Random Acts of Adventure
Rock, Paper, Scissors - Sustainable Sitting
November 24, 2009
When was the last time you played in the mud? Maybe we should do more of it! As part of a sustainability class my husband is taking the goal was to bring the community together and have a project that is helping to educate around sustainability. In this case, we built a cobb bench at a local elementary school. Literally, we dug up dirt on the site, mixed this with straw and a bit of water (mixing it more like mushing it with your bare feet) and used stones as a foundation as we squished the mud balls in between. Cobb building has been used for thousands of years and is energy efficient and inexpensive. How cool is that?
My take away: Getting dirty is very fun no matter how old you are.
Make It Fun And They Will Come
November 18, 2009
We love this! Fun is awesome ... 'nuff said.
My Parents Were Awesome
November 13, 2008
I don’t know about you guys, but I think we all tend to see our parents as … well … parents! We never really knew them before we were on the scene, so it’s really hard to imagine them as sexy, fun, single, etc.
The caption that blogger Eliot Glazer started called My Parents Were Awesome says, “Before the fanny packs and Andrea Bocelli concerts, your parents (and grandparents) were once free-wheeling, fashion-forward, and super awesome.” Toooo right!
I for one am super lucky to have two parents that I totally dig. They may have their crazy parts, but who doesn’t!? My mom lives just a hop, skip and a jump away from me here in Santa Barbara and my dad lives in a progressive little hippie enclave in Northern California. Both of them met at Humboldt during their college days from 1968 to 1972 (ehem, ya think they were partaking juuust a tad). Anyway, my dad was drafted for the war and ended up joining the navy and becoming a P3 pilot. My mom followed him from navy base to navy base. Both of them I totally salute for their enduring love for one another and the strength to live off that – and a modest wage from the Navy. My mom had the three of us by the time she was 28. She is 21 or 22 in this attached picture with her first babe, my sister, Carrie. At this point they were in between the Philippines and Hawaii. All I can say is you two rock and thanks!
If you want to submit a story to My Parents Were Awesome, do so here! I think it’s a really cool way to remember that your parents were something other than parents, and if anything it’s super hilarious to flip through the pictures on this site and check out the outfits … groooovy!
Rock, Paper, Scissors - Hip Nostalgia
November 10, 2009
If you are going to stay in New York City, the Ace is definitely where the social scene-sters hang. The Ace's lobby always seems to be buzzing. The rooms are really cool ... no cheesy faux painting here, and forget the mauve upholstery! My room had some sort of screen-printed mural that spoke of days gone by. I guess iconic hip nostalgia would sum it up, logos and characters from my childhood that somehow immediately brought me back to the times when Pop Rocks were enough to get the excitement level to a ten. You may or may not identify with these characters depending on your age … the Dr. Suess fish, Mr. Kool Aid, ET, a Smurf as ET’s conscious (look close), etc.
The coolest thing about the Ace’s decorative philosophy is that every room is unique. You’re not staying at some corporate hotel where theme is set for all 200 rooms in a board room somewhere, you’re staying at a hotel that feels more like a friends house with really great art and taste. Not pretentious or snooty, but sleek and comfortable.
Check it out when you are in NYC, and if not, they have other locales!
Ferris Fascination
November 9, 2009
Recently I was at a music festival in San Francisco. The festival was amazing with headlining acts like MGMT and the Flaming Lips bringing down the house. But, for some reason my fascination kept getting drawn to the Ferris wheel they had there. In between sets people flocked to this wheel of light, lining up in childhood anticipation of a vista filled whirl around the wheel. As I sat there watching this, I couldn’t help but wonder about where this lovely contraption came from.
What can I say … inquiring minds want to know.
The Ferris wheel was actually built to rival the Eiffel Tower, which was the centerpiece at the 1889 Paris Exposition. It debuted at the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. It was named after its creator George Washington Gale Ferris, Jr. (whew that’s a name), who was rumored to have drawn the design for the wheel while out for dinner with friends and only made a few adjustments to the original drawing. Smart guy that Ferris. Sadly the original wheel is gone, but the iconic structure has lived on at fairs the world round and music festivals, apparently – always evoking a feeling of wonder from our younger years, something that I think is needed in this world.
Pee Outside
November 6, 2009
I was recently on one of our beautiful Channel Islands here in Santa Barbara. Santa Cruz is protected now by The Nature Conservancy from further use, thankfully and will remain a gem in the pacific and home to many endangered species.
On the island, like here on the mainland, water conservation is a major issue. There are signs posted in the bathrooms and kitchens at the field station asking us to conserve water – for the record, I did my part by not taking a shower.
Beyond being a little feral and not bathing, there are other ways to save water, like not flushing when you pee – OR, just go outside, which is the best seat in the house anyway. Here’s a great site that supports the use of the great outdoors as a means of relief. There are rules to follow (i.e. exposing yourself in public is bad), so make sure you check it out before you take it out.
Not so fun fact: According to the United States Geological Survey, each flush is an average of 3 gallons. YIKES!
Binary Chef - What a Crock!
November 5, 2009
When it comes up in conversation, I generally take the stance that I don't like the crockpot. While this isn't completely true, it's much quicker to say than the real story I'll share with you here. In short, I'm really not a fan of shredded beef (typically what you end up with after slow cooking all day), I don't do stew, and it breaks my heart to hear stories of people experimenting with this method of cooking for the first time and expecting a delicious meal of meat and vegetables, but instead ending up with a pot of drab colored stuff which both looks and tastes like meat and vegetables at the same time. That said, we have one of these contraptions at my house, and it does get used. I'm just very particular about what goes into it. The "recipe" below was a shared with me by a long time family friend (thanks Scott!) when I was in college, busy and broke. This very simple hearty meal is still in our fall/winter rotation. These slow cooked country style pork ribs can be served over rice or potatoes, but my favorite is to turn it into pulled pork sandwiches.
Slow Cooked Country Style Pork Ribs
• country style pork ribs
• 1 diced onion
• 1 bottle barbecue sauce (whatever you like)
Start by browning your pork ribs on all sides in a pan on the stove. This step will give your finished product more flavor and texture than putting them directly into the crock-pot. Lay your browned ribs into your slow cooker on top of the diced onion, and pour the bottle of sauce over the top. If your choice of sauce is particularly thick, you can add a bit of water. Cover, cook on low for 8 hours. Enjoy! For pulled pork sandwiches, I like to use Bolillos, typically used for making tortas.
Rock, Paper, Scissors - Nasty Week 12-Step Program
November 3, 2009
1. go home
2. turn on soulful music
3. crank it up ridiculously loud
4. get a giant soft blanket (like our cashmoore blankets)
5. wrap self in blanket, burrito style
6. extend arms externally from burrito
7. use arms to hold large bag of cheetos, doritos, or oreos
8. throw pillows in giant pile in center of living room floor
9. throw burrito-style self onto giant pile of pillows
10. arrange self to allow uninhibited access to snack bag
11. lay there
12. do foot dances
Pet Costume Contest
October 16, 2009
Autumn is here and with the "holi-daze" just around the corner, we're taking this opportunity to celebrate the simple pleasures in life. Who reminds us how to slow down and take pleasure in the little things better than our four-legged friends? Cat naps, a game of fetch, a pat on the belly, a scratch in that certain spot…Our pets are our role models as we take a step back to enjoy the fun, easy, laid back ways of living that have lasting value and special meaning.
From October 7th until November 2nd, submit a photo below of your pet in costume.
Tell your friends to vote by "liking" the photo. (they'll have to become a member of the group in order to do so.) (see below for more details on the judging).
Three lucky pets and their humans will win a Horny Toad gift card and some special pet treats from West Paw Designs!
1st Prize: $100 Horny Toad Gift Card, West Paw Designs Nature Nap, West Paw Designs Tango or Kitty Lure
2nd Prize: $50 Horny Toad Gift Card, West Paw Designs Nature Nap, West Paw Designs Tango or Kitty Lure
3rd Prize: $25 Horny Toad Gift Card, West Paw Designs Tango or Kitty Lure
Plus, from now until 10/20, when you use the code: HUMANE at Horny Toad check out, we'll donate 5% to the American Humane, AND give you and additional 5% off your order!
PHOTO CONTEST TERMS & CONDITIONS
1. Participants must be a fan of 3 pages to be eligible to win (but that's easy!):
http://www.facebook.com/HornyToadClothing
http://www.facebook.com/americanhumane
http://www.facebook.com/pages/West-Paw-Design/144185072970?ref=sgm
2. Horny Toad Clothing has the rights to use the uploaded photos for promotion of the Horny Toad Clothing's Pet Costume Contest. (meaning we might make your pet famous, by using your picture in our newsletter or on our blog and stuff, nothing crazy.)
3. Awww, mate, sorry - this contest is open to US residents only. Prizes will not be shipped internationally.
Binary Chef - Hello Old Friend
October 15, 2009
In college my go-to "fancy" or "show-off" dinner was teriyaki chicken. There's something very elegant (again we're talking college here) about the appearance of teriyaki-marinated chicken with a deep brown color and crisscross grill marks coming off of the flame. Plus, it smells and tastes delicious. Somewhere along the line, this chicken preparation fell out of my rotation. I'm happy to report that it's busted it's way back in!!In one of those desperate moments last night with the refrigerator door open, staring at the contents of the cold box and hoping for inspiration to strike, Jessica decided to make fried rice (we had leftover rice from Cammy's delicious Thai red curry, and some great vegetables from the farmer's market.) We decided to grill some chicken to put in it, and used the old school secret of marinating chicken in a mix of 1/2 orange juice (personally, I like mine with no pulp) and 1/2 teriyaki. The OJ cuts some of the saltiness of the teriyaki, give a great citrus hint to the meat, and acts as a bit of a tenderizer. It doesn't need to marinate for very long maybe 1/2 hour (but it's great if you have time to leave it overnight), then throw it on the grill over medium heat, let the flames do their job and enjoy. Last night it went into our rice, but I also like it a lot with grilled green beans. The possibilities are endless!
Crusade Against the Mundane
