Weakless Wednesday Challenge : One for the Moms

What mom doesn't like waking up to breakfast in bed and a handmade macaroni noodle card?
In honor of mother's day and in remembrance of those noodle cards made with the love of a child, this week's challenge will be to create something handmade, simple or complex, every day for a mother in your life. Maybe a stepmom, sister, grandmother, or any other mother you know. Remember to check back, post your comments, and we would love to see photos of what you've created!

Weakless Wednesday : Frownless

Sometimes I catch myself randomly frowning, sulking, thinking negatively, etc. I don't realize how much of a habit that can turn into.

This week, my challenge to you, is to not only go a whole week without frowning, but to also keep your thoughts in check. Our thoughts effect our outward posture. They effect our attitude, reactions to others and ultimately, they effect our beliefs. Let's focus, this week, on turning our negative thoughts into positive ones first... positive things are sure to follow.

Weakless Wednesday : Complainless

Sometimes I forget how truly blessed I am and that, compared to the rest of the world, I am "rich" in the truest sense. I find myself still complaining about things when they don't go my way, wishing for what I don't have, and worrying about the unknown future. I complain that I don't have a lot of clothes when I can't find something to wear, I complain that my car doesn't accelerate fast enough, I complain that I desperately need a hair cut, and new shoes, and that I don't have enough money to enjoy a vacation, or a nice dinner. I complain that I don't have enough time to do what I love, and that my internet connection is too slow.

What I fail to remember are some things I heard about in Rob Bell's Nooma video "Rich".

And that is that I'm part of just eight percent of the world that even owns a vehicle. A staggering 92% of the world does not own a car at all. I am rich.

Somewhere around one billion people in the world do not have clean water. I can go to the sink and fill up my glass with water if I'm thirsty. I am rich.

About 800 million people won't enjoy a meal at all today and every couple seconds someone dies from hunger. I can't decide where I want to go to lunch today. I am rich.

Over one billion people in the world live on less than one dollar a day. I have that amount in change at the bottom of my purse. I am rich.

Lastly, to give the gift of water, and basic health and nutrition to the entire world, it would cost about 20 billion dollars. 20 billion dollars is what Americans spend per year on ice cream alone.

My challenge to you this week is to go this entire week without complaining once. Remember these small facts when you get the urge to complain about something you lack, a situation you are in, a job you don't like, or just not having "enough". Let us not only keep from complaining this week, but rejoice and celebrate in what we have and all of the simple enjoyments we've been blessed with! After all, you are so so rich.



You can watch the Nooma video "Rich" here for free.

Newlessness : REduce REuse REcycle REsolution

I've never quite understood the logic behind making a new year's resolution. I figure if you want to make a change in your life, why not start today? For this reason, I'm not the greatest at making or sticking to resolutions, however, this year, I had a great idea for one. I've been thinking quite a bit about my spending habits and one of my weaknesses is shopping. And then when I'm not shopping, I'm envying what other people have. Sometimes I try to convince myself that I'm just, well, admiring a cut or style and consider it research for my new shop... But, I'm not fooling anyone... not even myself. So, I've quit cold turkey. I've made a committment not to buy one new item for an entire year. I must admit, at first, I thought it was going to be a simple resolution and personal challenge. Here I am, not even one month in, and I about had an anxiety attack when I went to the mall. Okay, I might be exaggerating just a little, but it's definately harder than I thought it would ever be. Since I imagined it would be a simple resolution, I didn't think I would blog about it, but my friends convinced me otherwise as soon as I confessed my struggles with this challenge. I just never thought about how many new things I buy on a daily basis.

Now, you might be thinking you can't buy everything used. Well, you're right. I've made a few exceptions to my challenge, such as food, some toiletries and business supplies. However, I've found ways in even those categories to cut down on spending and to incorporate recycled items. My business is a great example. With Bambu Earth, I make a lot of my supplies from recycled materials, such as my handmade plantable paper labels. With Bambu Closet, most of my clothing items are made using recycled fabrics and eco-friendly fabric from other Etsy suppliers who are destashing their unwanted material. And with Bambu Studio, so far, this challenge wouldn't apply since my only supplies are my computer and my super SWEET Photoshop skills.

These categories aside, I've committed to buying only used, recycled items. So, I have to determine whether the item of my affection, sitting there on that store shelf, staring at me with shiny new packaging is something I really need, something I really really want or just something I kind of want. If, after weighing these options, I find that it is something I need or if it is something I really really want, the hunt ensues. I then have to search out ways to get it without buying it new.

My first challenge was a simple pair of jeans. I've been meaning to buy jeans for a while now. I guess if I were a bit smarter, I would have gone on a shopping spree before January first (however, refer back to the part where I mentioned that I assumed this to be a simple resolution). Okay, so jeans don't seem like they would be that difficult to find used, right? Wrong. Most people reading this probably don't have a 35'' inseam. Finding name-brand jeans, long enough for me to wear, without being altered, and that make my butt look good? It's hard enough finding those qualities in a new pair of jeans from the department store. I started browsing Craigslist and Ebay listings, and I realized I probably needed to try jeans on before commiting to the purchase. I tried to search brands of jeans that I've owned because I know how they will fit, but I just couldn't seem to find the right measurements or sizes.

After surfing the internet, I decided to go to a local thrift store. We have a great one only a few miles from my work called the Buffalo Exchange. They typically have some great stuff. If you don't mind sifting through the array of sizes and styles, this is a great avenue for buying used items. Thrift stores in general are pretty good about accepting only clothing that is in great condition and some items even still have the tag on them. Since I was on my lunch break during my visit, I couldn't spend too much time looking around, but I managed to find a few pair of jeans that seemed to be decent candidates and tried them on. One pair of Bebe jeans fit perfectly, were super long so I can even wear them with heels, and had a price tag of just $22!! These jeans easily retail for well over $100. It made me wonder why I hadn't been shopping at thrift stores all along. I've worn my "new" jeans several times already. They are my new favorite.

Until my next adventure, I challenge YOU to go take a gander at your local thrift store and don't forget to comment if you find something extraordinary!