Tall Tara

This is Day 5 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to kick start my blog writing and to express my gratitude for living where I do. I first saw these series of posts on The Communicatrix (my very first blog crush) and when I asked, she encouraged me to copy her. Here are 21 days of my favorite products made in Boulder…who knew this was a review blog?

BlogHer 07 was only a week away. It was going to be my first blogging conference. And you know that blogging conferences, especially female-specific ones, are all about what you’re wearing and carrying. I needed a laptop bag that wasn’t ugly and that could fit my huge laptop. What’s a girl to do?

Well, if you’re a Colorado girl, you go to a gear store (any excuse to go to a gear store!), bring your laptop and find the right bag for the job. This little number by Sherpani is the only one that met both my criteria. Two years later, I’m still using it almost every day. It’s been bomber, to say the least.

The buttons are my flare

My Sherpani laptop bag accompanies me bike commuting and traveling. I even wear it when I’m out on an adventure and not carrying my laptop around. The flowers on the inside of the lid, the excess of pockets, the waterproof interior…function and design working together to make a stellar product.

I’ve been seeing more and more women with Sherpani bags in airports all over the country. I always smile and compliment them on their taste. The only thing that could make this bag any better is to have a celebrity name attached to it.

Oh wait…Guy Kawasaki is all over this bitch.

You should have seen his real face when I showed him his button face on my bag at BlogWorld last year.

I have a sneaking suspicion that this won’t be the last Sherpani bag I own. Even though my friend Berly asked me recently if it was a diaper bag. Please. Not yet, my friend, not yet.

Follow them on Twitter and check out their outlet store for sweet deals.

This is Day 4 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to kick start my blog writing and to express my gratitude for living where I do. I first saw these series of posts on The Communicatrix (my very first blog crush) and when I asked, she encouraged me to copy her. Here are 21 days of my favorite products made in Boulder…

A kitchen sponge is just a kitchen sponge.

Unless you start thinking about how the sponge got to be that bright yellow color.

Or what happens to that sponge when it gets nasty and you throw it away.

That’s where Twist comes in.

“We’ve made a complete collection of naturally spongey, scrubby cleaning marvels.  They clean dishes, respect the planet, and look good doing it.”

I can appreciate Twist’s mission because I often try to look good while cleaning the dishes. My husband cooks a lot and as a result of that, I do a lot of dishes. As someone who has spent much time with many kitchen sponges, why wouldn’t I want something that was 100% biodegradable and dye-free? A product I can feel good using while doing a chore I don’t always feel good doing?

Yet another selling point in my book is that you can throw the Twist sponges in the dishwasher. This may not mean much, but in the long run, you’re re-using your sponge more which reduces the amount of sponges you have to buy. Not to mention that kitchen sponges get to be super nasty germ villages, so a trip through the dishwasher is a good thing.

The loofah sponge is my personal favorite. I tried the naked sponge once (probably drawn to its name) but wasn’t as happy with it. I missed the scrubbing power of the loofah. And if you’ve never missed the scrubbing power of the loofah, then you’ve never known heartache.

Small changes start with you, me and the kitchen sponge. I’m doing my part…are you?

P.S. Bonus points to Twist for showing how to make bird feeders out of old sponges.

P.S.S. I also adore the design and minimalist packaging of the Twist products.  Nothing fancy…it just works.

This is Day 3 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to kick start my blog writing and to express my gratitude for living where I do. I first saw these series of posts on The Communicatrix (who I want to be when I grow up) and when I asked, she encouraged me to copy her. Here are 21 days of my favorite products made in Boulder…

Do I really need to say more?

What’s that? You’re still not convinced?

Just to be sure, they print a love poem on the inside of the wrapper.

Oh, Chocolove, you had me at 65% cocoa content.

This is Day 2 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to kick start my blog writing and to express my gratitude for living where I do. I first saw these series of posts on The Communicatrix (who I want to be when I grow up) and when I asked, she encouraged me to copy her. Here are 21 days of my favorite products made in Boulder…

It all started when I was a barista at a coffee shop on the hill. Being around that much coffee was both a dream and a nightmare. While I loved drinking coffee, there was only so much I could handle. I needed an alternative that wouldn’t cause me to be jittery but would keep me going during the course of a busy shift. Enter Yerba Maté. It provided me the energy I needed without all the nasty side effects of coffee…no crashes, no nervousness, no stomach pain…just a smooth and harmonious cuppa goodness.

“Maté is the gentle hum of an awakened mind and a vibrant body. It’s the sensual soar of your essential being. Yerba Maté is energy that’s balanced, not frantic.”    –Pixie Maté site

Yerba maté comes to us from South America where tradition calls to drink it from a gourd. Pixie Maté, located in South Boulder, has made it a little easier to enjoy this delicious beverage without the use of a hard-shelled fruit. Whether it’s single serving tea bags, mate concentrate or ready-to-drink bottles, Pixie Maté gives you many different ways to get your maté on.

I currently have a box of their tea in my cupboard, frequently purchase the bottled Green Tea Yerba Maté flavor and have been known to order a Maté Latte at coffee shops around town…what can I say? I love the way that maté makes me feel–energized without the high-strung anxiety that comes with coffee. Not to mention the crazy amount of antioxidants contained in yerba maté, almost 12 times what you find in normal green tea. No wonder I feel so good after drinking it.

Pixie Maté gets their maté straight from the source–certified organic growers from Argentina. And while the maté may not be local (& it shouldn’t be), Pixie Maté does an excellent job of giving back…both to Boulder and to the people of Argentina. In addition to supporting a Reforestation Effort in Missiones, Argentina, Pixie Maté partners with a host of other eco-conscious companies around town and helps to power some of the crazy athletes you see training for hundred-mile races.

Besides enjoying the taste of Pixie Maté, I also appreciate the product’s design. There is a decidedly optimistic feeling to the starry mid-50’s aesthetic of the Pixie Maté brand. The company’s slogan is “Drink Deep, Take Flight”, messages on the glass bottle encourage you to “please reincarnate” and reassure you that “you’re safe here”.  A little cheesy but not too far off from how good you feel after drinking this stuff. Of course that could be the marketer in me talking.

However, the coffee snob in me has had enough yerba maté to know how much I like it*. And Pixie Maté has obviously made a fan out of me.

What about you? I can’t be the only one who loves the maté, right?

(For even more, check out the Pixie Mate blog and be sure to support your local Pixie!)

*Did I mention that I may have had some yerba mate earlier this evening? Or that The Pixies are one of my favorite bands? And in case the title of this blog wasn’t enough, did I mention that I’m so tall that no one would ever think I was pixie? Also, do you know how long it took to put those little accent marks over each letter e in  the word mate?

[All images courtesy of Pixie Mate]

This is Day 1 of a 21-Day Salute ™, an attempt to kick start my blog writing and to express my gratitude for living where I do.  I first saw these series of posts on The Communicatrix (who I want to be when I grow up) and when I asked, she encouraged me to copy her. Here are 21 days of my favorite products made in Boulder…

Image: Justin's Nut Butter

I first met Justin at the Farmer’s Market three years ago. He was giving away free samples of his peanut (and almond) butter, answering questions and working the crowd. After tasting his nut butter and hearing the story of how he made small batches of it by hand in his kitchen, it was easy to see why so many people were flocking to his stand.*

The passion he shows for his nuts is contagious and the final product? I do declare…Justin’s Nut Butter is to die for.

Justin’s entrepreneurial spirit and enthusiasm have helped to fuel his company’s success. His nut butter is pricey, but in a town like Boulder, people can afford it. The 16-oz. jars are a staple on the shelves of Wild Oats/Whole Foods and even on a tight food budget, I’m okay paying the extra money for Justin’s. It’s become more important to know where my nut butter is coming from and to know who I’m supporting with my money. Unfortunately, I can’t say that about everything I buy.

Earlier this year, I was excited to see that Justin had wowed the crowd at Venture Capital in the Rockies just as he had wowed the Farmer’s Market. My CEO was there and wrote a review of the event, calling out Justin’s Nut Butter as one of his favorite companies. He called them “the next Izzy”, which, considering Izzy got acquired for an estimated 75 million, is not a bad comparison.

Apparently, my CEO and I aren’t the only ones who like the stuff. Even in the midst of a recession and a recent salmonella outbreak, Justin’s is experiencing record sales. They recently received $600,000 in funding and Justin is quoted as saying…

Probably the best thing about Boulder is the consumer acceptance of local, natural, organic products. So without the right mentorship to develop the product and the right consumers in Boulder to want to buy the product, this would have never started.

Image: REI.com

(We don’t want to imagine a world without Justin’s Nut Butter,now do we?)

The turning point for Justin and his nut butter came in 2006 when he created a squeeze pack for easy on-the-go applications. As a backpacker and hiker, I love having a way to take peanut butter on the trail with me but before Justin’s peanut butter squeeze packs, there wasn’t an easy (and non-messy) way of bringing it. Once again, I’m not the only one who enjoys a high-protein snack after vigorous activity in the mountain. Justin calls the squeeze packs a “game-changer” and says that they now generate over 80% of the company’s revenue.

My favorite flavor is the Honey Almond Butter, although I have yet to try the Maple Almond Butter. I recommend squeezing some on your next banana. Natural ingredients “sustainably harvested and found as locally as possible” with a pledge to maintain only mindful business practices. Do I need to go on?

You can follow Justin on Twitter and see if they sell his delicious stuff in a store near you.

(One last thing. You try to write a post about nut butter without constantly cracking a smile. Especially a nut butter with the tag line…knead and squeeze.  If you can do it, you’re much more mature than I.)

A final picture of Justin and his nuts…

Image: Whole Story

*I don’t think it hurts business that he’s cute and crunchy. But that’s just the marketer in me talking.

Ummm…mic check, one, two, one two…

So, right, sorry about my silence. Honestly though, things were a little crazy in February, with less days and my birthday and a comedic presentation and a blogging conference.

There are no good excuses to be made about the blog neglect. But hey, I’m back and attempting to be better than ever. And? I’m getting married tomorrow.

That being said, why in the hell am I writing a blog post on the eve of my elopement? Basically, I am a week overdue in posting my birthday list of what I want to do this year. By sharing it now,  I can cross at least one thing off the list the day after tomorrow. (And if you know me at all, then you know how much I really love crossing things off lists.)

1. more yoga
2. run another marathon
3. elope
4. work on improving my green thumb by growing beans and helping with the community garden
5. pay down credit card debt
6. write more letters
7. perform stand-up at least once a month
8. incorporate strength training into my workout routine
9. reach out to my old friends
10. play another season of Ultimate Frisbee
11. do more push-ups
12. explore new parts of Colorado
13. give more bodywork
14. roller derby!
15. experiment with video
16. get scuba certified
17. blog more
18. learn basics of Photoshop
19. buy more vintage clothing
20. get rid of unnecessary stuff
21. say yes more
22. reach outside of my comfort zone
23. swim
24. throw a kickass wedding party
25. volunteer my time with a cause close to my heart
26. get the tattoo on my ankle redone
27. be sure my loved ones know how I feel about them
28. dance more
29. put money in my savings account every month
30. acknowledge gratitude daily
31. practice compassion
32. forgive and forget
33. learn how to juggle

Let’s see how I do. I promise it will not be another month until my next post. Especially since I’ll have rad pictures of a mod wedding dress to share very soon. (If that’s not a teaser, I don’t know what is…)

*Thanks to Caroline for being a constant source of inspiration and for sharing her own list.

**Somewhat interesting tidbit…Caroline and I have six things in common on our lists (almost twenty percent), which helps to illustrate why we’re friends in the first place.

Here are a few of my favorite things from this year’s conference:

• Partying with the Kirtsy chicks. This is now the fourth state we’ve hung out in and I always enjoy our time together. An inspiring group of women that never cease to amaze me. Thanks for the invite ladies. And thanks
  for your backyard and the paella Guy.

• Hanging with the Boulder and Denver ladies in a different place with the same results.

• Wearing cute shoes and having a straight man compliment me on them.

• Partying in a department store. I’ve never done it before and it turned out to be both weird and awesome all at the same time. The party started off a little awkward in the handbag department, but by the time we had made it up to lingerie, we were ready to roll. (The hot chocolate shots and KY lube samples were highlights of that floor!) While I may have had some flashbacks of Mannequin, I just thank god I didn’t break anything.

• The “lactation lounge”…I didn’t hang out in there, but I challenge you to find something like that at any other conference.

• Ridiculous swag. I recycled almost 2/3 of all the freebies I received and I still had this much…



• The BlogHer Unconference and the amazing amount of knowledge exchanged and connections made.This event is the perfect way to end the weekend. It’s always exactly what it should be.

• Spending time with inspiring mothers who patiently listened as I talked about wanting kids and swooning ovaries. Here’s one trying to ignore me as I continue to talk about it…
  

• Listening, learning, laughing, building new relationships and strengthening old ones. Ironic that at a blogging conference I wasn’t blogging. But I was too busy interacting to be bothered with logging on.

Thanks to all those I met. You’ve restored my hope in the humanity behind the Internet and reminded me just how powerful women speaking their truths can be.

I was talking to a friend about my return to the stage and some of the fears I had. She suggested I write down why I wanted to get back up there. Without worrying about how it would sound, I scribbled my reasons for wanting to try stand-up comedy again. My hope is that perhaps, by making the list public, it will serve as a reminder of why I’m subjecting myself to the torture of trying to make strangers laugh. Again.

• the fear of not being funny
• the challenge of writing new material
• a creative exploration into who I am
• the dedication and energy needed to pull it off
• the chance to employ some old-school improv skills
• to take the risk and put myself out there
• to feel the rush of adrenaline when there are laughs
• to help my writing
• blog content
• meet new people in the community
• to find out about other creative opportunities
• shine up that stage presence
• the mic, bitch

It’s happening soon. Excuse me while I go work on some new material.

Photo credit: Gratzer via Flickr

Yep. That’s me. I’m the number five most bangable blog babe for the month of January. This list is maintained by one Maddog, a self-described lifelong learner and pick-up artist extraordinaire. I’ve had some time to reflect on the “honor” that has been bestowed upon me and have decided to follow the advice that Maddog left in a comment on my other blog. I am going to wear my crown with pride!

To be completely honest, when I first saw the post , I felt a little dirty. There was a small foul-smelling wave of disgust that washed over me. But that didn’t last long because my comedic timing, also known as my onstage survival instinct, kicked in and I began to think of the joke potential that was just handed to me on a shiny blogspot platter. This was a gift.

Some of the funny one-liners that came about as a result of my inclusion on this list:

• “Too bad you have to wait eleven more months to find out if you’re the most bangable blog babe of 2008.”…a friend from high school
• “You totally could have been #4!”…my co-worker Daniel
• “This is what you get when you’re a girl on the Internet.”…Derek, another co-worker
• “I’m so proud of you and disappointed in humanity.”…my supportive boyfriend
• “Why didn’t he install the wijit?”…too many people
• “Check one of my goals for 2008 off the list.”…me

Part of the beauty of The Most Bangable Blog Babes list is that it’s the perfect compliment/insult*. Am I offended or do I laugh? It’s really hard not to laugh when you start reading the pathetic lines that he assigns each girl. And yet, to give Maddog some credit, at least he’s honest. He’s not pretending to be interested in my blogging abilities or my mental talents. Just my oral ones. Ha.

Veronica Belmont** may be a sexy geek, but I’m a bangable blog babe. It’s 2008 and I’m okay with that. To answer the title of the post, I haven’t really encountered any burdens associated with my honor. Except that I have to look bangable all the time. Fortunately Maddog is picking five new blog hotties to feature in a few weeks, which means that I can go back to being merely cute and dorky.

*Another good compliment/insult…”Those bangs make your face look thinner!”

**My new bangs may have been slightly influenced by her.