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		<title>World War C</title>
		<link>https://livingcleananddirty.com/world-war-c/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=world-war-c</link>
					<comments>https://livingcleananddirty.com/world-war-c/#respond</comments>
		
		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Fri, 02 Sep 2022 16:27:49 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Eco Friendly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Green Tips]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Live In the Moment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[anxiety]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[brad pitt]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climate change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[climombies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comedy]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[environment]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[world war c]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[zombies]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">https://livingcleananddirty.com/?p=6316</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>I love movies, always have. A decent rom-com, a good tear-jerker, even a few sci-fi movies have kept me entertained, but there’s one genre that I just can’t get into…zombie movies. During quarantine I started watching a movie called World War Z. Basically it was ten million zombies versus roughly 14 people, so it was...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/world-war-c/">World War C</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img fetchpriority="high" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-6327" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/pexels-cottonbro-54355621.jpg" alt="" width="212" height="319" />I love movies, always have. A decent rom-com, a good tear-jerker, even a few sci-fi movies have kept me entertained, but there’s one genre that I just can’t get into…zombie movies. During quarantine I started watching a movie called World War Z. Basically it was ten million zombies versus roughly 14 people, so it was pretty much every zombie movie ever. Even with the incredibly above average looking Brad Pitt as the star (that man can wear the hell out of a scarf) I just couldn’t get into it and turned it off halfway through. Everyone is just running, the odds seem insurmountable, they never stop to eat, sleep, screw or poop. No wonder they’re terrified, and probably super bloated and cranky…no thanks!</p>
<p>So before you start asking “Ellen, is this really an article about zombies, Brad Pitt or your fear of being bloated?” Well, for the record it’s not about any of these things, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t seen Thelma and Louise at least a dozen times.</p>
<p>So, my real problem with zombie movies is me. I know if I was the main character I’d just give up. It just looks too hard to keep fighting and for what…you know in the end you’re either going to end up being a zombie or end up being lunch. Why fight it? Well, shit…now I feel awful about myself. I’m a bad-ass mom, I eat healthy, I own a treadmill and a cute workout outfit. In the face of overwhelming odds, am I really quitter? Don’t I want to be the cute, plucky superhero who saves the world and doesn’t treat their family like a 3-pack of TV dinners? I feel like these are valuable, yet oddly specific questions I have to ask myself. In the face of what may feel like an overwhelming crisis are you going to be Brad Pitt or are you going to be lunch? (although if being Brad Pitt’s lunch was an option I might change my answer)</p>
<p><img decoding="async" class="wp-image-6323 alignright" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1272720_10201574098108096_1213847988_o.jpg" alt="" width="216" height="288" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1272720_10201574098108096_1213847988_o.jpg 918w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1272720_10201574098108096_1213847988_o-700x933.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/1272720_10201574098108096_1213847988_o-768x1024.jpg 768w" sizes="(max-width: 216px) 100vw, 216px" />Ok, a bit dramatic and I fully acknowledge that I’m not a superhero (although I have been known to pull off a decent Wonder Woman and a kick-ass Batgirl during Halloween). So while zombies are not (yet) a thing, there is a very real crisis that is actually sweeping the planet. It’s our very own real life World War C (it’s for Climate and unfortunately not for Cookie, because I might fight all of you for the last cookie). We need to realize that it’s no longer Climate Change &#8211; it’s more like Climate Already Changed. It’s not coming…it’s here. In my head I’ve combined the onslaught of a wave of zombies and my anxiety about Climate Change into an eco-boogey-man-mega-monster I have dubbed <strong>Climombies</strong>. And just like that beautiful scarf-wearing man I’m going to fight like hell and I’m going to do my best to drag you all along with me. Right now California and Montana are on fire, icebergs are melting, Europe is hotter than hell, Kentucky has too much water and Mississippi doesn’t have any, it’s time to go to work!</p>
<p>“But Ellen, I’m only one person, how many lights would I need to turn off during the day to make a real difference?”  Well, I’m here to tell you that the answer is…<u>just one</u> and tell a friend to turn off one too. If they tell a friend and that friend tells a friend then that’s how we beat the Climombies. I don’t want to be lunch, I want to be one of the green heroes we need right now and you can be one too (mask and costume are optional&#8230;but they definitely make some activities more fun.).</p>
<p>I started writing this blog before they called it “eco-anxiety” back in <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/planet-box-version-2/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">2014</a> when it didn’t have a name. Well, 7 years later it has a name and now instead of letting the Climombies win by just lying down and getting eaten (metaphorically of course), I wanted to fight back. The time for talking is over. We are way past turning off lights when we leave a room and recycling your tin cans. These things are still important, but I want to talk about the next level of being eco-friendly. I like to give you tips and examples to make you say “huh, I never even thought of that”. I’m not going to tell you to go buy a Tesla or remind you that toilet paper has 2 sides, but if this was a zombie movie then we are at the start of the third act where shit starts getting real.</p>
<p>Whether you want to believe it or not the planet is hurting and it seems to be fighting back. We’re the ones who need to change, but it doesn’t mean you have to sacrifice your way of life. With some simple “next-level” changes to our lives we can really make a big difference, and BONUS…save money at the same time.</p>
<p>Make no mistake, I’m not trying to sell you anything or make you feel bad that you use plastic straws or that you don’t always recycle. I’m here to tell you that climate change sucks and it’s ok to be pissed and afraid and you’re not alone. Unfortunately, Brad Pitt isn’t going to save the day, we are. Stay on the journey with me or join it for the first time now and if we all just put in a little bit of work then we can be the change we’ve been so desperately waiting for.</p>
<p>Think of it like <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/im-not-being-pushy-i-just-love-my-tushy/" target="_blank" rel="noopener">using a bidet</a>, sometimes all it takes is a slight adjustment to get the job done.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/world-war-c/">World War C</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
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		<item>
		<title>What a doll!</title>
		<link>https://livingcleananddirty.com/what-a-doll/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=what-a-doll</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Dec 2019 06:33:39 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Confidence]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Plain old dirty]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Elf on the Shelf]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[holiday]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[laugh]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://livingcleananddirty.com/?p=1447</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Not since Chucky (or in our feature image, the Bride of Chucky @barbiechulanyc) has there been such Buzz about a doll who is no longer where you left him last.  I’m of course talking about the Elf on the Shelf…often imitated, never duplicated.  He’s the little Elf doll that you secretly move around the house...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/what-a-doll/">What a doll!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img decoding="async" class=" wp-image-1450 alignleft" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/doll-1181292_1920-1100x733.jpg" alt="" width="222" height="148" data-wp-pid="1450" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/doll-1181292_1920-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/doll-1181292_1920-700x467.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/doll-1181292_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/doll-1181292_1920-1536x1024.jpg 1536w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/doll-1181292_1920-1180x787.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/doll-1181292_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="(max-width: 222px) 100vw, 222px" />Not since Chucky (or in our feature image, the Bride of Chucky <a href="https://www.instagram.com/barbiechulanyc/?hl=en" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">@barbiechulanyc</a>) has there been such Buzz about a doll who is no longer where you left him last.  I’m of course talking about the Elf on the Shelf…often imitated, never duplicated.  He’s the little Elf doll that you secretly move around the house every night for your kid’s enjoyment, sometimes posing him in silly situations but always keeping up the gag that he has plans of his own and goes wherever he wants…when you read it like this it’s pretty fucking terrifying.  We’ve seen the Mensch on a Bench, the Shrew on the Pew, the Deer with a Beer…ok fine, those last two are mine but don’t steal my ideas.</p>
<p>Many will say that much like a misplaced dildo (Armadillo on the Dildo?) the Elf has become an unexpected pain in the ass.  Take a quick browse on any facebook mom’s group and you’ll find that the one thing they can all agree on is that they should have never started this tradition. If they had to do it over again they would have told their kids their Elf moved to Sweden and joined an ABBA tribute band.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1449" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/elf-on-a-shelf-3632186_1920.png" alt="" width="103" height="286" data-wp-pid="1449" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/elf-on-a-shelf-3632186_1920.png 692w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/elf-on-a-shelf-3632186_1920-554x1536.png 554w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 103px) 100vw, 103px" />God help us if you forget to move the damn thing one night and now you spend the next day rationalizing why a toy has not moved around the house…here’s a few suggestions</p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;"><strong>“Maybe if you were a better listener he would have moved”</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;"><strong>“If you did better on that Math test then maybe the Elf would would love you more”</strong></p>
<p style="padding-left: 40px;"><strong>“Maybe if grandma wasn’t so controlling and approved of my parenting style then the fucking doll wouldn’t have sat there like a lump of shitty plastic silently judging me as I tried to balance my work life, my home life, menopause, being jealous of Gwen’s new Tesla, the fact that Big Bang Theory was cancelled…” wait, where was I going with this??</strong></p>
<p>If you’re a normal mom like me then you may have read these three suggestions and said “ hmmm…that sounds about right”. Unless of course you are GWEN…little Mrs. Perfect.  We all have a Gwen in our lives.  Perfect lawn, perfect lighting in her Instagram posts, perfect life, perfect everything. I  HATE HER because I’m jealous and that make me hate her even more (Gwen bangs three businessmen?)</p>
<p>So for all of us non-GWEN’s, I like to call us real-moms (Mamas in Pajamas?) I raise my well-deserved wine glass to you and offer you my help. There are plenty of sites to give you cute little kid-friendly ideas of what to do with you Elf, but you ain’t never seen a site like me before.</p>
<p>Maybe you get an Elf on the Shelf just for you and your husband and create these pics or better yet, you have your fun with the Elf yourself and you just make him watch.  However you choose to pleasure yours(elf) make sure you tag us at Living Clean and Dirty when you post them on social media so we can admire and praise (and obviously judge) your work.</p>
<p>As far as I’m concerned, if all the Chucky movies were rated R, then why should the exploits of a self-aware Christmas-themed doll who is supposed to have his own adventures be any different. Right click on the calendar below, save the image and print it out for yourself, hang that shit up proudly on the fridge (or better yet, in the closet where you hide the booze)&#8230;why should the kids have all of the fun?  Leave the “classy” for someone else and may all of your Elf adventures be filthy.</p>
<p>Happy Holidays<br />
Ho-Ho-Ho</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="size-large wp-image-1452 aligncenter" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/LCD-2019-elf-shelf-calendar-1100x688.jpg" alt="" width="1100" height="688" data-wp-pid="1452" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/LCD-2019-elf-shelf-calendar-1100x688.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/LCD-2019-elf-shelf-calendar-700x438.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/LCD-2019-elf-shelf-calendar-768x480.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/LCD-2019-elf-shelf-calendar-1180x738.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/LCD-2019-elf-shelf-calendar.jpg 1200w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 1100px) 100vw, 1100px" /></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/what-a-doll/">What a doll!</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
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			</item>
		<item>
		<title>All Yoga Mats are Created Equal is A Bit of a Stretch</title>
		<link>https://livingcleananddirty.com/all-yoga-mats-are-created-equal-is-a-bit-of-a-stretch/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=all-yoga-mats-are-created-equal-is-a-bit-of-a-stretch</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sun, 01 Jul 2018 20:35:51 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Eco Friendly]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[advice]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[yoga]]></category>
		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://livingcleananddirty.com/?p=1294</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Before I actually met my husband in person, we emailed and spoke on the phone a few times.  We are a match.com success story if you can believe it.  My profile picture was blurry (strike one), I told him I had a personal trainer (apparently that was strike two as he said that’s what girls...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/all-yoga-mats-are-created-equal-is-a-bit-of-a-stretch/">All Yoga Mats are Created Equal is A Bit of a Stretch</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1295 " src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/clown-711616_1920-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="153" height="153" data-wp-pid="1295" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/clown-711616_1920-150x150.jpg 150w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/clown-711616_1920-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/clown-711616_1920-420x420.jpg 420w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 153px) 100vw, 153px" />Before I actually met my husband in person, we emailed and spoke on the phone a few times.  We are a match.com success story if you can believe it.  My profile picture was blurry (strike one), I told him I had a personal trainer (apparently that was strike two as he said that’s what girls who are horribly out of shape say), and as if I just callously flirt with disaster I told him I had a long torso. Not realizing how close to strike three my upper half description brought me, he was afraid he was making a July 4<sup>th</sup> date with some sort of carnival freak escapee. Being a bit of a freak himself (and that’s why I love him) he agreed to the date, apparently was pleasantly surprised at my normal human proportions, and the rest is almost 16 years of fantastic history.  Looking back, when describing my physical attributes to the online world I wonder if “open hips” would have been a more appealing description.</p>
<p>Whenever I start talking about my open hips, hubby loves to chime in with  few off color jokes, but this story is actually about Yoga.  Not the little green guy from Star Wars and not the bear who was filthy for picnic baskets, I’m talking about the ancient art of health and relaxation with such wholesome poses as “downward dog”, “camel pose” (I said pose) and the “easy plow pose”.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="wp-image-1302 alignleft" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/people-2557546_1920-700x466.jpg" alt="" width="279" height="186" data-wp-pid="1297" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/people-2557546_1920-700x466.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/people-2557546_1920-768x512.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/people-2557546_1920-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/people-2557546_1920-1536x1023.jpg 1536w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/people-2557546_1920-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/people-2557546_1920.jpg 1920w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 279px) 100vw, 279px" />When I first started yoga I learned that I have very wide, open hips (ugh, I can already hear him laughing).Before you let your imagination run wild, I don&#8217;t mean that in a slutty way. I was born this way and can literally sit in a butterfly position, with the soles of my feet together and my knees touching the floor, then lean all the way forward until I&#8217;m lying flat. Go ahead&#8230;try it. Most people are lucky if they get halfway there. You’ll be lucky if you can lean forward enough to decide if it’s a “Summer’s Eve” kind of day, much less fold yourself like you’re being shipped out by Amazon.</p>
<p>Freshness aside, let’s get back to my open hips.  Last week I was in yoga class doing Pigeon Pose and was literally lying face down on the floor. This is something that usually amazes my instructors, and I even had one announce to the class not to use me as an example because it&#8217;s just not normal. So there I was, one leg straight, one tucked underneath me, staring at the floor while doing my deep breathing.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Naturally my mind wandered.  Not to enlightenment.  To Subway sandwiches.  To be fair, this isn&#8217;t even close to the weirdest place my brain has gone during yoga.</p>
<ul>
<li>Was Snow White having sex with any of those dwarfs? Is there hidden meaning to them singing “Hi Ho”?</li>
<li>If a smurf couldn’t breathe, what color would he turn?</li>
<li>Every hand I’ve shaken has held a penis.</li>
<li>Why is W called double U, shouldn’t it be called double V?</li>
<li>If I fart in the shower before I turn the water on will it still smell as bad?</li>
<li>Is a hotdog technically a sandwich?</li>
</ul>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1300" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/merged2-spotlight-297727_1280-copy-700x526.png" alt="" width="277" height="208" data-wp-pid="1300" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/merged2-spotlight-297727_1280-copy-700x526.png 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/merged2-spotlight-297727_1280-copy-768x577.png 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/merged2-spotlight-297727_1280-copy-1100x827.png 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/merged2-spotlight-297727_1280-copy-1180x887.png 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/07/merged2-spotlight-297727_1280-copy.png 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 277px) 100vw, 277px" /></p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">&#8230;and speaking of sandwiches, I&#8217;ve loved the veggie sandwich at Subway long before I became a vegetarian. I&#8217;ve tried desperately to recreate it at home, but it never tastes the same.  As PR nightmares go, it&#8217;s hard to top Jared. But I think we all remember the &#8220;yoga mat&#8221; controversy about what was being put into Subway&#8217;s bread. The word on the street is those ingredients have since been removed, which is obviously great news. But for this health-conscious, open-hipped mama, it got me thinking&#8230;</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">What exactly was I rolling around on three to five days a week?</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">I spend a lot of time on my yoga mat. I&#8217;m face down on it, breathing into it and occasionally drooling on it after a particularly relaxing class. If I was making an effort to eat cleaner and live healthier, it only made sense that my yoga mat should be as &#8220;clean&#8221; as everything else I was bringing into my life.</p>
<p>After way too much research (you&#8217;re welcome), these are my top three picks.</p>
<p><strong>(1) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B000EC9LMM/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B000EC9LMM&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=livingclean0f-20&amp;linkId=b6404b5f63539349c2768cda8c749dc3" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Jade Harmony Yoga Mat</a>:</strong> Made in the USA with natural rubber in a sustainable manner. Contain no PVC, EVA or other synthetic rubber and BONUS…for every mat sold they plant a tree. This was one of the more expensive mats I bought but I reasoned that I can use it for a long time and it was so highly recommended that I splurged on myself.</p>
<p><strong>(2) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B08RQMVQRL/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B08RQMVQRL&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=livingclean0f-20&amp;linkId=0e52bb4b4eba91d1a86df7c6b44c5859" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Manduka Welcome Yoga Mat</a>:</strong> Eco-friendly manufacturing, free of solvents and toxic glues. Made with energy efficient manufacturing as the company strives to minimize environmental waste and make products that last. This is the mat I bought my pre-teen daughter and it was perfect. She was starting to go to yoga and I wasn’t sure if she’d like it so I didn’t want to buy her a more expensive Jade YET I wanted her to have a safe and “clean” yoga mat too. This was a perfect choice for her. After we started going together we got confused on whose mat belonged to whom and would switch off. I found myself using this one more than my Jade.</p>
<p><strong>(3) <a href="https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00E8AJDFQ/ref=as_li_tl?ie=UTF8&amp;camp=1789&amp;creative=9325&amp;creativeASIN=B00E8AJDFQ&amp;linkCode=as2&amp;tag=livingclean0f-20&amp;linkId=a4966f9a25655ec04198833fbec6acc6" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Gaiam Yoga Mat</a>:</strong> This one I don’t personally own…yet but tons of yogis in my studio use it. Both my mats are a plain-Jane blue color but these come in all sorts of fun colors and designs on them so you can be eco-friendly, safe and stylish all at the same time. These are made without the six most harmful phthalates (DEHP, DBP, BBP, DINP, DIDP and DNOP – it’s like the alphabet soup of toxins), latex free and they even sell mats just for kids. They’re reasonably priced and this is definitely going to be my next birthday gift to myself.</p>
<p>So there you have it. Three yoga mats that let me focus on my breathing instead of wondering what mystery chemicals I&#8217;m lying on.  Hubby still isn’t convinced about yoga, he thinks it’s more like if Twister was a one player game.  After showing him some of the latest poses I’ve been working on I’m pretty sure I hear him upstairs shopping online for “2-person yoga mat, washable”.</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/all-yoga-mats-are-created-equal-is-a-bit-of-a-stretch/">All Yoga Mats are Created Equal is A Bit of a Stretch</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
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		<title>I&#8217;ve Got None Left to Give</title>
		<link>https://livingcleananddirty.com/ive-got-none-left-to-give/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=ive-got-none-left-to-give</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Thu, 19 Apr 2018 18:43:16 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Confidence]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[2018]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[awkward]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://livingcleananddirty.com/?p=1241</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>January tends to be the most depressing month of the year, at least in my opinion. The weather sucks, the holidays are over, and by about January 6th I&#8217;ve usually abandoned whatever ridiculous New Year&#8217;s resolution I made. I&#8217;ve had some doozies. Eat more kale. Eat fewer desserts. Perfect my Daffy Duck impersonation. Declare myself...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/ive-got-none-left-to-give/">I&#8217;ve Got None Left to Give</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="isSelectedEnd">January tends to be the most depressing month of the year, at least in my opinion. The weather sucks, the holidays are over, and by about January 6th I&#8217;ve usually abandoned whatever ridiculous New Year&#8217;s resolution I made.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">I&#8217;ve had some doozies.</p>
<ul>
<li class="isSelectedEnd">Eat more kale.</li>
<li class="isSelectedEnd">Eat fewer desserts.</li>
<li class="isSelectedEnd">Perfect my Daffy Duck impersonation.</li>
<li class="isSelectedEnd">Declare myself a pirate on my tax return.</li>
<li class="isSelectedEnd">Slay my enemies.</li>
<li class="isSelectedEnd">You know&#8230;the usual.</li>
</ul>
<p>When I hit my mid-thirties (for about the tenth time), I gave up on New Year&#8217;s resolutions and started declaring each year my &#8220;Year Of&#8230;&#8221;</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright size-thumbnail wp-image-1242" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/fear-2019930_1280-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="150" height="150" data-wp-pid="1242" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/fear-2019930_1280-150x150.jpg 150w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/fear-2019930_1280-420x420.jpg 420w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 150px) 100vw, 150px" /></p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">My first was the <strong>Year of Fear.</strong></p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Instead of making promises I knew I&#8217;d break, I decided to spend an entire year saying yes to things that scared me. Nothing crazy. I wasn&#8217;t wrestling alligators or jumping out of airplanes. I started with things like parallel parking and buying a pair of long, dangling earrings because I&#8217;d always convinced myself they weren&#8217;t &#8220;me.&#8221;</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Eventually I worked my way up to public speaking at my daughter&#8217;s elementary school graduation, jumping off a cliff into a swimming hole, trying a trapeze and riding a trail bike down the side of a mountain.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">That last one wasn&#8217;t my finest decision. I broke my shoulder in two places.</p>
<p>Live and learn.</p>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class=" wp-image-1243 alignleft" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/yes-2076813_1280-700x466.jpg" alt="" width="332" height="221" data-wp-pid="1243" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/yes-2076813_1280-700x466.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/yes-2076813_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/yes-2076813_1280-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/yes-2076813_1280-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/yes-2076813_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 332px) 100vw, 332px" /></p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">The next year became my <strong>Year of Me.</strong></p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Not in a selfish way.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">In a healthy way.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">I started saying no to PTA committees I didn&#8217;t actually want to join. I stopped feeling obligated to attend every family event simply because I was expected to. I started reading books again, knitting some truly ugly scarves and slowly removing toxic people from my life.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Don&#8217;t get me wrong. I still emptied the dishwasher, went to doctor&#8217;s appointments and handled all the things adulthood requires.</p>
<p>I just stopped putting myself at the bottom of every list.</p>
<p>So here we are, hip deep into 2018, my third year of YO. I’ve learned to embrace my fears and put myself as a priority so when you mesh the two together you obviously get the <strong>Year of No Fucks Given</strong>. Let me explain…I’m tired, obviously as a mom I’m sleep-deprived but I’m talking about being TIRED. I’m TIRED of always doing the right thing, TIRED of being the bigger person and I’m sure as shit positively EXHAUSTED by not sticking up for myself at the risk of someone else’s feelings.</p>
<p>So here’s a little slice of my 2018…there’s a guy I know and he’s super creepy. And by creepy I mean if I was to hear that 20 dead hookers were found in this guy’s basement my first thought would be “hmmm…thought the number would have been higher”. He’s also got a little Family Feud era Richard Dawson in him and likes to kiss hello every female in his path. It doesn’t matter who it is…85 year old grandma, the cashier at the bagel store, young hot mom in Kohls and especially a hot ticket like me. To make matters worse, when he goes in for the kill he turns his head trying to plant one on the mouth (ugh, it’s just as horrifying as it sounds).</p>
<p>So for years I’ve been enduring the sleazy cheek-kiss, I got wise to the head turn early on and compensated for it. I would change my route so I didn’t run into him, some women have feigned a cold and other women have pretended to be on the phone when they saw him…but no one ever stopped him, no one ever told him no. Now, you can pass judgement and say “Oh I’d never”, well if I was sitting at my computer braless in a pair of 4 day old pajamas I’d say the same thing. The first few times you’re caught off guard and then it just becomes too awkward of a situation so you just put up with it. As women, I think a lot of us were raised to take the figurative “hit” before we made another person uncomfortable.</p>
<ul>
<li>“You can’t say that, you’ll hurt his feelings”,</li>
<li>“Oh there’s no sense in making a scene, he doesn’t mean anything by it”</li>
<li>“I know he&#8217;s a little creepy, but he&#8217;s your uncle so just go give him a hug.”</li>
</ul>
<p><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1244" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-700x700.jpg" alt="" width="260" height="260" data-wp-pid="1244" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-700x700.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-150x150.jpg 150w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-768x768.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280-420x420.jpg 420w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/04/stop-1001138_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 260px) 100vw, 260px" />I’m here 24/7 busting my ass trying to raise 2 warrior daughters and I don’t feel comfortable telling some low-budget lothario to keep his mouth off of me? There’s only one mouth I want anywhere near me and it sure as shit wasn’t this guy’s. So in my <strong>Year of No Fucks Given</strong> I decided that awkward or not, this shit had to end. The next time I saw him, he leaned in for the attack and I put my hand up in front of my face and said, “Please stop, the kissing makes me uncomfortable. Just say hello”. He looked shocked but then accepted his fate. This public kissing booth was officially closed.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">And that was it.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Years of women changing direction when they saw him. Years of awkwardness. Years of silently tolerating something none of us liked. It ended with one sentence.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Maybe that&#8217;s what my <strong>Year of No Fucks Given</strong> is really about. It&#8217;s not about being rude, selfish or impossible to get along with. It&#8217;s about finally understanding that protecting your own boundaries isn&#8217;t something you should ever apologize for.</p>
<p>Late last year I declared that 2018 was going to be the year I really poured myself into Living Clean and Dirty. Like a lot of resolutions, life had other plans. But there&#8217;s still plenty of 2018 left, plenty of stories to tell and plenty of opportunities to keep becoming a better version of myself. I&#8217;m still here, still fighting the good fight and still trying to figure it all out right alongside you.</p>
<p>And for any haters out there who would like to break my balls about not posting enough new material this year, please write me at my new imaginary email address None@Fucksgiven.com</p>
<p>&nbsp;</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/ive-got-none-left-to-give/">I&#8217;ve Got None Left to Give</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
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		<title>Fitness that Fits in your Hand</title>
		<link>https://livingcleananddirty.com/fitness-fits-hand/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=fitness-fits-hand</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 05 Aug 2017 21:59:10 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Eco Friendly]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[comedy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[fitness]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://livingcleananddirty.com/?p=1194</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>When it comes to getting sweaty, going to the gym is pretty low on my list. There are plenty of other activities I like to convince myself are burning calories. Chief among them is eating super spicy food on the couch while watching TV with the air conditioning off. Sure, it&#8217;s economical, but probably not...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/fitness-fits-hand/">Fitness that Fits in your Hand</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p class="isSelectedEnd">When it comes to getting sweaty, going to the gym is pretty low on my list. There are plenty of other activities I like to convince myself are burning calories. Chief among them is eating super spicy food on the couch while watching TV with the air conditioning off. Sure, it&#8217;s economical, but probably not as erotic as you were expecting. To be honest, I&#8217;m betting a couple of you can relate.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1196" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/aperitif-579232_1920-700x642.jpg" alt="" width="214" height="196" data-wp-pid="1196" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/aperitif-579232_1920-700x642.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/aperitif-579232_1920-768x705.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/aperitif-579232_1920.jpg 1067w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 214px) 100vw, 214px" />Now, full disclosure. I&#8217;m the kind of girl who never really needed to work out. (Hold your boos until the end, please.) I could eat an entire bag of douche chips (salt and vinegar) and polish off a bottle of screw-top wine without gaining an ounce. My skin might eventually start looking like Ray Liotta and my liver would probably be calling the cops, but you get my point.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">I had it all under control through my twenties, got married, had kids in my thirties and bounced back pretty well. Then I hit my forties and&#8230;well&#8230;shit got real. It wasn&#8217;t anything drastic, but my body had clearly decided we were playing by a new set of rules.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">I realized pretty quickly that not only was I going to have to stop stuffing my face, I was also going to have to embrace the dreaded &#8220;E&#8221; word.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Exercise.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">It had been a long time since Jane Fonda was yelling at me through the TV, so I figured it was time to drag my workout routine into the 21st century.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">I managed to dodge the Freshman 15 years ago, but now I was battling the &#8220;Fortyish 15.&#8221; I joined a yoga studio and committed to going three to five times a week. It was one of the best decisions I&#8217;d made, but I still wanted to add a little more variety to my routine. That&#8217;s when I stumbled across Aaptiv.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Aaptiv is an audio fitness app that offers guided workouts with trainers coaching you through everything from yoga and meditation to treadmill workouts, strength training and cycling. What I liked most was the flexibility. Some days I had forty-five minutes. Other days I was lucky to find ten. There was always something that fit my schedule.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">The yoga classes were a natural fit since I&#8217;d already learned many of the poses in the studio. The ab workouts absolutely kicked my butt, and the meditation sessions usually ended with me falling asleep. Not exactly the goal, but I&#8217;m counting it as a win.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Then there was my elliptical.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd"><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignleft wp-image-1208 " src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/08/IMG_8976-e1501968877518-700x933.jpg" alt="" width="301" height="401" data-wp-pid="1208" />You know&#8230;that expensive machine in the bedroom that&#8217;s usually covered with yesterday&#8217;s laundry.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Apparently it&#8217;s exercise equipment.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Who knew?</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Having a trainer in my ear made a huge difference. Before Aaptiv I&#8217;d watch cooking shows while halfheartedly pedaling, which, yes, I realize is wonderfully ironic. Now someone was actually pushing me to keep going instead of letting me convince myself I&#8217;d earned a break after three minutes.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">The app also offers programs for 5K and 10K training, treadmill workouts, indoor cycling, outdoor walks and running.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Running might be a stretch.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">The only time you&#8217;ll catch me running is if someone yells, &#8220;Free wine!&#8221;</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">For someone like me, Aaptiv fits my life perfectly. As a mom, my schedule changes by the hour. I don&#8217;t always have time to drive to the gym, work out and drive back home. Some days those extra thirty minutes are the difference between getting a workout in and talking myself out of it.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">I needed something ready whenever I was.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">If I wanted 13 minutes of &#8220;Absurd Abs,&#8221; 37 minutes of &#8220;Chill Pop Vinyasa&#8221; or 15 minutes of &#8220;Legs Like Fire,&#8221; it was sitting there waiting for me with a pair of headphones.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">So maybe it&#8217;s time to stop sitting on the couch eating spicy food and pretending that&#8217;s cardio.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">Aaptiv offers a free seven-day trial, and I&#8217;ve always believed if it&#8217;s free, it&#8217;s for me. If you&#8217;re looking for a workout that&#8217;s convenient, motivating and doesn&#8217;t require leaving the house, it&#8217;s definitely worth checking out.</p>
<p class="isSelectedEnd">After all, the only thing you have to lose is the butt-shaped dent in your couch.</p>
<p><em>The convenience, versatility and motivation of the Aaptiv program inspired this review. I received a complimentary two-week trial, and all opinions expressed are entirely my own.</em></p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/fitness-fits-hand/">Fitness that Fits in your Hand</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
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		<title>The Perfect 10</title>
		<link>https://livingcleananddirty.com/the-perfect-10/?utm_source=rss&#038;utm_medium=rss&#038;utm_campaign=the-perfect-10</link>
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		<dc:creator><![CDATA[Ellen]]></dc:creator>
		<pubDate>Sat, 08 Jul 2017 17:57:56 +0000</pubDate>
				<category><![CDATA[Eco Friendly]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://livingcleananddirty.com/?p=1155</guid>

					<description><![CDATA[<p>Previously&#8230;on a very special Living Clean and Dirty podcast. OK, everyone who knows me knows I love to recycle.  Whether it&#8217;s tin cans, shampoo bottles or toilet paper it doesn&#8217;t really matter to me.  In the spirit of recycling I have taken my 10-Step Commandments from our podcast and recycled/reused here in one nice neat...</p>
<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/the-perfect-10/">The Perfect 10</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
]]></description>
										<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Previously&#8230;on a very special Living Clean and Dirty podcast.</p>
<p>OK, everyone who knows me knows I love to recycle.  Whether it&#8217;s tin cans, shampoo bottles or toilet paper it doesn&#8217;t really matter to me.  In the spirit of recycling I have taken my 10-Step Commandments from our podcast and recycled/reused here in one nice neat package, I call it The Perfect Ten (no hubby, not you but you&#8217;re totally a strong 9&#8230;ok maybe 8).  Originally I called it the Ten of Hearts but that made me think of The Queen of Hearts and when I start singing Juice Newton around the house everyone gets pissed (they must be jealous of my fabulous singing voice).  So if some of these sound familiar, you&#8217;re not crazy (as far as I can tell).  We felt this feature was so good for your ears that we didn&#8217;t want your eyes to get jealous.  Enjoy!  😉</p>
<p>I have 2 daughters; my husband refers to them as the scientist and the anarchist.  My younger one, the anarchist is truly sweet and has a huge heart, but there hasn’t been a rule made that she hasn’t broken.  She’s super smart, but a little lazy and is convinced that half of her teachers and all adults have no idea what they are talking about.  My scientist however is the type of child who thrives on compliments and parental pride.  She loves school and has on more than one occasion been referred to as “an old soul”.</p>
<p>Now make no mistake when it comes to the lottery that is parenthood I hit the jackpot on both tries.  My girls couldn’t be more different but I wouldn’t change a thing about either of them (well, mostly).</p>
<p>The scientist (who now is considering which surgery specialty to study…she’s 12) and I were watching Grey’s Anatomy together.  It’s “our” show and on a particular episode one of the patients lays in a hospital bed dying. Not the breathy-can’t move kind-Emergency Room kind of dying, just the super-pale-lying-in-bed kind of dying.  With her daughter at her side she’s chit-chatting away, as we mothers do, feeding her a huge helping of unsolicited advice.  The dutiful daughter is giving her dying mom a mani, as one does, because just like wearing clean underwear you should never walk around with chipped nails…just in case the unspeakable were to happen. The mom passes one tidbit that made me tilt my head like a confused puppy…”you should be with a man who loves you more than you love him”.  I’ve heard a lot of kooky relationship advice but this was a new one on me, and apparently the daughter didn’t agree either because she got up and walked over to the hospital room window. When she turns around…the mom is dead. Of course, I’m balling my eyes out and the scientist looks over at me and says “it’s okay mom, it was probably an embolism and she didn’t feel any pain”.  I took a long look at my pre-teen scientist and thought…what would I tell her (and my 10-year old anarchist) right before I died and it’s not “Hey, I could have used a second coat.”</p>
<p>So here it is, my life advice for the lights of my life:</p>
<p><strong><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1161" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="177" height="177" data-wp-pid="1161" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-150x150.jpg 150w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-700x700.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-768x768.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280-420x420.jpg 420w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/nobody-is-perfect-688370_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 177px) 100vw, 177px" />1-Everyone messes up:</strong> You, me, your dad (contrary to popular belief), your friends, teachers, the Dalai Lama…everyone makes mistakes. Mistakes are fine, it’s all part of the process of growing up and being a grown up, but unfortunately more times than not, those mistakes hurt other people in some way. I believe it’s what you do afterwards that’s the important part. Do you blame others, brush it off, and rationalize it that they deserved it or it’s their fault. Or do you say sorry and own up to your shit. The only way to learn is by making mistakes. My advice is to take responsibility and learn from them. You messed up and you own it, you’ll get a lot more mileage out of learning from a mistake and changing your behavior than blaming it on someone or something else.  However, if you keep making the same mistake over and over again, that’s a problem.</p>
<p><strong>2-Grateful/Universe</strong>: I don’t know who said this first but “You can’t be grateful and unhappy at the same time”, but it might have been my husband the day after I gave him his birthday gift (wink!). In our house, every night we do “Grateful/Universe”. We talk about the things we are grateful for and what we ask of the universe? It doesn’t have to be big. I’ve been grateful for an awesome parking spot, finding the right color shoes, and waking up in the morning. Asking the universe for a new My Little Pony doll doesn’t fly in my house – it’s more about asking for someone to get well, confidence during a test, or the Tooth Fairy not to forget to visit again. Yup that’s happened twice (see advice #1).</p>
<p><strong>3-Give Back to Others: </strong>As a kid, I once asked my mom why we bust our asses our whole life only to die in the end – why do we bother? She told me, “You spend your life helping others, making other lives better, that’s what it’s all about. That’s the legacy you leave.” I don’t agree with my mom all the time (sorry mom) but this time I do. In my house we don’t do for others for the pat on the back, the reward or the recognition. We help others because to us it’s as important to life as breathing. It’s something we can’t imagine living without. It doesn’t have to be large gestures or donating piles of money, we find the most value in the little everyday things like volunteering our time, smiling at people, listening when someone is talking to you and just being kind.</p>
<p><strong><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1158" src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-150x150.jpg" alt="" width="178" height="178" data-wp-pid="1158" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-150x150.jpg 150w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-700x700.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-768x768.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-1100x1100.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-1000x1000.jpg 1000w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-1180x1180.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280-420x420.jpg 420w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/chinese-676650_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 178px) 100vw, 178px" />4-Forgiveness:</strong> We’ve established that everyone makes mistakes and everyone can be a douche (those are the anarchist’s words, not mine). A valuable yet often overlooked quality is learning to forgive. I’m not suggesting to forget, but instead to store that nugget of information away and go on with your life. I teach my girls that you absolutely do not have to accept someone’s apology, but forgiveness is for you so you don’t live with the anger. That’s right…we’re taught if you make a mistake, you say “I’m sorry” and the other person says ok and everything’s fixed. Screw that! My hubby always says, “When someone pushes you down a flight of stairs, looks down and says sorry, you’re still left at the bottom of the stairs.” Some shit in life is beyond an “I’m sorry” and you don’t have to be ok with it. But you should find forgiveness so you’re not left constantly pissed.</p>
<p><strong>5-Moderation</strong>: Everything in moderation is our mantra. It doesn’t matter if it’s ice cream, shopping or drinking from the skulls of our enemies (my anarchist’s suggestion, not mine).</p>
<p><strong>6-Listen More, Talk Less</strong>: Ok, so I’m not so good with this one…YET, but I am getting better. I come from a family of talkers but what I’ve learned is that most of the time when I’m flapping my mouth it’s to let other people know what I know. My husband always says “every time you talk you are saying things you already know, when you listen you have the potential to learn something new”. Hot and smart, that’s why I love him, find one just like him.</p>
<p><strong><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1159 " src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/quote-1444099_1280-700x466.jpg" alt="" width="212" height="141" data-wp-pid="1159" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/quote-1444099_1280-700x466.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/quote-1444099_1280-768x512.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/quote-1444099_1280-1100x733.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/quote-1444099_1280-1180x786.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/quote-1444099_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 212px) 100vw, 212px" />7-Live Fearlessly</strong>: Let’s unpack this one carefully. I’m not saying to jump out of planes, wear plaid with stripes or walk a tightrope between buildings in NYC, unless that’s your thing. I’m talking about not being scared to try something new, to think outside the box, to say “yes” to all the things you would instinctively say no to. If you never do anything that scares you then you’re not truly living.  I’m scared of public speaking so when I was asked to speak at my daughter’s graduation every fiber of my being was screaming “NO don’t do it”. I smiled and agreed and I must say I did a fine job. When I saw a pair of crazy palazzo pants I thought those are cool but not for me – it’s not my style. I stopped and bought two pairs. Again, stop thinking big, it’s the small stuff too.</p>
<p><strong>8-Meditate:  </strong>There are thousands of websites that talk about the health benefits of meditation, and while I agree with all of them, that&#8217;s not why I keep coming back to it. For me, meditation is simply a chance to hit the pause button.  As moms, we&#8217;re pretty good at going from zero to losing our minds in about three seconds flat. Meditation reminds me to stop, breathe and realize that most of the things I&#8217;m stressing over really aren&#8217;t that important. It quiets the chatter in my head, gives me a little perspective and helps me remember not to sweat the small stuff. That alone makes it worth the effort.</p>
<p><strong><img loading="lazy" decoding="async" class="alignright wp-image-1162 " src="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/possible-1060212_1280-700x615.jpg" alt="" width="229" height="202" data-wp-pid="1162" srcset="https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/possible-1060212_1280-700x615.jpg 700w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/possible-1060212_1280-768x675.jpg 768w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/possible-1060212_1280-1100x967.jpg 1100w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/possible-1060212_1280-1180x1037.jpg 1180w, https://livingcleananddirty.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/possible-1060212_1280.jpg 1280w" sizes="auto, (max-width: 229px) 100vw, 229px" />9-Don’t let anyone tell you what you can and cannot do…including yourself</strong>: I loved the show “Lost”, (well…except for the ending). My favorite line of the show was from John Locke, the character in the wheelchair, who yells “Don’t tell me what I can’t do” when he wants to go on a walkabout. I’m not saying life is easy, on the contrary, life will kick you in the ass every chance it gets. If you work hard, stay focused and dream BIG you can do things you never thought were possible.</p>
<p><strong>10-Expect/Demand More: </strong>My goal is to raise two daughters who are confident, strong women who demand to be treated well. It doesn’t matter if it’s a spouse, a friend, or someone you hire to paint your room black (guess what color my anarchist wants to paint her room). Expect more from yourself than anyone else expects from you. Demand respect from the people you let into your life.</p>
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<p>The post <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com/the-perfect-10/">The Perfect 10</a> appeared first on <a href="https://livingcleananddirty.com">Living Clean and Dirty</a>.</p>
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