Make a mixed CD for a friend

Scott, my fellow turtle and a very good friend, is about to embark on his next big adventure - to be a phenomenal individual who brings the Double H Ranch camp program to children and families in local area hospitals.

To support him on his road trip across the country, friends have made him a number of mixed CDs for him to play along the way. A cheap, easy while very thoughtful idea that is sure to bring Scott much happiness for the next 6 days. Each playlist is carefully created with Scott in mind - it's a wonderful combination of songs that Scott would enjoy along with the favorite tunes of friends. Happy travels, Scott. We love you!

Put some change in a stranger's meter

Parking meters, ugh.

No joke, at the start of last year I budgeted $400 for "parking tickets and other violations," as the line item read. Optimistic, no. Realistic, yes. I thought that if I properly budgeted for these in advance I'd be less disappointed when I received a ticket. Instead of being upset I'd say to myself, "I budgeted for this." No need for me to get all huffy about it.

Parking meters are a reality in nearly every city and LA is no exception. I keep a good $10 worth of quarters in a compartment of my car to honor these machines.

One of my least favorite sights in LA, the "parking services" little golf cart and the attendant who strolls through parking lots looking for those blinking "expired" lights.

So here's an idea: when you see a parking attendant in the parking lot about to write-up a ticket that is sure to be a wrench in someones day, slip a quarter into the meter.

Buy someone some time, literally. A quarter, a dime, a nickel - anything will help.

OneHOPE

Recently I went to a get-together where a friend brought ONEHOPE Wine. ONEHOPE Wine donates half of all their profits to charity and has proudly donated over $400,000 to date. Through their simple 3-step purchase, contribute, donate process, OneHope fights against AIDS, Autism, and breast cancer while supporting our planet, our troops, and children's hospitals!

Here's a little bit more about the ONEHOPE movement, from their website:
"ONEHOPE effortlessly seeks to turn ‘giving back’ into a lifestyle of hope and change. Thus enabling wine lovers to enjoy the product and be a part of ONEHOPE's vision with little effort by the consumer...ONEHOPE was started by eight friends who turned what started as a personal mission to help out a friend with her fight against cancer into a thriving business which is founded on a very basic, but compelling principle: giving back is good business. The eight founders started the company working out of their living rooms and selling wine out of the back of their trunks. Since the inception of the company in June 2007 the company has grown from 0 to well over 20,000 cases sold."

"Where there is room to make change, there is ONEHOPE"

Share a recipe

When I want to eat a cookie I bake a cookie. Being a woman who has a bit of a sweet tooth directly after meals (including breakfast) ultimately this means I bake a lot of cookies. Chocolate chip oatmeal cookies are my fav!

This is my all-time go-to cookie. I can practically whip up a batch in less than 5 minutes. Well, I've never timed myself but I know I'm quick. I don't even need the recipe! And, for this love of chocolate chip oatmeal cookies I have Mom Foster to thank!

In college I was fortunate to be a suitemate of the one and only Ashley. Mom Foster, Ash's mom, would FedEx her specialty cookies to Ashley often. Lucky Ashley and lucky suitemates! I fell in love with these cookies at first bite. I knew we'd be connected forever.

Throughout college Mom Foster would make and FedEx these cookies. While Ashley and I moved into separate dorms and apartments throughout our college years, Mom Foster would still send the cookies and the best part, she'd put a little ziplock bag of cookies with my name on it. She knew how much I loved them and she was more than loving to always put some aside for me. Yup, I'm the luckiest.

Just after college I took a gigantic roadtrip across the country and one very important stop along our trip, the Foster's in Maryland. While they housed Tasha and I for a week while we toured D.C., my priority of this visit - make cookies with Mom Foster!

And dreams do come true. While there was so much to see in lovely D.C., I came away from this trip with my favorite cookies and the tool to have them as my own for the rest of my life: the recipe. I learned from the best when I learned from Mom Foster and she was so generous to me for sharing her recipe. She even gave me all the tips to chocolate chip oatmeal cookie perfection - a stick of butter and a stick of margarine, exactly what the top of the cookie must look like when taken out of the oven, and leaving the cookies on the pan for 4 minutes to cool, to name a few.

Now I can enjoy them forever - and forever I will! I do my best to pay it forward. Tomorrow I'm taking these cookies into the office where my co-workers have become very familiar and equally as grateful.

Thanks Ashley and thanks Mom Foster - for the cookies are one direct representation of your love! I remember this everytime I bake and enjoy.  

Please, share a recipe today!

Take A Hike

In honor of the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday and the 80 degree Southern California weather, today I took to the Santa Monica Mountains.

Solstice Canyon happens to be one of my favorite hikes. It's a beautiful trail that starts in the canyon, past the ruins of the Roberts Ranch House, to a 30-foot waterfall, then climbs to the ridge of the canyon where the views overlook the canyon to the Pacific Ocean. Simply perfect.

Today what was most outstanding about the hike was the number of children and families that, like me, were taking advantage of the holiday and beautiful weather. A Boy Scout troop, two other boys no older than 6-years-old walking side-by-side, a young girl who was mezmerized by a something on the trail (I couldn't even tell what it was!) who slowly lost distance between she and her family, or the two young girls who we're soaked playing in the creek in their full hiking outfits - all of these children enjoying life to it's fullest! Whether sharing the joys of childhood friendship, stopping to take wonder in something, or giggling carefree as little ones put their hands under the mini-waterfall of the creek it was so refreshing to see so many parents (and "troop moms") take their children out to enjoy mother nature. 

Seems simple and easy to do - to take a day and go on a hike - but I'm sure most everyone wishes they could live days like today more often.

Cheers to the beautiful day! Lesson from the children: take full advantage of beautiful days such as these!

Granola Bars for the Road

When I started this blog, a good friend of mine kept telling me I had to blog about this. So here goes.

Living in LA, unfortunately, seeing individuals who are homeless is a daily occurrence. For years there was a man named Sam that lived caddy-corner of my apartment. Everyday I'd pass him by and my first apartment mate reminded me that if we have leftover food that would only go bad in our fridge, to remember Sam and offer him some food.

Everyday right before the on-ramp on my way to work, without fail, there is a man or a woman with a sign asking for help. The man on the corner today had a sign that said, "Will work. Don't do drugs or alcohol. Help - food, money, a smile. Have a nice day." I've started to notice that they sometimes bring a dog - please help me and my dog, their sign reads. Most signs are often concluded with a smile face on the box sign or a "God bless you."

I try to stay positive about helping while also remembering to be realistic - that just because their sign says they won't spend money on alcohol, who am I to know how they really spend their money?  And, I'll be honest, there have been times I look at them receiving money from the car in front of me and I wonder to myself if they make more money than a hard-working man or woman who works a minimum wage job. Really, it takes just 8 people to offer a single dollar bill within 60 minutes to make a "decent" earning. It doesn't seem too far-fetched standing in the busy intersection on-ramp of the busy Santa Monica Blvd. and the 405.

My solution: keep a stash of granola bars in the center console of my car. While I won't offer them money, a granola bar will help tide their hunger. I admit, I don't offer it to every person I see standing on this corner everyday but I do my best to be generous and do my little bit to try to help in a way I feel comfortable.

I try to be conscious of purchasing granola bars that offer substance and nutrition - nuts, fruit, protein, not just chocolate chips. And, when there's a sale on a special health bar I take advantage to change it up from the fruit and nut.

I realize that many people have different thoughts on how to help and safety must always be priority. While there are many ways to help -  offering loose change, purchasing a meal, handing a granola bar out the window when stopped at a red light - I've also heard that a simple smile acknowledging their presence is the most helpful of all.

Pet Sit for A Friend

This is Buddy, my officemate! Buddy is a good little fish and is doing just swimmingly.

One fact about a pet - they bring along some responsibility! They require and deserve food, care, and human interaction. Thus when I was planning my trip home for nearly 2 weeks I wasn't so sure where that would leave my good pal Buddy.

I thought of a few ideas only to have run into obstacles that would only burden the temporary caregiver. A colleague would be in the office about every other day, conveniently similar to Buddy's feeding schedule. Then we realized that she planned on switching a day which would leave Buddy without food for too long. I decided asking my apartmentmate to drop a few pellets in for Buddy was the best option even though wasn't sure fish responsibility would be well-received. Then, straight from the fish heavens comes colleague Chris.

CB, as I refer to him, is well-familiar with Buddy and is very friendly to my two-finned friend anytime he comes into the office. CB also has twin boys, yes that means two boys, who are a year and a half old. When I casually talked to another co-worker of ours about my Buddy plan, CB chimed in and said that he and the Butler boys could fish-sit. (enter music: Hallelujah!)

I was relieved. Buddy would be well-cared for while I was away and I'm sure he'd have a lot of fun with those Butler boys!

I gave CB the over-protective caregiver email that included Buddy's feeding and water change schedule, transport information, and Buddy's likes and dislikes especially because Buddy was to celebrate his 1-year birthday while I was away! After sending all of this I quickly remembered that CB was father to two 18-month old boys who are alive and well... Buddy would be just fine.

And, as I expected, Buddy had a wonderful time at the Butler household. Buddy hasn't stopped raving about his two weeks of "freedom and fun" as he says. Hmmmm... 

And when I asked CB to share a story of Buddy's adventures he said, "Well, I'll share what can be shared..."

I might never know what happend but I know Buddy had a great time with the Butler's. 365 Days of Service gives them a great big flip-of-the-fin for their pet-sitting services!


P.S. When I asked about how they celebrated Buddy's first birthday, CB told me they put in a floating candle to celebrate! So fun for Buddy!