by Jasmine | May 17, 2013 | Anniversary Gift Ideas, Gift Baskets
I’ll admit it…Scott and I saved the top tier of our wedding cake and had some around the time of our one-year anniversary. But we did something else on the actual day that was way better. (As for the cake, it wasn’t awful, but it definitely wasn’t as tasty as it was on our wedding night—when I took an extra spoonful of the sweet stuff after Scott fed me one!).
Unique Ways To Celebrate
To properly celebrate our big milestone, Scott and I made reservations at the restaurant that’s connected to our wedding hall. It was surreal driving on the winding road that led to the place where we exchanged vows (and proceeded to dance our butts off). In an ideal world, I would have ordered the Southern Comfort station foods that I didn’t get to eat because I just wasn’t hungry during my cocktail hour, but alas, they weren’t on the menu. I also hoped we’d get to roam the grounds and take photos in the outdoor ceremony area and the ballroom. We should have guessed that there’d be another couple getting married on that popular last Saturday night in June!
Still, I was so glad we went. Just being there brought back a lot of the wonderful-ness of our wedding day, and shouldn’t your anniversary do that? If your wedding hall doesn’t have a restaurant you can visit on your anniversary (or you can’t return to it because you live hours and hours away or it burned down or something), try one of these other ideas:
Best Anniversary Gifts – Order a Small Cake from your Wedding Bakery.
If you choose the same flavors as your wedding cake, you’ll get the same nostalgic feeling (minus the queasy feeling!) that eating a cake that fills your freezer for 12 months would give you. Live far away? See if they’ll ship it or if there’s a local bakery that offers the same flavors.
Return To The Site Of Your First Date.
On our five-year dating anniversary, Scott and I went back to the South Philly Island ice-skating rink where we ventured out in public as boyfriend and girlfriend for the first time (at the ripe old age of 15). It was Scott’s idea to take me there, and it was the best surprise (maybe not as big as Laura’s engagement surprise, but still great).
Throw A Party
With any luck, your bank account will rebound by the time your one-year anniversary rolls around and you can host a big, fancy bash. Or you can do what Scott and I have done for our last two dating anniversaries (that’s right, 15 years later and we still celebrate it!): We invite all of our best freinds to our apartment and set up a Rock Band station and a Wii station. It’s my favorite night of the year!
Watch Your Wedding Video.
You may know about this tradition already (heck, it may be the only reason you splurged on a wedding video in the first place), but it really is a great time to relive that day. If you’ve seen the video way too many times by that point, give this a try: Turn off the sound during the speeches and put words into the mouths of your best man, maid of honor, and whoever else toasted you. Invite the speakers over for a real laugh!
How would you want to celebrate your first wedding anniversary? Would you try any of my ideas? Will you eat your wedding cake despite the warnings?
For more ideas on the best anniversary gifts, click here.
by Jasmine | May 11, 2013 | Gift Baskets, Romantic Date Ideas
I was thinking about buying a gift for a girlfriend for her birthday then I considered the social, ecological and environmental effect that my option would make. I might just buy it with FTD, which is a flower delivery services that work with delivering flowers to all the florists in the nation that belong to the FTD system.
Buying Organic Flowers
Purchasing organic produce such as fruits and vegetables has been gaining more significance and you learn through stars who always try to eat gluten-free or organic so what is the effect of buying organic flowers when thinking of gifts for a girlfriend?
Buying Organic Mean Choosing Health For Yourself
When you buy presents for a girlfriend and if you are thinking of buying organic you are having an influence on so many levels. The first level is on your own wellness. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the diseases and illness that buying vegetables and fruits sprayed with pesticides can have on your stressed, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory
Anniversary Presents That Affects The Environment
systems. They have actually been proven to bring about higher levels of all kinds of illness but the most remarkable one is cancer.
Buying Organic Means Choosing Health For Workers
Since it has actually become the mainstream farming practice for industrial farms to spray their production with chemicals, there has been a doubling of cases of cancer and various other sickness and illness. It not just is unhealthy for the person who is eating the fruit or veggie but also for the workers who select and grow the production and who have much greater exposure levels. Normally, the employees are undocmented migrants which means they don’t get any health perks and have no choice if they get sick or hurt on their task. The lot of cases of illness, illness and even death from these workers is hugely unknown due to the reduced reporting of these cases.
Saving the Environment
When you purchase sprayed flowers for gifts for a girlfriend from a grower is the damage it does to the dirt and water, the various other element to think about is that. Pesticides often remain in the dirt for a minimum of fifty years and they can seep into the groundwater also. When the water is affected this can also impact the livestock such as cows or pigs that are often on close-by farms. When you eat beef or pork that has been tainted from pesticides in the water then you end up eating more unsafe chemicals.
There also is an influence on healthy bugs such as ladybugs, honeybees and butterflies which have a massive positive influence on the entire environment. Without the pollination of honeybees, there would be less almonds, fruit and flowers. There is currently an upsurge of honeybees disappearing which is having a really unfavorable affect for all the flower and almond growers in numerous regions in America.
Buying Organic Means Fair Trade
When you purchase flowers as a gift for a girlfriend then there is a worldwide financial trade policy that you are impacting with your acquisition, frequently. Typically, sprayed flowers and produce mean that the industrial ranch is simply considering producing in the cheapest possible method with the least regard for their worker’s wellness or income. When you buy organic that commonly translates to fair trade policy for little farmers.
Finals Thoughts
When you are thinking of buying your following present of flowers for your girlfriend for a birthday or anniversary, think about the health, social, environmental, eco-friendly and international effect that your pocketbook has on all of these things.
When you buy presents for a girlfriend and if you are thinking of buying organic you are having an impact on many levels. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the diseases and illness that purchasing fruits and vegetables sprayed with pesticides can have on your nervous, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems.
For more information on a romantic gift for girlfriend, click here.
by Jasmine | May 8, 2013 | Gift Baskets
I was considering buying a gift for a girlfriend for her birthday then I considered the social, eco-friendly and environmental effect that my selection would make. I might just buy it with FTD, which is a flower shipment services that work with providing flowers to all the flower shops in the country that belong to the FTD system.
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Flowers
Purchasing organic produce such as vegetables and fruits has been gaining even more relevance and you learn through stars who constantly try to eat gluten-free or organic so what is the effect of purchasing organic flowers when thinking about presents for a girlfriend?
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Mean Choosing Health For Yourself
When you buy presents for a girlfriend and if you are thinking about buying organic you are having an affect on numerous levels. The first level is on your very own health. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the diseases and illness that purchasing vegetables and fruits sprayed with pesticides can have on your stressed, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. They have actually been shown to result in greater levels of all kinds of illness but the most noteworthy one is cancer.
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Means Choosing Health For Workers
Ever since it has become the mainstream farming practice for industrial ranches to spray their production with chemicals, there has actually been a doubling of cases of cancer cells and various other illness and illness. It not only is unhealthy for the person who is consuming the fruit or vegetable however likewise for the workers who choose and plant the production and who have much greater exposure levels.
Typically, the employees are undocomented immigrants meanings they do not receive any wellness perks and have no choice if they get sick or wounded on their task. The number of cases of sickness, disease as well as death from these employees is extremely unidentified due to the reduced reporting of these cases.
Gifts For Girlfriend – Saving the Environment
When you buy sprayed flowers for the gift for a girlfriend from a grower is the damages it does to the dirt and water, the various other aspect to consider is that. Pesticides often stay in the soil for
Gifts For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Flowers
at least fifty years and they can permeate into the groundwater too. When the water is influenced this can also influence the livestock such as cows or pigs that are typically on close-by ranches. When you eat beef or pork that has been polluted from pestices in the water then you end up eating more dangerous chemicals.
There likewise is an impact on healthy bugs such as ladybugs, honeybees and butterflies which have a huge positive affect on the whole environment. Without the pollination of honeybees, there would be less almonds, fruit and flowers. There is presently an upsurge of honeybees dissapearing which is having a really adverse have an effect on for all the flower and almond raisers in lots of regions in America.
Present For Girlfriend – Buying Organic Means Fair Trade
When you purchase flowers as a gift for a girlfriend then there is a worldwide economic trade policy that you are impacting with your investment, typically. Typically, sprayed flowers and produce suggest that the industrial farm is simply considering producing in the cheapest possible means with the least regard for their worker’s wellness or income. When you buy organic that frequently translates to fair trade policy for small planters.
Gift For Girlfriend – Finals Thoughts
When you are thinking of purchasing your following present of flowers for your girlfriend for a birthday or anniversary, consider the wellness, social, environmenal, ecological and global effect that your pocketbook has on all of these things.
When you buy gifts for a girlfriend and if you are thinking of purchasing organic you are having an impact on so lots of levels. There are all kinds of scientifically shown research on the illness and illness that purchasing fruits and veggies sprayed with pesticides can have on your nervous, endocrine, hormonal, cardiovascular and respiratory systems. The various other element to consider is that when you purchase sprayed flowers for gifts for a girlfriend from a grower is the damages it does to the soil and water.
Frequently when you purchase flowers as a gift for a girlfriend then there is a worldwide financial trade laws that you are influencing with your acquisition. When you purchase organic that typically translates to fair trade policy for small planters.
For more information on a romantic gift for girlfriend, click here.
by Jasmine | May 3, 2013 | Gift Baskets, Romantic Date Ideas
Who are they?
Organic Bouquet is a mission-based business that cares about environmental, economic and social sustainability that strives to have a positive affect on the world. With a goal to make a positive impact on the world and to inspire customers to make responsible choices, Organic Bouquet wants to influence corporations of all sizes to make an easy step to becoming more eco-friendly and socially responsible.
Organic Bouquet flowers are sustainably raised and have actually been accredited by third-party firms, such as USDA, Fair Trade or Rainforest Alliance. Their product packaging is gentle on the earth, safeguards ecology, and is made with sustainable and naturally degradable products.
Organic Bouquet – What You Need To Know.
Organic Bouquet is included in several neighborhood tasks around the globe and holds over 48 partnerships with charitable organizations. Organic Bouquet has the chance to make a distinction while boosting their value for sustainability and expanding to new heights financially and ecologically.
In 2009, Organic Bouquet included an outreach program intended at helping the planters in the Andean Highlands of Ecuador finance the investment of flower seeds. Organic Bouquet funded 100 % of the seeds empowering these farmers to grow an exportable crop and make a reasonable livable return, all while preserving the regional ecological community.
Organic Bouquet Review – What’s Good About Them
Organic Bouquet wants to influence corporations of all sizes to make a basic action to becoming more eco-friendly and socially accountable. The Corporations For Good program provides a low and easy cost platform for doing just that. An employer can declare Organic Bouquet as their official eco-friendly floral source for business presents.
With this collaboration, the company will get a unique reduced rate and each time an investment is made online at www.organicbouquet.com through the corporations account, a percentage of the profits will be donated to a charity chosen by the business.
Offered by Organic Bouquet— which provides earth-friendly flowers and presents– when you buy these roses, you’re not just eliminating hazardous chemicals from our environment, you’re likewise helping farm workers in developing countries support their households. Each investment helps provide education, healthcare and tasks with livable earnings for raisers and craftsmen. In addition, certified sustainable ranches use over 60 % female workers-providing task chances where there as soon as was none.
OrganicBouquet.com selections make a favorable impact even when they’re in transportation; a contribution is made to a fund that’s recovering forests in Central America to offset the carbon released during transport. That commitment extends right down to the packaging– printed with soy- and water-based ink on recycled or recyclable materials. Being socially accountable has never ever been easier, more affordable or more stunning.
With a mission to make a favorable effect on the world and to influence consumers to make responsible choices, Organic Bouquet is reaching out to stars for assistance. A celebrity lends their name to a selection of licensed sustainable flowers and every time those flowers are bought online at www.organicbouquet.com, a percentage of the profits will be contributed to the charity picked by the celebrity.
Organic Bouquet – What I Didn’t Like
Organic Bouquet doesn’t have the cheapest flowers on the market, so if price and not being ecologically, globally and socially responsible is your top priority then you are better off using another company such as FTD or just a local flower shop that may or may not have a commitment to pesticide free products and sustainability.
Organic Bouquet – Final Thoughts
With every buy from OrganicBouquet.com, you are enhancing the life of a small flower farmer or professional and safeguarding the environment for generations to come.
To find out more about buying flowers from Organic Bouquet, click here.
by Jasmine | Jan 15, 2013 | Beginner Yoga
Beginner Yoga Tips
I’ve been teaching a class at the Mt Airy Learning Tree in Philadelphia the last few years called, “ Beginner Yoga for the Stiff and Inflexible“.
A lot of the students that come have a lot of anxiety about the poses. Many times they confirm they are in the right class before we get started. Last night a student came up to me and said, ” This is my first time doing yoga, so I’m not going to know a lot of the terms and poses. ” I assured her that she would be fine and she was in the right place. I’ve always thought it was pretentious for yoga teachers to only use the sanskrit word for a pose. Unless you are in a yoga teacher training class, 90% of the students will have no idea what you are talking about. Beginner students won’t know the pose even if you use the English word for it. Ok folks…. everyone get into staff pose. I always thought it was a sign of an unskilled teacher to just bark out names of poses without anatomically describe how to get into them. How easy is it to tell someone to do a downdog and opposed to tell them what they should be doing with their feet, toes, elbows, hips, legs, head, ribs and neck?
I’ve taught a lot of yoga the past few years and this particular class has always been the most popular one. I think it taps into the anxiety people have about trying someone new. There is a lot of performance anxiety in any sport or physical endeavor and I always spend a fair amount of time telling students to use the practice just to become more aware, to let go of performance anxiety and to stop the pose if it is painful. I can hear audible sighs of relief when I tell the class to be mindful of these things.
Clothes to Wear in Yoga Class
Beginner Yoga Tips for the Stiff and Inflexible
1. Avoid a heavy meal right before. No double bacon cheeseburgers or cheesecake right before class. If you eat, something light like a grilled chicken salad or a few handfuls of almonds. Part of the secret reason I started telling students this is that I use to have a lot more farters in class. Advising people what to eat and not eat right before has cut down and people cutting the cheese audibly in class.
2. Bring a yoga mat. Last night in my class I had two students out of seventeen that forgot mats despite a few messages out to the group to buy a mat. Even if the studio has mats, they are often not cleaned very well or very often.
3. Wear clothes you can stretch in. For some people this may mean sweats. Sometimes people wear shorts but these can rip during some of the wide-legged poses. For women this means a fitted shirt so if you do a forward fold your shirt doesn’t flip over. If you wear a tank top, be aware that you want one that covers your cleavage so you are not giving too much of a show.
4. Turn your cell phone off. I see some people that have their cell phones on their yoga mat. Occasionally, medical professionals that are on call or people that have pressing child care issues tell me before they might get a call and have to leave during class. Everyone else though, please turn off your phone.. if it’s important then they will leave a message.
5. Come early. Arrive a few minutes early to decompress. When I lived in New York, my apartment was so small I couldn’t do legs up the wall. I used to get to class 20 minutes early so I could get some bonus yoga in. How annoying is it when you come late to the class and there is all kinds of rearranging that has to happen to accomodate you?
6. Watch some beginner yoga on youtube before you come to class. Then you’ll be familiar with the langugage, flow etc and it will be less intimidating for you.
7. Let go of the need to do the poses perfectly. It’s your first time. Allow yourself to experience it fully without fear of your performance. Many of the students have been doing this for years if not decades so they might be more flexible than you. It’s not a stretching contest so no one wins a prize anyway for putting their foot behind their head.
The Yoga Mat Tie
On an unrelated note. My new yoga mat tie. I know this seems like the most simple product ever, but that’s because it is. And sometimes, you don’t need all of the bells and whistles–you just need something streamlined and basic that does the job–and that’s what The Yoga Mat Tie does. It’s been a great little solution for unruly mats.
