Grab Bag Memory Lane Moment:

July 20th, 1969 …. I’m guessing you were glued to a TV that day, like much of the world….. do you remember why?? Do you remember where you were??

Grab Bag BYOB:

Globally, people use an estimated 500 BILLION to 1 TRILLION plastic bags EVERY YEAR. BILLIONS end up as litter.

HUNDREDS of THOUSANDS of marine animals die every year by mistakenly consuming parts of plastic bags.

For the last couple of years, I have been keeping 3 or 4 “Chico Bags” in my purse at all times. In that time, I estimate I have refused well over 700 paper or plastic bags. I have tried other reusable bags, but the Chico is my favorite, for these reasons:

1. They stuff into their own little stuff-sacks, taking up very little space in my purse (I do not keep the little carabiner on mine).

2. They launder nicely, if anything ever gets spilled on them.

3. They have substantial capacity.

4. They weigh almost nothing.

They can be found at Lazy Acres (and probably other locations) in Santa Barbara, or many places online, BUY GREEN being one such site.

Grab Bag Fickle Mascara Groupie Admission:

OK… enough about the turtles and trash…. let’s talk about something REALLY IMPORTANT. I found a GREAT new mascara!! I think this is the third brand of mascara I have recommended on Grab Bag, but I really like this one the best so far. Facialist extraordinaire and Grab Bag reader Mary Helm gave me a tube of this latest favorite, and it IS great. IT RATES A 2 ON COSMETICSDATABASE (it is not yet listed in the database, so I input the ingredients and got my own reading).

I have used and liked some of the 100% Pure products in the past, but the mascara has been exclusive to QVC until recently, and I never bothered to try it. It is now available at the 100% Pure site, as well as QVC (where you must buy 2 tubes at a time, but at a great price… I think they enroll you in some sort of 90-day, auto-delivery program, so I think I might opt out of that…. can YOU use 2 tubes in 90 days?). The pigments in the mascara are all fruit-based 🙂 It gives the fullest, thickest, yet non-lumpy application of all the healthy mascaras I have tried. Hope you like it as much as I do.

Grab Bag Nutrition “Gift from the Gods” Tip:

A few months ago Joseph Maroon’s,”The Longevity Factor”, was published. In it, Maroon outlines what science currently shows as the important factors for optimum longevity. One eye-catching profile is the pump he gives to dark (70% or greater) chocolate. Just a small chunk can improve endothelial function for up to 8 hours. Why is that impressive, you say? Well, that improved function actually lowers your blood pressure. A recent study showed a drop in diastolic and systolic blood pressure in those who consumed 3.5 ounces of dark chocolate every day for 15 days.

BUT… do not think that if a little is good a lot is better…. slow the heck down, there, partner. Chocolate is high in calories and saturated fat, as well as caffeine. So the magic can be found in moderation. Personally, I eat about an ounce or 2 a day. But man, is it a great little moment in my day 🙂

Grab Bag Cool Stuff:

This is an ACAPELLA choir from Slovenia. I emphasize Acapella because it’s hard to tell that there are no musical instruments being played.

But perhaps even more impressive is the sound-effect-free opener in this performance of Toto’s “Africa”. Close your eyes and you’re in an approaching thunderstorm…..

Perpetuum Jazzile performing “Africa”

Grab Bag “Every Monday Matters”:

From the Every Monday Matters book and website:

Create a Back-to-School Backpack

FACTS

• 39% of the nation’s children, 28 million children, are from low-income families—the majority of which head to school each fall.
• Children need school supplies to complete schoolwork and homework.
• Required school supplies cost between $20 and $100, depending on the grade level. This expense can be a financial burden for low-income families, especially those with more than one child.
• As they grow, children become increasingly sensitive to the evaluations of their peers. A social stigma occurs when children are different; and children are aware that they are different if they don’t have new school supplies and the other children do.
• Having school supplies that all the other kid’s have impacts a child’s self-esteem positively. Self-esteem impacts a child’s success in school.
• Children who feel good about themselves and their abilities are much more likely to do well in school…and in life.

TAKE ACTION TODAY

• Select a family in your neighborhood or workplace who is in financial need and has school-aged children. Or call a local elementary school, soup kitchen, or church to find a family.
• Get your friends, co-workers, and family members involved so you can buy in bulk. It’s more cost-effective, and more kids can benefit.
• Go to the website of the child’s school to see if a list of supplies for each grade level is posted.
• If nothing is listed on the school’s website, here are some items you could include.
• Select backpacks and school supplies that are fun and gender specific.
• Deliver the backpacks with a smile.

YOU MATTER

Both a child’s performance in school and self-esteem can impact their entire life, as well as the community in which they grow up. Help make going back to school a positive experience by purchasing and stocking a backpack for a child. Not only are you eliminating a challenge for a low-income family, you are enabling a young student to start the school year on a more level playing field.

Grab Bag Brain Game:

Crossword Scramble

Grab Bag Funny Stuff:

This letter is reprinted many places on the internet. I have not found any challenges to its veracity, so it just may be true. The claim is that this is an actual letter from an Austin woman sent to Proctor and Gamble regarding their feminine hygiene products. She really gets rolling after the first paragraph. It was apparently PC Magazine’s 2007 editors’ choice for best webmail-award-winning letter. Thanks to Peggy H. for sending it on…

Dear Mr. Thatcher,

I have been a loyal user of your ‘Always’ maxi pads for over 20 years and I appreciate many of their features. Why, without the Leak Guard Core or Dri-Weave absorbency, I’d probably never go horseback riding or salsa dancing, and I’d certainly steer clear of running up and down the beach in tight, white shorts. But my favorite feature has to be your revolutionary Flex-Wings. Kudos on being the only company smart enough to realize how crucial it is that maxi pads be aerodynamic. I can’t tell you how safe and secure I feel each month knowing there’s a little F-16 protecting my underwear.

Have you ever had a menstrual period, Mr. Thatcher? I’m guessing you

haven’t. Well, my time of the month is starting right now. As I type, I can already feel hormonal forces violently surging through my body. Just

a few minutes from now, my body will adjust and I’ll be transformed into what my husband likes to call ‘an in-bred hillbilly with knife skills.’

Isn’t the human body amazing?

As Brand Manager in the Feminine-Hygiene Division, you’ve no doubt seen quite a bit of research on what exactly happens during your customer’s monthly visits from ‘Aunt Flo’. Therefore, you must know about the bloating, puffiness, and cramping we endure, and about our intense mood swings, crying jags, and out-of-control behavior. You surely realize it’s a tough time for most women.

The point is, sir, you of all people must realize that America is just

crawling with homicidal maniacs in Capri pants… Which brings me to the

reason for my letter. Last month, while in the throes of cramping so

painful I wanted to reach inside my body and yank out my uterus, I opened an Always maxi-pad, and there, printed on the adhesive backing,

were these words: ‘Have a Happy Period.’

Are you stinkin’ kidding me? What I mean is, does any part of your tiny

middle-manager brain really think happiness – actual smiling, laughing

happiness, is possible during a menstrual period? Did anything mentioned above sound the least bit pleasurable? Well, did it, James? FYI, unless you’re some kind of sick S&M freak, there will never be anything ‘happy’ about a day in which you have to jack yourself up on Motrin and Kahlua and lock yourself in your house just so you don’t march down to the local Walgreen’s armed with a hunting rifle and a sketchy plan to end your life in a blaze of glory.

For the love of God, pull your head out, man! If you have to slap a

moronic message on a maxi pad, wouldn’t it make more sense to say

something that’s actually pertinent, like ‘Put down the Hammer’ or

‘Vehicular Manslaughter is Wrong.’

Sir, please inform your Accounting Department that, effective immediately, there will be an $8 drop in monthly profits, for I have chosen to take my maxi-pad business elsewhere. And though I will certainly miss your Flex-Wings, I will not for one minute miss your brand of condescending BS. And that’s a promise I will keep.

Always,

Wendy Aarons