did and they workout a heck of a lot more than me.) I will probably never outgrow kid sizes, I come from a family of munchkins.  I am barely 5’2 so my body will never look like those models and I am happy with that.  I have come to find my petite-ness beautiful and womanly in its own way.

So today instead of ripping that fitness model out of a magazine or pinning an aerobic instructor’s abs…find a picture of YOU looking beautiful and aim for that!

PinInterest is now my timesuck of choice…sorry Facebook.

“The Popcorn Theory doesn’t oblige all of us to write impressively large checks or take in every hungry child with a face like a flame.  It only requires that we perceive the person standing right in front of us.” In a Heartbeat, Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving

Yesterday I received an email from the woman who has unknowingly taught me about giving. A woman who has always taught by example and continually given love, help, and kindness freely.  I thought I would share the email with you:

Noticed you posted on your blog about the idea of giving…..I don’t want to be identified by name…but thought since you had that blog that I would tell you what I did…  I was shopping at The Dollar Store when I happened to encounter a young mother with an infant and a 3 yrs old girl.  The little infant was cranky and as I passed them I asked how old he was, and the mother said 5 wks.  The mother did not smile and seemed to be under stress.  The little girl kept saying, “Mommie, look…can I have that?”  As I left them, I thought ….hey, I have $50 in my billfold hidden for emergency…just maybe… I said a prayer, hoping to do right and not make them on the defensive.  As I saw them awhile later down the aisle, I approached her and said, “Your family is so cute, would you let me treat yourself and buy some things for them…I would so enjoy it”.  She looked at the $50 bill and just hugged me…saying, “You have no idea what this means to me!”.   At that particular time, with her squeeze and the desperate sound in her voice, I wished I had 10 times that much to give to her….Moral of the story…if your gut feelings tells you something….do it!!!!!  

In In a Heartbeat Leigh Ann Tuhoy explained how they developed their philosophy on giving: “we agreed that by embracing a smaller and more cheerful kind of giving, we might ease a lot of everyday problems.”

Writing this post has allowed me to reflect for a moment about how lucky I am.  Regardless of the student loans I worry about I never go hungry, I never miss a meal, I have presents under my tree, and I never have to decide whether to go without a necessity.  Be thankful today, be giving today and ease an everyday problem that many of us have never had to consider.

The Tuoghys talk a lot about the popcorn theory of giving and I think it is worth mentioning:

“You can’t help everyone.  But you can try to help the hot ones who pop right up in front of your face.” -In a Heartbeat, Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving

My husband followed this theory last night when he came downtown to pick me up after work.  If you have ever walked in downtown Denver you know that you are approached about 5 times in the span of a block by someone asking for money.  It tends to taint you, you just ignore everyone.  Well last night, my husband was walking by a bus stop and a guy asked him for money for the bus.  At first my husband responded with the usual “Sorry, no cash.”  Then he stopped, turned around and asked the guy how much the bus was.  My husband gave the guy 2 dollars, the bus pulled up, and the man got on.

That act did not change the world.  Probably did not even impact that man’s world, but it did help him when he needed it.

Remember to give when the hot ones pop up right in front of you.

The holidays seem to always be about gifts.  Buying gifts, wrapping gifts, shipping gifts, and getting gifts.  I challenge you to make this holiday about giving.

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I spoke about this book awhile ago on the blog.  Although Leigh Anne Tuohy’s views are based more in religion than my own, the message is simple:  Give when you can and what you can.  I now set aside a specific amount each month to give to a cause.  It is not a large amount and it has gotten much smaller now that I am repaying my loans, but I give it nonetheless.

Holiday Giving Challenge

I challenge all of you to give a little this season.  Take the time and effort to really just give something selflessly.  You will be surprised that giving selflessly actually rewards you.  Your giving can be simple, free, and easy.  Below, I  post some of the ways I have given this season so you can see how easy (and free) giving can be.

• Give time.  Volunteer at a local animal shelter, volunteer to help a group with updating their email/websites, volunteer to help your neighbor carry in their groceries.
• Give joy.  Consider adopting a child/family program where you provide gifts and food for their holiday.  Their wishes are so simple, food and baseball gloves.  (I will admit I did find a couple kids on this program who wish for iPods and laptops…yeah, that is above my price range this year). Give something to those who don’t expect it.  Leave something small (even a $5 Starbucks giftcard) for your dogwalker, paperman, mailman, bus driver, or the person you buy your lunch from every day.  Skipping your $5 latte one day to buy the gift is going to completely brighten someone’s day.
• Give Love. This is the cheapest, easiest way to give and usually the most appreciated.  Call your mother, no matter how busy you are.  Call an old friend and ask how they are (then listen).  Take 10 mins out of your day to do something nice for your significant other/roommate/friend/whoever.  Drop a card in the mail,the excitement of receiving mail never gets old.  Just give someone a hug today.
• Give Money.  And finally, if you are really that busy set aside an amount to give.  On Colorado Gives Day I received an email from Girls on the Run that explained how many girls could be helped if everyone who received the email donated just $1.  You have one dollar in change between your couch cushions…image what could be done if everyone donated $1 today.

No one has ever become poor by giving. -Anne Frank

In the spirit of the season I will be posting every day next week with excerpts from In a Heartbeat: Sharing the Power of Cheerful Giving, my own thoughts, and small giving challenges.  Feel free to share your own thoughts, comments, or givings for the day (you may just inspire someone else to give)!

Happy Holidays!

Thank you PinInterest.

I know that your life has just not been complete without Friday Fun Facts.  So, I am here to save the day!

Friday Fun Facts 

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• I have been listening to Christmas music since the first of November because we have been getting random little snow storms since November 1st.  And like clockwork, yesterday December 1st we got 6 inches.

 Is this the UGLIEST Christmas sweater you have ever seen or what!!!

• Although I am not hosting an ugly Christmas sweater party (I wish I were), I am hosting a little girls’ night get together tonight.  I will be taking pictures of all my Christmas decorating and my tips for hosting.

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• Speaking of cold…I am running the Rudolph Ramble in City Park this Sunday morning where expected low temperature is 9 degrees.  9!!!!!!  Anyone else in Denver running this race?  Lets meet up for hot chocolate!

• Finally, I start my new job as an attorney on Monday and thus my life ends and I will have zero free time.  I really hope to maintain this blog as I love all my readers.  Quite honestly you all are my friends right now because I am in a new town and you all are the best!

Hope everyone enjoyed their long holiday weekend!  It was the first Thanksgiving I have been able to fully celebrate in 3 years.  That is right…no books, flashcards, or outlines at the dinner table!

Mackey got to enjoy a Thanksgiving meal as well:  Turkey Stew from Hills..yum, yum.

The husband and I made an executive decision to just order a premade meal for Thanksgiving.  We ordered the Whole Foods Turkey Breast for Two Dinner.  It came in oven-safe containers with heating instructions.

I covered the dishes according the the directions, heated up the oven, popped them in, took a shower, and 20 minutes later…

The entire apartment smelled like Thanksgiving dinner and everything was piping hot!

The food was delicious!  In fact, it was the first time in our lives my husband and I had ever had real cranberry sauce.

We also bought the pie and it was delicious as well.

And since we did not spend all day in the kitchen we went hiking and worked off all the calories before we ate them.

You can just call him Mackey the Mountain Dog from now on.  He even did a scramble.

Saturday we had the annual Oaken Bucket Watch Party.  Every year Purdue plays IU for the Oaken Bucket and this year the bucket returned to its proper home…PURDUE!

As always it turned into a 12-hour drinking extravaganza.  The hubby and I made a stop at Taco Bell for dinner on the way home….yes, drank that much.

Sunday we woke up craving hangover breakfast.  After an hour long dog-walk in the park, I busted out the Land O Lakes eggs I received as part of the Tastemaker program.

Add turkey sausage, bacon, Tex Mex hash, and toast. Cook in skillet until edges are a tiny bit crisp.

Best hangover brunch ever.  This meal kept me full until dinner.

Hope everyone had a wonderful long weekend!

Call to Denvernites—-

I will be running the Rudolph Ramble this weekend at City Park, if you are running too (or want to), let me know and we can meet up!

Denver Ladies, if you are interested in doing a Girls Night In in the next few weeks let me know as well because I am starting to plan!

cardiofoodie@gmail.com

I suck at blogging.  It is true.  I will be honest, I really don’t know how people who are not students manage to blog.  Now that I am not up studying 16 hours a day, I find that I am fairly busy not procrastinating.

Speaking of not procrastinating…I am now employed.  (Although technically I have always been working something part-time, I am now real employed).  I don’t want to go into too many details right now because it is only a verbal offer but I shall keep you all posted.

And finally, since I haven’t grocery shopped in a month I thought I would show you some clothes instead of boxes of cereal.

Event:  Denver Court Orientation CLE (Knocking out required credits while I don’t have a job)

Outfit:  Black & Red twist front dress from Wal-Mart (seriously, it was 6.99); Black Suit Coat Worthington from Kohls; Black tights from Target; and Black booties from BASS

Event:  Dinner & drinks with another couple I met at a Denver required Ethics Course

Outfit:  Blue cotton dress from GAP; Brown leather riding boots from BASS Outlet, and Earrings from Forever 21

Event:  Breakfast at Purdue’s Brother’s

Outfit:  Tim Tebow Costume

Happy Tuesday everyone!    Big plans for Thanksgiving?  Not me.  I volunteered to work at my dog walking gig so someone with family here doesn’t have to work.

Hello Blog Readers,

Excuse the absence but I have spent the last week back home in Indiana relaxing and celebrating being an official lawyer.

My trip involved a whole lot of Purdue sports…

The re-dedication of Mackey Arena (yes, my dog is named after the basketball arena)…

And attending breakfast club where I dressed up as Tim Tebow.

Good times that reminded I am not 21 years old anymore.  (Pretty much any good time reminds me of that these days).

Anyway, I finally have an interview for a real job…only a 9 month contract position but 9 months of salary is more than I have right now so lets hope for the best!