Gift Guide: Outdoorsy Gifts

Anyone who wanted me to stop being a Debbie Downer can thank my dad for getting me off my pity pedestal and back on the gift guide wagon.

His comment from this blog post:

"Having been around for a couple of these holiday things and having been part of all of yours I can say they are stressful and very difficult to please everyone but as a whole some fond memories are to be had it always seems to work out and there are plenty of people less fortunate. Sunday after two days on my feet and feeling kind of sore I checked in a gentlemen's deer who [the man] was suffering greatly from some issue that he could hardly walk and when I offered to help he said that he could make it and that there were plenty of others in worse shape, kind of made my sore knee problem seem real small. Also enabled me to finish my day with a little more energy. Continue with the gift idea, promote local, green, consumable, reading etc... pa"

 From his comment you might gather that he works an outdoorsy job ("checking in a deer" means that deer done got hunted!), so how fitting that the next theme for gifts under $25 is for outdoorsy people.

I could just give you a few stores (Lands End, L.L. Bean, Gander Mountain, Bass Pro Shop) and let you go wild (zing!), but I've put a bit more thought into it.

I mean, how embarrassing if you were to buy a saltwater trolling motor for a guy who lives in the Midwest. (hint: so embarrassing! Cause there's no ocean near Indiana and that's over $25.)

Flannel

Rain Jacket

Source: fab.com via J on Pinterest

Fancy on-the-go purifying water bottle.

A field guide for their region or area of interest.

Binoculars to make their kid or grandkid outdoorsy!

Earth DVDs, for when the outdoorsman is laid-up or the weather is too harsh to experience nature first hand.

Last Minute Halloween Costume Advice

All of my inner circle seems to have given up on Halloween just this year.

Last year it was all

"We're going to this club"

or

"There's this house party"

This year? Turn down Monster Mash! We're staying in with the lights off so kids don't come ringing the doorbell!

But for you kids out there who are still hitting up a creepy kegger, I have some ideas.

Julia Child

Scary and funny.

Button down shirt.

Handkerchief scarf or string of pearls.

Apron.

Knife.

Accent.

Stuff a small pillow or extra scarf between your shoulder blades for a slight hunchback. 

Gloria from Modern Family

Source: google.com via Charles on Pinterest

Source: morethanjustanimage.tumblr.com via Hayley on Pinterest

Tight wrap dress 

Hair down 

Lip liner outside the lines of your lips 

Accent 

Pregnancy pillow
Wear the slippers from the episode at the theme park if you want to be lazy

 Possibly get your date to wear a golf polo, grey wig and look disinterested at the whole party

Larry King

Source: Uploaded by user via Daisy on Pinterest

Suspenders

Tie

Glasses

Button down

Shoulderpads

Or you could just dress as you normally would for a night out and claim that you're one of the following after a few drinks:

Miley Cyrus

Source: leis-ure.tumblr.com via Myranda on Pinterest

Lana Del Ray

Source: Uploaded by user via Emilie on Pinterest

Adam Levine

Source: imgfave.com via Allie on Pinterest

Flip It Friday: Layers of Questions

Yesterday I was talking with some coworkers about society, American politics, race, company politics, health and current events. It was heavy but beautiful. We created an impromptu round table in my office and bantered about all things noodle-worthy. We were all fair and open-minded. I closed the day out with saying to another, I see the storm clouds in the distance. Something is coming. I'm not sure what it is, but I feel like all of this conversation, theses events are preparing us.

I went to bed last night praying prayers of readiness and woke up to a rainy forecast and a downpour-during-commute. A literal rain cloud had rolled right in.

Let's start in deep and work our way out of the rabbit hole of controversy in my head.

Wrestling in/on my mind this week: The White Savior Industrial Complex. Attending that Justice Conference. Reposting that Kony video. Shoot, basically declaring that I have a calling somewhere in social service. What does it mean to impact people. How do we do "with" and not "to"?

via

Noodle on that.

Let's take a step back now.

Between the TED Talks video below (I'm getting hooked on these lately... thanks, Bebe!) and this article, I'm thinking about SOPA/PIPA again.

I do see how this legislation is never really going to go away. We are too connected of a society now to not share things online. But is copyright infringement inevitable? What about articles like this one that say that being copied is not only the highest form of flattery, but also the best kind of publicity for your business?

What do you think?

Now onto a lighter note (or for those who don't care about SOPA), are you planting a garden this year? Our friends BaM are and so are our landlords/neighbors. MFAMB also did a funny article on planting her garden. (I wish I could compost!) I don't have a green thumb, but I wish I did. Do you have any tips for the greenest (i.e. newest) of the gardeners out there? I hear you should already have your lettuce in the ground!

via

Tipsy Tuesday: Spring Has Sprung [A leak in my dreams]

Hello tropical babes!

Chicago in March. Usually cold(er) ammaright? It's no news and it's not a bad thing... but some of it's side effects are.

Although spring is here (as.of.today.), we usually don't feel it this strongly (80 degrees today? WTF?). The warm weather and sunshine are bringing on some unwanted conditions. Here's a list of things that are ahead of their season and ruining my day.

1) Seasonal allergies. Or pollution. Either way my eyes are red and itchy, my nose is both clogged and runny (how?!), and I have a headache from the aforementioned ailments.

Solution: Neti pot, Zyrtec and coffee. The neti clears the yeti our of your sinuses, Zyrtec is the only allergy med that works for me and coffee assures that my headache is not due to withdraw :)

Hi. I'm a furry yeti. Your sinuses are my spring break vacation home.

2) Ants. Holy raisins on a celery stick, they're here. We're on the 2nd story of a 3-flat and somehow it feels like our unit is directly INSIDE an ant hill. It starts with just a few, but you know once you see them it's too late. They're everywhere.

Solution: Mix water, sugar and ant killer (or borax, like this recipe) and let the ants eat/carry the poison back to the nest. Then call an exterminator because nothing will kill these things short of a Ghostbuster or Frollo wielding a cathedral stone in the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Minute 3:47

3) Hair frizz. I thought I would get a few more weeks out of my do before having to perma-tape it to my scalp. Alas, summer temps and humidity are upon us.

Solution: A good serum and a hair cut. The cut keeps the ends of your hair from frizzing more than normal and the serum helps your cuticle lie-down like a good dog. I got my hair trimmed last weekend at the Aveda Institute and have been using this serum for a few months now and love it. Unlike Moroccan Oil, this stuff is light on my thin hair. I can still wait days to wash my hair as this stuff isn't greasy. It helps my hair dry quickly so I'm not spending a long time under a hair dryer. I think it also helps to straighten my hair.

via

Anyone else strugglin' with early on-set allergies, ants or frizz? What are your solutions? What else is surprising you this spring? 

And for those of you who get a spring break - how's it going? What are/were your plans? I don't get a spring break, but I did get to see some awesome lovelies this weekend - my friends Becca & Mike and my sister & bro-in-law. Both couples have a 1-yr-old and are expecting their 2nd child. How serendipitous? My nephew, btw, knows how to fist-bump now. You just say "give me knucks" and he puts his tiny fits out and pounds it. So awesome. What's not so awesome is that his fine motor skills now include smacking you in the face. The terrible 2's are still a few months off. Hold tight, son. 

Song suggestion courtesy of my 'rents: Carolina Liar, Drown. Sorta reminds me of Our Lady Peace. Neato.