2.10.2012

the end.

by erin

well...here it is.

as you have probably noticed from the dwindling posts over the last year or so, my heart's really not into blogging anymore. so I've decided to shut my blog down.

I started b:d:l during law school when I was in desperate need of a creative output, and it helped give me an escape from a law school routine that made me pretty unhappy. so I'll always be grateful to the blog for getting me through that. but now my life has changed, and I no longer have the drive for blogging that I once did.

so it's time to say goodbye. thanks to all of you that have read and commented over the years. I appreciate you more than you know.

and who knows...I may be back someday.

xoxo,
erin

1.27.2012

Minnesota is so pinteresting

by erin

A few recent pins featuring my beloved Minnesota...

it's true.
Source: flickr.com via Erin on Pinterest


biking in Minneapolis = the best thing ever
Source: dribbble.com via Erin on Pinterest


Summit, Surly, Lift Bridge, Fulton, Flat Earth...shall I go on?

 
I can't get enough of Minneapolis bike prints.
Source: google.com via Erin on Pinterest


Well, if I wasn't excited for summer and biking/beer drinking weather, I am now.

1.20.2012

squeaky clean

by erin

In my never-ending efforts toward a greener lifestyle, I've all but eradicated plastic from my shower. And it was surprisingly easy!

To be honest, I never really considered the environmental impact of using products in plastic bottles until last summer, when my mom, tired of constantly throwing away plastic bottles, decided to stop buying body wash and switch to bar soap. "But I recycle plastic bottles," you're probably thinking. And I commend you for that, of course, but plastic recycling is not as efficient or eco-friendly as we would like to think (you can read more information about plastic and recycling here). So, really, the best way to reduce the impact of plastic bottles on the environment is to buy less of them.

So I made the switch to soap.
 

Buying bar soap is actually kind of fun. There are so many delicious-smelling soaps around, and it's easy to find soap that is locally-made from eco-friendly products that are good for your skin (check farmer's markets or local gift shops). A few of my favorite national products are Toms of Maine Daily Moisture Beauty Bar, Trader Joe's Oatmeal and Honey Soap, and the heavenly Archipelago Pomegranate Body Soap (which I got in my January Birchbox!)
 
 
 
 
After tackling body wash bottles, I moved on to shampoo. I had read about Lush's bar shampoos but was a little freaked out by them, to tell the truth. But after I bought and started using the Seanik Shampoo Bar, I was afraid no more.  It is easy to use, lasts forever (I'm going on 2+ months of daily use and still have about half the bar left), and leaves my hair soft, shiny, and healthy. Win, win.
If you use this, I highly recommend getting a wire soap rack - unless, of course, you want to turn your bathtub bright blue...


What about you? Do you think you could make your shower plastic-free?

all the best blog posts are in list form. it's true.

  • Again, it's been over a month since my last blog post, and again, I have no excuse except that the holidays happened, I've been crazy busy at work, and I just didn't feel like blogging. In fact, I contemplated shutting the whole thing down, but then I thought of all of the hours I've spent getting the formatting just right and I couldn't do it. So I'm trying out something new: actual writing about my life, verbal-diarrhea-style. Get ready.
  • Because I would probably lose my Native Minnesotan card if I didn't talk about the weather, I need to mention two things: it has been unseasonably warm this winter, like 50 degrees in January. Until today. It is currently five degrees below zero. 
  • And because he's smart like that, my cat picked last night to escape out the back door, which I didn't realize until this morning. I found him across the alley, scared and shivering, but thankfully he's okay.
  • Cold weather = dog booties.  Who's my special boy?
  • Ryan and I recently realized that we were in a very boring mac and cheese/Chinese food/veggie burger rut, so I've been trying to actually make some of the recipes from my Pinterest food board (what a concept!). So far I've made this and this and this, all of which were pretty freaking delicious.
  • I'm not much of an Ani DiFranco fan, but I randomly started listening to her new album on Spotify today and I'm really loving it so far. Who knew?
  • We can all agree that Angelina Jolie looked terrible at the Golden Globes, right? And that Nicole Kidman looked amazing? Good, I'm glad we're on the same page.
stay warm!