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Creating a casual walking/cycling culture in America.

America has a traffic problem. And a walk-ability problem. And an air pollution problem. And an obesity problem. And a noise problem. And a pavement-heat-island problem. And an extinction problem. And a climate-change problem. All because we’ve prioritized cars over people. We’re building our cities and our lives around these speeding metal death traps and blaming their victims instead of blaming…

i almost got catfished by my home-town this last week. what with it’s beautiful trees, rivers, lakes, mountains, small-town charm and friendly people…

seriously, i got smiled at by a woman heading into the tiny airport bathroom! rare elsewhere in the world but common where i’m from. it was a little disarming!

Plus, my whole family is still there.

The Russell Clan

august is my…

So I gotta say… I’m feeling pretty smug about my #vegan #blackbeanburgers… These hold up well on a bun AND you can snack on them raw without dying 😆 Oh yeah, and they’re delicious too. Next time I’m going to try adding marinated mushrooms to them for texture! 1 can black beans 1cup cooked white rice (sticky preferred) 1/2 red onion finely diced and caramelized 1tbsp each cumin, Chile pwd, salt,…

Last Monday I got a chance to catch up with a friend I haven’t seen in months because J.O.B. and skool. And homework. And dating. And whatever other excuses I have for being terrible at keeping up with my preferred people. But to be fair to myself, I did work 260 hours last month with only 3 days off… Anyway we were originally supposed to hoof it to Tucson for a Seven Falls hike but A. Stitch…

Water, water, water… There is no shortage of water in the desert but exactly the right amount…unless you try to establish a city where no city should be. – Edward Abbey; Desert Solitaire Yesterday’s adventure reminded me that I’m a lake and river girl. It’s been over a year since I’ve been on the water and nearly 3 years since I’ve taken Herman the paddleboard out to play! I almost forgot my…

how to simplify your beauty routine

my beauty routine usually takes me about 30 minutes. for most of the women i know, that’s about half the time it takes them. it’s because i don’t use most of the products they use. and the less i use the products, the more i realize, i probably never needed them in the first place. why we use beauty products now i’m not a crazy feminist (i’m a humanist… but that’s a topic for another time) but i…

One step closer to being DEBT FREE – How I paid off my credit cards in 1 year

I paid off my last credit card today. Holy shit… I just need to say that one more time. I. PAID. OFF. MY. LAST. CREDIT. CARD. TODAY. that damn card has been the bane of my financial existence since I got it in my early twenties! How To Scam College Age Kids and Make Billions: Teach them nothing about money management or compounding interest, then give them thousands in unsecured debt and tell…

One of the things I love about Phoenix, and Arizona in general, is the focus on conservation. Large chunks of land set aside just for wilderness purposes. Even smack in the middle of the city is a habitat restoration project that’s so precious! There are burrowing owl habitats, and waterfalls and riparian areas, the Audubon Sanctuary, Liberty Wildlife. All within a bike-ride from downtown!…

i was initially worried that i would miss meat... particularly bacon...

i’ve been trying to figure out how to share this post without sounding all preachy like some vegans are… but GUYS i went vegan last september and it was so much easier than i thought! i was initially worried that i would miss meat… particularly bacon… but i really haven’t had a hard time with it. as i started cooking more and more plant-based meals, i noticed that all i really care about are the…

2+ years in a giant city and today i am severely missing the wide open nothingness of rural America, where there is, blessedly, nothing to do but while away the time watching the grass grow. no distractions, no politics, no TV… just a welcome boredom that is the root of inspiration and creativity. i miss unobstructed sweeping vistas of mountains and canyons. hiking trails with no other soul on…

#daveramsey for #single #secular #girls

i paid off my cell phone today. dammit it feels amazing! for some reason, the last $200 of that debt, in particular, has felt like a gorilla on my back! and now its not there anymore! holy moly! I’ve been working Dave Ramsey’s baby steps like a stripper works a pole. ok, maybe not that intensely. but so far in 2017 i’ve paid off $1630, plus whatever all my minimum payments on my other debts have…

Secular Holidays – Fall Equinox

i recently wrote about how, since i let go of religion, i miss celebrating holidays. and not just the consumerist shells of holidays like christmas and easter, but real holidays that place value on real world events, family and community over theology and consumer goods. i’m going to simplify my holiday celebrations and focus on those that center around REAL things like harvests and life and…

9 essential steps to truly making lasting change when starting over.

i originally wrote this post for my personal blog but i’ve decided to use that one for something else, so i’m updating this post so it makes logical sense for this blog. every morning for the last 2 weeks, i’ve gotten up at around 6:30am, made coffee, opened the sliding glass door to my patio and watched rush hour traffic whiz by. there’s a paloverde tree in front of my apartment, which shades me…

in june, i crashed my poor little car (his name is stitch… like lilo and stitch). not only was this annoying because it was the first crash i’ve been in that was my fault, but it was annoying because i had to drive a car with no a.c. during the hottest part of the summer. in phoenix. we’re talking 116-120 degrees, y’all! remember all that news coverage about how planes couldn’t fly because it was…