guest post: mia @ the chronicles of chaos - how to unwind

Today I'm happily welcoming fellow Virginia blogger Mia from The Chronicles of Chaos to the blog! She has a fantastic guest post on unwinding for everyone. Take it away, Mia!

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Hi everyone! I'm Mia from The Chronicles of Chaos. I'm a self-proclaimed nerd extraordinaire and blog about books, writing, and life in general. Katelyn was kind enough to let me invade her blog today, so thank you, Katelyn! :)

I want to talk to you today about unwinding. Goodness, these days it seems like we're always moving at the speed of light, doesn't it? The hustle and bustle of every day with work, significant others, pets, blogs, trying to eat clean and work out - I'm exhausted just thinking about it all! With our busy lives, sometimes we lose sight of how important it is to slow down and take care of ourselves and recharge. Without further ado, here are 5 Ways to Unwind.

Read a book.

OK, so I already told you I was a book nerd, so this shouldn't come as a big surprise. Sitting down to read a book, even if it's during your lunch break or before you go to bed, can help you relax. So pick up that book that's been on your shelf for months and dig in. If you need any recommendations, I bet I could help you out!

Take a bath.

I don't know about you, but there's nothing more relaxing than a nice soak in a warm bubble bath. Or maybe you're more a bath oil or bath bomb person - whatever floats your boat. Maybe light some scented candles. Drink a glass of wine, even. And just sit and let your aches and pains and stresses melt away.

Listen to music.

One of my favorite ways to unwind is to listen to some mellow, laidback music and relax. I like to lie in bed and close my eyes and sing along. Something about comforting music just makes me feel right at home.

Enjoy nature. 

Go to the park and find a bench and just take in some fresh air. Look at the birds and squirrels. People watch. Or take a leisurely walk around your neighborhood. Even just sitting outside in your backyard can be relaxing.

Take a nap.

I realize this sounds overly simplistic, but really - sometimes the best way to unwind is to take a nap. A power nap, a long nap, whatever. Your body needs to recharge every once in a while. And when you wake up, you'll feel so much better!

Anyway, I hope you utilize one of these methods of relaxation and feel refreshed! If you have some tips to share, leave a comment below! And thanks again to Katelyn for letting me "borrow" her blog for a bit. :) Feel free to come visit me anytime! Ciao!

-Mia

7 simple ways to go green

How green are you? I think almost all of us produce a little more waste than we should. We're human, we make mistakes, we live in a world with a lot of trash. BUT there are lots of little simple things you can do to reduce your impact on Mother Earth. Here are seven simple ways to get a little greener:

1. Recycle.
Of course recycling makes it on this list, but think about it - almost everything can be recycled! I try to only buy products that are recyclable or don't have much waste. We keep a little bin next to our trashcan so there's no extra step - it's either trash or recyclable, and all in one place! It's so much easier to remember with a bright green tub staring you in the face. If you don't have a streamlined catch-all recycling bin like we do, be sure to separate your items by type when you drop them off - some recycling centers have strict rules.

2. Opt out of a plastic bag.
Do you really need a bag to carry your candy bar and soda (or maybe apple and water if you tend to go the healthy route) from the gas station to the car? How about when you're just picking up bread from the grocery store? No. Save that waste! Grocery bags never biodegrade and end up killing a lot of wildlife. Turtles frequently mistake floating plastic bags as jellyfish, eat them, and choke to death. Keep reusable bags in your car, by the front door, in your locker at school or work, and you can even pick up small collapsible bags for your purse! When you're picking out vegetables and fruits, those priced per piece don't need bags. You're going to wash them anyway, right? If your veggie choice is per pound, you can grab some of these reusable produce bags. If you're having trouble remembering your reusable bags, you can get a FREE static cling from Conserving Now to stick on your car window so you remember.

3. Cut back on meat intake - participate in Meatless Mondays.
I'm not going to put "go vegan" on this list - it's presumptuous. Not everyone can or wants to go vegan. However, factory farming is one of the largest negative impacts on the environment, and cutting back on meat, dairy, and egg consumption can help! You don't have to cut out animal products altogether (though that would be great!), but participating in Meatless Monday can really help your health and the environment! If you are interested in going vegan, always do your research for a well balanced diet.

4. Go digital with magazines and books.
First let me say that I am a HUGE fan of holding an actual, tangible book. I like physically turning the pages. With that said, I do try to buy a percentage of my books on my Nook. You don't even need an actual Nook if you have a smartphone/tablet or laptop - you can get the Kindle and NOOK apps for free. If you still love getting your magazines in the mail, remember you can recycle them! :)

5. Turn off lights, adjust your thermostat, and check your windows and doors.
When you leave a room, turn off the lights. Don't turn the air conditioner below 72 degrees or the heat above 65 degrees. Turn off the thermostat completely and open the windows when the weather is mild. Not only do these simple little tasks get ingrained into habits quickly, they save you money. Check your windows and doors for leaks when your thermostat is on - that's valuable cooled or heated air you could be losing! You know when your mother used to yell "ARE WE HEATING THE OUTDOORS?!" - well, are you? The squirrels are used to it - they don't need air conditioning!

6. Unsubscribe to junk mail.
I love getting mail, but in the end I've realized that junk mail sucks. It's of no use and just gives the potential to spend money. There are websites that claim to unsubscribe you from catalogs and junk mail, but many take six weeks or more to contact a company and have you removed. Majority of the time there is a number on the catalog/junk mail that you can call. Simply say you are calling to unsubscribe, and the person on the line should be able to help you and process your request much quicker than the websites.

7. Use your appliances wisely.
Only wash completely full loads of laundry (but don't pack them in - you can set your washer off balance). If you have a dryer, this tip applies in the opposite fashion - drip dry your clothes whenever possible. We have a clothesline in our laundry room that I hang the majority of our clothes on to dry. Anything that is needed immediately goes in the dryer. Sometimes I can fit three loads of laundered, dryable clothes in the dryer on one cycle instead of three! Not using the dryer greatly lengthens the life of your clothes, too! If you have a dishwasher, always completely fill it before you start it. It saves soap and energy. If you have a habit of leaving the television on when you fall asleep, set the timer! It will cut off after you fall asleep and you'll save those hours of energy used.

These are just a few tips, but there are hundreds more ways you can go green! Remember - every little bit helps. Don't beat yourself up if you toss your soda bottle, or if you leave a light on when you go to the store. It's about progress, not perfection!

vegan cuts box - may

I got my second Vegan Cuts box last week! I was really anticipating it this month. There were lots of goodies! (And I'm gonna be honest - I was most anticipating those ranch chips!)

Last month's box, food wise, has a couple things I haven't tried yet, just because I don't normally eat them. This month, though - I think I'm gonna devour most of this pretty soon.

I'm gonna be honest - I don't like olives. And yes, I've had them. I just tried one about a week ago at the restaurant where I moonlight - I couldn't get over the texture. I want to love olives. I really do.

I'm not sure how the lemon fig bar will be. I normally only eat lemon/lemon flavored anything in the form of fresh lemons in my water, but I'll give it a shot.

Since it's been 90+ degrees almost every day here in Virginia, I'm probably going to wait for one of those rainy weeks to use the Jiva hot chocolate.

We've finally gotten our stove wired, so I can start making dinner! I'm going to make tacos pretty soon, so the Meatless Select Vegetarian Taco Meat is perfect!

And more spread! I've been wanting to get some mini bagels to try all my spread samples on - this month's sounds delicious!

I am a potato chip fanatic. I cannot wait to get into these ranch chips from Beanfield! I'm a little leery of the kale and chia chips, just because they're not normally something I would buy, but I do love kale, so they should be great.

We love pizza in this house, so the pizza dough is going to work out great! I might make some homemade sauce and venture out for some veggie cheese - I can't wait!

The Jyoti snack mix looks pretty yummy - I'm thinking I might settle down with a good book and snack on it.

So there's this month's box! I'm sure I'll have more mini reviews on my Instagram when I finally delve into these awesome products.

my first vegan cuts box

Monday I got my first Vegan Cuts snack box! I was so excited. I have a hard time finding products specifically targeting the vegan audience (or new and exciting products, period) - our area hasn't really gotten with the program yet. My solution? Have those products sent to me!

First, let me explain the box a little. For $19.95 a month, you can have a box sent to you that's full of vegan goodies! And no, this isn't a "if you click on the links, I get credit toward a box" posts. I just think this is a really good idea and wanted to share it! It's a great opportunity to try new and existing products before you buy full size.

Since this is my first box, I didn't know what to expect. All the goodies looked so good, and I really can't wait to try out the Numi Tea in Tomato Mint! It's such a bizarre sounding flavor, but I think it'll be great. The protein blend looks pretty awesome, too, so I'm gonna blend that up one morning with some bananas and strawberries! I'd never heard of the other products, but incorporating more animal free items into my routine is always welcome.

The thing I was most excited about was this:

The BNTO canning jar lunchbox adaptor! These were included with all the boxes last month when I decided to sign up (and I'm gonna be honest - this and the $15 Vega credit were a large part of why I decided to go for it) and I was so excited. I've wanted one of these for a while, because ain't nobody got time to fish two plastic containers and lids out of the cabinet for veggies and dip.

So there you have it! My first box!