green is VERY sexy

I love this site. i look at it at least daily, if not more than that. It offers great daily green tips and lists Green books, movies, products, recipes, and more! Check it out.

http://www.greenissexy.org

Daily Thought

I receive the "Daily Thought" from Real Simple Magazine. I wake up every morning and it is waiting in my inbox for me to read. It is a great way to start the day with a little bit of inspiration. I especially liked what I saw today:

"As I grow to understand life less and less, I learn to love it more and more."-Jules Renard

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change?

Official Food, Inc. Movie Site - Hungry For Change?

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CANNOT WAIT to see this movie. Go to the website and sign the petition to support healthy food choices in schools!

Skinny Bitch!

I read this book last Saturday. I'd heard a lot about it and finally got it on Swaptree (traded my copy of "Baby Proof" by Emily Giffin).

The text on the front says it ALL. It really is a no-nonsense, tough love guide on how to get thin. But not in the way that one would expect. I really love the way that the authors, Rory Freedman and Kim Barnouin, use the cover of the book to intrigue potential readers. A passer by might think that "Skinny Bitch" offers the latest and greatest ways to drop pounds and fit into those high school jeans again.

However, Skinny Bitch glorifies all the reasons why humans should live a vegan lifestyle. As a vegetarian of two years, I was a little taken back by what the book was actually about (as I'm sure most are), but also appreciated everything that the book offered. Some sections of the book are actually a little hard to stomach. They go into detail about the disgusting habits of the meat industry in the US and explain all the reasons why the bodies of humans are not built to consume and digest milk from any other being besides other humans.

I really enjoyed Skinny Bitch. It made me start paying attention to everything that I eat on a daily basis. I've reverted back to being strict about eating whole wheat everything, using soy milk for my coffee and cereal, and watching my dairy intake in general. I recommend this book to ANYONE who says that they could NEVER be a vegetarian. I'm not looking to convert anyone, I just think that most people will pay more attention to what they are eating and where they are getting their food from after they read this eye-opening, quick read.

Shameless Promotion

DRUMROLL PLEASEEEE.....I have a job! I didn't mention it in the last post, because I feel that it deserves its own.

A few months back, I was at Down 2 Earth: An exploration into sustainable living expo at the Hynes Convention Center in Boston. I came across a booth wayyy in the back of the room exhibiting an online company called Swaptree. I had never heard of it before and was intrigued by the computer screens that they were using to exhibit in contrast to the surrounding natural soap purveyors from Vermont and the organic food provided by Trader Joe's. I approached them and wanted to know more. Swaptree is a website that allows you to post books, CDs, DVDs, and video games that you have already read, listened to, watched, and played in order to TRADE them for items that other users have. BRILLIANT! I left the booth very excited to get home so I could start my new found hobby of bartering. I continued to walk around and look at other booths, when I had the sudden urge to go back to the Swaptree booth and ask if they were hiring. At this point of unemployment, I really had nothing to lose. One of the founders, Greg, gave me his business card and told me to send him my information.

I got home and became ADDICTED to this website. Over the course of the last 3 months, I have completed 23 trades. I took all the books displayed on my bookshelf that I've already enjoyed and found them new homes in exchange for fresh, beautiful books that now have turned my bookshelf into a home shopping experience. When I finish a title, I just throw it up on my "Have" list on the website and eagerly await my next trade to come!

In May, I received an email requesting an interview and I started two weeks ago. How perfect does this job fit my new love of frugality? They pedal a very green service, not to mention that we try to be as green as we can in the office. And I'm among the people who started the website, which means they are just as obsessed with swapping as I am.

If you haven't been to Swaptree, check it out!
http://www.swaptree.com/WebFrmLandingPageBasic.aspx?mediatype=5&promotioncode=TB_AllZ

My official starting point

Last October, I left a well paying job after three months. It was certainly not the job for me and I unfortunately found that out the hard way. After living the good life for four years while in school, I now had no cash flow and i'm pretty certain that my bills even had bills (damn the credit card industry for lurking on college campuses.) Oh yeah, and the economy collapsed.

Fast forward to April 2009. I had been jobless for 6 months (refusing to fall back into retail HELL) and was watching my decent credit score take a plunge off of the high dive. It was perhaps the scariest 6 months of my life. I had so much time to think about how stupid I was with my money in college and how we, as American teenagers, are never taught (and I mean NEVER) about how to appropriately deal with our finances. I decided that I had no choice but to turn my life around, but unfortunately couldn't start until I found a J-O-B. I have a decent resume for someone my age and could not get interviews for the life of me. I have the American economy to thank for that.

When I wasn't job hunting, I was looking for DEALS anywhere I could find them. I finally became the woman that I didn't think I'd ever be...my mother. A little about my mom. I think her official tagline should be "did you look at Goodwill?" I was raised being dragged to yard sale after yard sale before the sun came up. Whenever I needed a prom dress or a new pair of shoes, Goodwill was always the first place to look. And it wasn't that we were desperate for money, my mother is just the epitome of a BARGAIN SHOPPER. And now, I have followed suit.

I live in the city, and appreciate the many fabulous opportunites that come with the city lifestyle, but I have officially crossed over to what I'm going to refer to as the "dark side." I crave thrift store shopping. I get excited when yard sale season starts. I'm coming to appreciate the words "antique" and "vintage," rather than "new" and "trendy." Not only is being thrifty good for my wallet, but also good for the environment. Thrift store shopping is the ultimate form of recycling. Whenever I go home to Maine, I make a point to swing by Goodwill and usually always pick up another coffee mug to add to my random mug collection (My favorite being a mug from Epcot in Disney World circa 1983 with a purple cartoon dragon wearing a hat.)

To sum things up, I learned a lot in 8 months of unemployment. I learned that bills need to be paid (and on time.) I learned to appreciate the idea of thriftiness. And perhaps the biggest step I've taken is adjusting my buying/spending habits, which now is one other thing that I can be proud about in my already very-green-daily-lifestyle. Oh yeah, and I've learned that it doesn't hurt to want to turn into your mother. I'm 23 and am pretty sure I'm already there.

I've created this blog to share my many thoughts, opinions, and general daily banter on anything from my latest thrift store score to a new recipe to tips on living a greener lifestyle. I welcome any comments or suggestions with open arms and hope that Thrifty Bean is well worth reading.

Enjoy!