EIGHT episodes down! You’ll find the SoundCloud link to our most recent episode below. There’s a lot we cover in this one and you’ll definitely want to follow along with the meeting notes so you can check out all the articles we reference here.
Weekend Wrap Up gave us two very important announcements. One, Happy Birthday to Carrie’s husband Nathan who, in the Easter excitement, we did not mention last week. Two, Meghan did not, in fact, run her 13 miles. Instead, she visited a wine shop and fell asleep with her shoes on the couch. *insert eye-roll here*
Earth Day Connections and Recommendations
First up: If you’ve been listening and keeping up with us on the blog and social media, then you know we’ve been inspired by Earth Day. After the actual holiday, we challenged ourselves to find ways to make changes in our daily lives that would positively impact the Earth. So far we’ve…
- Changed the setting on our thermostats or left them off completely to use the natural temperature outside to heat/cool our homes.
- Gotten reusable bags to take grocery shopping for things like produce.
- Invested in new, re-usable water bottles. Meghan just purchased the HydroJug. This water bottle is super cool because you only need to fill it TWICE throughout the day – it holds a half gallon of water! In addition, it comes with a handy strap for carrying and a pocket to hold things like your phone, so you can easily transport things you need. It’s also BPA free and dishwasher safe! It would be a great purchase for the summer, when you’ll definitely need to stay hydrated.
- Discussed (and in some cases purchased and have used) menstrual cups. Okay, this might be a strange one but just THINK of all the waste produced by the convenience of tampons and pads! Plastic applicators, plastic packaging, and the fact that all those flushed products go through the waste-water treatment. Beyond that, the chemicals used in traditional products are dangerous. If you’ve ever read the labels and done some research, you might be surprised! There are some companies out there offering organic, plastic free options, but a most cost effective way might be a menstrual cup. Sam, bravely, talked to us about how she started the process for finding one that worked for her and how it’s been going so far. Spoiler alert: It’s been awesome! If you’re interested, check out PutACupInIt.com for a quiz to determine which cup is best for you, and compare the different types available. While we know it might not be for everyone, it’s important that we at least understand all our options.
We are the only ones out there in the world trying to make a difference. Carrie told us about how the London Marathon is trying to help cut back on plastic water bottles too. Check out the article HERE to read about about the new form of hydration they are offering runners! What have YOU been doing to help the Earth? Even small, simple gestures can make a difference!
Marine Life Military?
Talking about water and the safety of people and animals alike, reminded Nicole of an article she saw on CNN. Here’s a video to go along with the story she told.
This is almost too unbelievable to be true! The story definitely creates more questions than it answers and left us feeling overwhelmed with strange possibilities. Listen to hear our reactions!
50 Cent vs…Lala Kent?
Is this real life? In another stranger than fiction story from the last couple days, 50 Cent, also trending on social media recently as Fofty, was involved in a BIG social media feud with Lala (of Vanderpump Rules fame) and her producer fiancee. This was not only the most confusing thing happening for awhile, but also the most entertaining. Randall, Lala’s “man” as she likes to call him, is working with Fifty on some projects….and apparently owed him a MILLION DOLLARS. Which Fifty wasn’t bothered by until he saw Lala bragging about their lavish lifestyle on a recent episode of Pump. Essentially, things were resolved, and because Fifty is a man of his word, it’s all deleted from his social media. But the Internet is WAY less forgiving and we’ve got the receipts to enjoy forevermore. Buzzfeed did an absolutely amazing job of capturing the whole thing in a nicely organized timeline, complete with screenshots. Check it out HERE and share your thoughts with us.
Carrie’s Late Night Musings
Carrie’s Late Night Musing this week was about…CAMPING! It’s camping season and we here at The Ladies Auxiliary have a lot of thoughts about camping. We discussed the variety of ways people nowadays “camp.” Thinking of camping, we usually picture a tent, a campfire, and a sleeping bag; however, now most people we know that camp have campers and big RVs that they take to campsites that are really just groups of campers and RVs. Is this camping? Are we losing the old, leave no trace, version of camping in place of this more comfortable version? What constitutes “authentic” camping?
These questions, and more, led us to then wonder how people go camping at the same site every single weekend. When do you do your laundry? When do you go grocery shopping? When do you clean your real house? When do you clean your camper? We accomplish SO MUCH in the two short days of the weekend, we have to know how you make it work to go away and camp every weekend. Listen in to hear some of our thoughts.
This week we covered a whole bunch of different topics and ideas. Reach out to us on social media and share your thoughts. We would love to hear from you! Stay tuned for more on the invisible mental load we all carry AND our next episode, coming next week!
Meeting adjourned!
The Ladies Auxiliary 