10 Steps to Break Up with Your Big Bank

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I hear stories of more and more people wanting to take their money out of corrupt, greedy and law-breaking big banks, and invest their funds into their local communities. However, it still seems that many well-intentioned people are not taking action, and for a long time I was one of them! I recently wrote on my own personal decision to leave Bank of America and move my money to a credit union. Before I decided to do this, I had many doubts, usually focused around hassle of switching, convenience, and the time to research another option.

Having gone through the entire process, I thought it would be helpful to outline in detail how to go about moving your money BACK into your community. It’s not as hard as you think, but it does take some time and planning (just like most other things that are worth doing and worth having!). Continue reading →

Highlights from Denver: Snow, Art, Beer, and Food

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The bf and I recently returned from a trip to Denver to visit one of his oldest and closest friends. I’d been to Denver as a little kid, so I was excited to be going somewhere “new” and to see and experience a different city. It’s been a long time since I’ve been out West, and I looked forward to nice weather, scenic views, and the vibrant, free-spirited culture I’d heard so much about.

I had a great time, and wanted to share some of the highlights from this whirlwind trip: Continue reading →

Healthy Eats for the Air

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I recently wrote a post about eating healthy on road trips, which is pretty easy because I can take whatever I want and have plenty of space for coolers in my car. But what about when flying? I’ve never liked eating at airports for cost reasons, but on my recent trip to Denver I had to make sure everything I packed was healthy, too.

Luckily, I’d recently found some great, healthful, and delicious items that I thought would be very travel-friendly and that the bf would love. Check out the list…. Continue reading →

Bye-Bye, Bank of America!

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I did it, I finally did it – I closed my account with Bank of America and opened with a local credit union. It feels so good to have my money in the local community, rather than with a a global bank with no interest in or concern for real people.

I also have an interesting story about what happened when I went into the BofA branch to close my accounts…

Continue reading →

Pea, Dill, and Smoked Almond Pasta Salad

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I’ve been wanting to try this recipe for months – ever since I found it on Pinterest from A Spicy Perspective. The weather seemed too cold and dreary for such a vibrant Spring/Summer pasta salad, so I waited. And waited. Annnnnd waited. Finally, I decided I didn’t care if it was still only 45 degrees in Atlanta at the end of March – I wanted to try this dish!  Continue reading →

Juice Fasting 101: Getting Started

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This is part 2 of my mini series on juice fasting. After completing my Arden’s Gardens 2-Day Juice Cleanse/Detox, eating raw foods for breakfast and lunch for two weeks after, and doing my own juice fasts each week for three weeks in a row, I received a lot of questions. The first post covered the basics – what is a juice cleanse, why juicing is important, and the main benefits/results you can expect.

This post will focus on the how-to: how to do a juice cleanse, what you need to get started, and some recipes to keep you going. Continue reading →

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

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No, these aren’t peanut butter cookies, and they’re not chocolate chip cookies – they are the best, most mouth-watering mix of both things. Oh, and they’re my Grandma’s recipe. Yeah – you know these babies are delicious – just like everything from grandma. 😉

Everywhere I’ve ever taken these tasty treats, they’ve been a huge hit. They’re easy to make, and don’t have a crazy or complicated ingredient list – you probably already have the majority of the ingredients in your pantry, if not all of them. Give ’em a try for your next party or special occasion. Continue reading →

Juice Fasting 101: What Is It?

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It’s been a month since my Arden’s Gardens 2-Day Juice Cleanse/Detox, but the wonderful effects have continued. I ate raw foods for breakfast and lunch during the week for two weeks, then planned a one-day juice fast to do every week. The one-day juice fast made feel so great that I extended it to two days – and I’m now on my third week in a row of this routine.

As I’ve shared my experiences into the brand-new world (to me) of green juices and smoothies, I’ve received plenty of feedback and questions from all of you. So I decided to create a mini-series of posts to talk more about it. This post focuses on defining what juicing is and what some of the main benefits are. The second post will cover all that you need to do to get started juicing. Continue reading →