"National Geographic Adventure" Needs Your Getaway Ideas

This interesting bit came to me this morning. National Geographic Adventure magazine is looking for fabulous ideas for weekend getaways. They want specific information about novel places, unusual hikes, and out-of-the way destinations. If you have an adventure that you'd like to share, here's what you need to know:

Email: bob@howells.com

Title: Editor at Large

Deadline: 12:07pm PACIFIC - 10 July

I have an ongoing need for specific, detailed tips about adventurous outdoor weekend getaways. I'm looking for savvy angles: off-the- radar places and ways to experience them. These can be outfitted trips, lodge-based activities, or DIY adventures. Beauty and physical activity are paramount. Generalities like "There's lots of hiking in the Rockies" are worthless. Tell me what trail, where, why, how long, what we'll see, feel...

Lead time is five months. Immediate need is for November, but I keep all good leads on file. I write 16 of these per issue, so I rely on local expertise. Tips from the Midwest and South are especially welcome.

Region: U.S. and southern Canada

Remember to: Please put "Next Weekend" in the subject line.

Click here to get a sense of what NGA is looking for.

Learning to Run in 13 Weeks: Week 3

If you're following along with us, you too are entering week 3 of the 13-week running program. My group agrees that the program has been pretty reasonable so far and they are even looking for new and more interesting running areas. Two members have discovered a beautiful trail not far from our neighborhood that should make the longer runs more entertaining.

Last week, I mentioned that this program emphasizes consistency; meaning that you want to get into a regular training schedule. In this case, it means three days per week with at least one day of rest in between training days. Another important training rule is moderation. You need to give your body time to rest and adapt to the new stress you are inflicting on bones and tissues.

To my mind, the best part about moderation is that it allows you to feel good about what you are doing. If you hit the street thinking that you need to be "serious" and run several miles right off the bat, the odds are good that you won't enjoy your experience and it'll be that much harder to run the next time. If you start small, you'll find that you enjoy your effort and can feel good about your slow but steady progress as the weeks go by.

As mentioned in earlier posts, we're following the gradual program outlined in the The Beginning Runners Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program *. Here's the schedule for this week and next.

Week 3

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 2: 5-minute stretch, run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 9 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 3: 5-minute stretch, run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 9times. 5-minute stretch


Week 4 (Easy Recovery Week)

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 8 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 7 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, run 2 minutes, walk 3 minutes. Do this 7 times. 5-minute stretch


*A few words about The Beginning Runner's Handbook. The 13-week program doesn't appear until page 151 because the authors (Ian MacNeill and the Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia) thought it was important to start with topics like moderation, choosing good shoes, training mind & body, pregnancy, cross-training, technique, diet, injuries and stretching. It is probably wise to do some reading of your own before you launch into this new exercise program. Please make sure you're healthy and ready for action and then join us!

D'oh! It's National Recycling Week and I've been Tagged...

Until about an hour ago, I was on vacation in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware. The lovely beach house that I shared with my long suffering husband and 6 teenage girls was spacious and comfortable and in a Internet wasteland. No computers, no email, no blogging (good thing Blogger lets you pre-schedule posts).

So, I had no idea that Lorna (over at CalifLorna) had tagged me in her post on National Recycling Week (June 22-28). If you haven't heard about National Recycling Week it may be because it's a British event. However, the Internet is a world without borders and Lorna, herself, was tagged to promote recycling and thought that I would be up for the challenge. Of course I am! Besides, National Recycling Week doesn't end until tomorrow.

My family is big on recycling. We have a very large bin for paper recycling (supplied by the county) that's bigger than our garbage can. We also have a county-supplied recycling bin for plastic and glass. In addition, Liz created a compost pile near our vegetable garden early this spring and my husband uses a recycling mower that allows lawn clippings to fall back into the grass.

Even on our vacation, the whole gang put all recyclable materials into bags and we drove them to the town's central collection point.

So where does the challenge come in? Well, I was supposed to visit RecycleNow.com and make a recycling-type pledge (I picked more composting), name a friend who would hold me to it (I picked Lorna), and then challenge someone else. Honestly, the clock is ticking on this one but it's such a good idea. So, I think the best option here is to challenge all of YOU!!

Your mission (should you choose to accept it) is to follow the rules below:

1. Visit Recycle Now and make a pledge

2. Write a post sharing the details of your pledge on your own blog

3. Tag another blogger who might also be up for the challenge (if you can do this quickly).

4. Come back to this post at The Rubbish Diet and share your pledge with others by placing a link to your pledge in the comment field.

H&M Fall 2009 Collection

H&M Fall 2009 Collection. The hottest looks and styles to wear from H&M this Fall. Wondering what H&M will have for us come fall? Its all about leather pieces, shoulder pads, nudes, lace and sweaters. I love the look of this collection you can see a preview of what to expect from the men and the women's collection below, and the hottest color of the season? Looks like its black....

Zip line in India: Too Fun!

If Sky Hike sounded interesting but Georgia isn't part of your summer travel plans, check out a very cool zip line in India called Flying Fox. You can put this on your fall calendar because it's re-opening in October. Click here for pix and video.

You can read more about Flying Fox on Wend Magazine's blog, click here.

Road Trip: Sky Hike in Georgia

According to their Web site, Sky Hike is the nation's largest adventure course. Within the confines of your safety harness, you'll be able to test your skill on a tight rope, leap through the air from one structure to another, climb vertical rope nets and cross suspended bridges. Sky Hike allows for the mildly adventurous by offering challenges at 12 feet above the ground but if you're into heights, the four-story-high Super Challenge Trail will be more to your liking. This seems like quite a bargain at only $14.

Where: Stone Mountain Park, Atlanta, Georgia

Closed-toe shoes required.

You can read more about Sky Hike here in an article from the Atlanta Journal-Constitution.

How To Wear and Style Jumpsuits

How To Wear and Style Jumpsuits. Jumpsuits are a classic look that has made quite a strong comeback. From styles ranging from shorts, pants, and capris there are many different ways to wear this trend.

When it comes to jumpsuits there are 2 main fits to the look, tight, and loose. The 2 category descriptions basically fit the name. Tight jumpsuits are worn tightly around the body, loose is worn slightly hanging off the body in a casual way. There are also many different jumpsuit materials that can be worn as well and to be honest choice is all about preference.

You can dress up your jumpsuit with accessories such as belts, bangles, and necklaces for added flare and they can be worn with heels or sandals depending on your style. When it comes to finding the right jumpsuit just be sure to choose a look that you feel comfortable wearing. Look below to see different styles to try.

Learning to Run in 13 Weeks: Week 2

Welcome to week 2 in our our summer running adventure! So far, so good. My group is in agreement that week 1 was easy and enjoyable. I hope you're having a similar experience. I've mentioned before that consistency is important so don't skip a week just because you're traveling. Five members of our group will be running in alternate locations for the next couple of sessions, two in Ireland, one in Italy and two in Delaware (the exotic Delaware will be yours truly and Liz).

As mentioned in earlier posts, we're following the gradual program outlined in the The Beginning Runners Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program *. Here's the schedule for this week and next.


Week 2

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, Run 2 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 11 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 2: 5-minute stretch, Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 3: 5-minute stretch, Run 2 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times. 5-minute stretch


Week 3

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 2: 5-minute stretch, run 2 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 9 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 3: 5-minute stretch, run 3 minutes, walk 2 minutes. Do this 9times. 5-minute stretch


*A few words about The Beginning Runner's Handbook. The 13-week program doesn't appear until page 151 because the authors (Ian MacNeill and the Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia) thought it was important to start with topics like moderation, choosing good shoes, training mind & body, pregnancy, cross-training, technique, diet, injuries and stretching. It is probably wise to do some reading of your own before you launch into this new exercise program. Please make sure you're healthy and ready for action and then join us!

World Refugee Day

Today is World Refugee Day. Designated by the UN General Assembly, the day is dedicated to raising awareness about the 42 million refugees around the planet and their struggles. This year's theme "Real People, Real Needs" should help focus attention on the women, men and children who have been uprooted by conflict and persecution. For more information about World Refugee Day, click here. To find out what your country is doing to mark this important day, click here. To link to the "Gimme Shelter" Facebook page, click here.




Image credit: WORLD MAP OR GLOBE BACKGROUND
© John Vernon | Dreamstime.com

Road Trip: Syncronized Fireflies in the Smokey Mountains

There is a very interesting post on Boing Boing about fireflies in the Smokey Mountains that flash in unison. Click here to read more about the bioluminescent bugs and to watch a video of their performance. I think this is worthy of a road trip, don't you?

Sneak Peak The Beautiful Life With Mischa Barton and Melrose Place

Sneak Peak The Beautiful Life With Mischa Barton and Melrose Place. This fall we can all expect to see many different new shows on the CW from Vampire Diaries to Melrose Place and Valley Girls and now The Beautiful Life With Mischa Barton.

The show The Beautiful Life follows models living in new york and its produced by Ashton Kutcher. Along with Mischa I believe we'll also be seeing Corbin Bleu as well as Elle Macpherson. You can see a clip from the show below.



For all my readers who are waiting for Melrose Place here's a sneak peak of that as well

Lorna Reviews: "Those Who Save Us"

Contributor Lorna Harris continues her series of adventure book reviews with Those Who Save Us.

Those Who Save Us
by Jenna Blum

Those Who Save Us is beautifully written. The story takes place during WWII and present day. The main characters are a woman and her daughter, both of whom lead adventurous lives but for very different reasons.

The story begins in the present day with the awkwardness between mother and daughter. As the plot develops, we learn that the mother, Anna, a German, has lived through the trauma of WWII. Anna gives birth to a daughter by her Jewish lover during the war and we see the lengths she must go to protect the child and try to help her lover who has been sent to a concentration camp. The conditions in which she must live and try to raise a child are harrowing. The hunger, freezing conditions and threats from German officers are terrifying.

Trudy, the daughter, is completely unaware of the risks her mother has taken during the war and lives a very different life in the States. However, the events Trudy has witnessed, as a child, have taken their toll without her realizing. Trudy’s childhood has effected her relationships as she has grown up and her marriage. As Trudy embarks on a project to interview German citizens and their experiences during the war, Trudy finally begins to understand her mother’s behavior.

The story goes back and forth between WWII and modern day but it’s seamlessly written. The women both have strength of character you can admire. The book makes you question the decisions Anna made during the war but you also start to wonder how you would cope with such terrifying situations and how far you would go to protect your loved ones.

With the anniversary of D-Day on June 6, this book truly makes you realize how fortunate we are that we can have amazing adventures and the freedom of choice to do so.


Lorna is editor-in-chief of Boudica.com and has her own blog, Calif Lorna.

Learning to Run in 13 Weeks: Week 1

Here's the plan. My Daughter, Liz, needs to get back in shape after a prolonged sports injury. After consulting with her doctor, we decided to use the The Beginning Runners Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program to slowly increase her strength and endurance. As luck would have it, I have a crowd of women who like this idea and who want to spend their summer "learning to run."

I'm going to post our training schedule for weeks 1 and 2 so that you can follow along at your own pace. I'll update the schedule every Monday for the remainder of the program.

My group is going to meet on Sunday, Tuesday and Thursday evenings. However, they all have a copy of the schedule so that if they can't run with the group, they can run on their own. Consistency is very important. Also, according to the book, you want at least one day between training sessions and you want to make sure to begin each session with a 5-minute warm up and conclude with a 5-minute cool down. The Handbook has a number of stretching exercises for these 5-minute periods.

With that in mind, here is the schedule:

Week 1

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 12 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 2: 5-minute stretch, Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 9 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 3: 5-minute stretch, Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 11 times. 5-minute stretch

Week 2

Day 1: 5-minute stretch, Run 2 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 11 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 2: 5-minute stretch, Run 1 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times. 5-minute stretch

Day 3: 5-minute stretch, Run 2 minute, walk 2 minutes. Do this 10 times. 5-minute stretch


A few words about The Beginning Runner's Handbook. The 13-week program doesn't appear until page 151 because the authors (Ian MacNeill and the Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia) thought it was important to start with topics like moderation, choosing good shoes, training mind & body, pregnancy, cross-training, technique, diet, injuries and stretching. It is probably wise to do some reading of your own before you launch into this new exercise program. Please make sure you're healthy and ready for action and then join us!

Weekly Style News Reading

Weekly Style News Reading . The hottest links to beauty and fashionable reads on the web. Find out what the style news blogs are up to below.

Felix Ray for Target Handbags- handbag style news
How To Get Leighton Meester’s Makeup Look- beauty and fashion news
Summer Dresses and Styles-fashion looks
Blunt Bangs Hairstyles and Hair Trend- image and style news blog
Tips to Help Women Lose Weight- diet tips news
Give Your Hairstyle a Mini Makeover- total beauty
Milla Jovovich Hairstyles-hairstyles 53
MAC Love That Look Collection- addicted to lipstick
Celebrity 2009 Summer Hairstyles- addicted to lipstick
Emma Roberts Shoe Style- real women wear heels
Mia Carruthers Music From Taking The Stage- gossipy girlz
Summer Haircolor Trends for 2009- image and style news
2009 haircut trends- image and style news
Alicia Keys Hairstyles- hairdos 1
How To Keep Your Haircolor From Fading- hairdos 1
Tips for Finding The Best Plus Size Lingerie- real women have curves
Jessica Biel is the New Face of Revlon- fashion devo
Steal The Look Angelina Jolie's Makeup at the Cannes Film Festival- makeup and stilettos
2009 Black Hairstyle Trends for Summer- makeup and stilettos
Wedding Trends : Bridal Veils- woodva weddings
Shu Uemura Eternal Gold Collection- glowing skin care news
2009 Fall Lancome Declaring Indigo Collection- addicted to lipstick
How To Wear One Shoulder Trend Tops and Dresses- style that work for you blog
Nickelodeon's New Show The Troop- teen trends and tips
Ciara Hairstyles and Makeup- trendy hairstyles 4 me
Flower Girl Dresses, Styles and Ideas- wedding 53

Celebrity Hairstyle of the Month Agyness Deyn

Celebrity Hairstyle of the Month Agyness Deyn. Agyness Deyn hairstyles are always edgy and high fashionable styles. Her sharp razor edges haircuts are one to notice. She can be seen wearing a simple hat and makes it a trend, even her hat hair looks great. She rocks the platnuim blonde look with class and she makes short hair a style every girl wants to try. Look below to see Agyness's best styles.

Getting Liz Back on Track...

Last fall, my daughter, Liz, suffered a sports injury that put her on enforced couch potato status. She's been bored, she's been very bored and she's itching to move. Happily, the last MRI showed that she's ready for action -- if she goes slowly.

My friend, Carol, found an interesting book called The Beginning Runners Handbook: The Proven 13-Week Walk-Run Program at our local library and thought it might be just the thing to get Liz back on her feet. The basic premise is that you build up strength and endurance by alternating running and walking -- extending the running and decreasing the walking segments as the weeks go by.

I've told a number of people that Liz and I are going to spend the summer "learning to run" and to my surprise I had a bunch of women say that they wanted to join us. After a while, it occurred to me that some of you might want to join us as well. So, once a week for the next 13 weeks, I'll tell you what we're doing and if you're in the mood for something new, I hope you'll come along. You know, this would be a great activity for an Adventure Club! Everything is more fun when you do it with friends.

A few words about The Beginning Runner's Handbook. The 13-week program doesn't appear until page 151 because the authors (Ian MacNeill and the Sport Medicine Council of British Columbia) thought it was important to start with topics like moderation, choosing good shoes, training mind & body, pregnancy, cross-training, technique, diet, injuries and stretching. It is probably wise to do some reading of your own before you launch into this new exercise program. Please make sure you're healthy and ready for action and then join us!


Photo credit: Abbie Mulvihill

How To Wear One Shoulder Trend Tops and Dresses

How To Wear One Shoulder Trend Tops and Dresses. The one shoulder trend is by far the most popular look of the season and since its so popular everyone should know how to wear it the proper way. The look is everywhere and celebrities and designers love the style and its a look that looks good on all body type. There are also many different styles to the one shoulder look and its all about choosing the one that looks the best for your body type.

When shopping for this trend stick with tops if you have a larger middle, and if your arms are a bit large try to choose a style that comes with one sleeve (shown below). Wear styles with ruffles to draw the attention upwards and dresses are a great way to show off your body and accentuate your curves while plain one shoulder tops are great for a summer's day. There are also many different flowly tops that show the one shoulder style and these look great on all body type. Look below to see some of the different styles.

100 Years Ago...Alice Ramsey and the first coast to coast road trip

100 years ago today, Alice Ramsey left New York in a specially outfitted, four-cylinder, 30 horsepower automobile and began a grand cross-country adventure. Drafted by the Maxwell-Briscoe automobile company to help promote their brand, Alice was a 22-year-old Vassar grad who knew her way around cars and who had the strength to handle rack-and-pinion steering for 3,800 miles. Her skill and spirit (and a little help from some friends) resulted in a successful journey that landed Ms. Ramsey in the record books as the first woman to make a coast-to-coast road trip. While a few men had already accomplished the feat, Alice also set the best time.

Margery Krevsky wrote a nice story about Alice and her three traveling companions for the Detroit News. To read the article, click here.



Image credit: SUMMER LANDSCAPE
© Alexey Arkhipov | Dreamstime.com

Life as an Ex Pat

It's not easy to pull up roots and set them down again in a foreign land but many, many women do just that. I thought you might like to get a perspective from several different international adventurers who are testing new cultures, new foods and new ways of life:

A Canadian mom with 3 preschoolers, writes about life in Cape Town, South Africa in "A Day"

A Canadian teaching English in China, Amy writes about "My Least Favourite Word"

An English woman re-rooting in California, Lorna writes about "How to be an Ex-Pat."

An American in Saudi Arabia, Susie writes "On Being Normal." (By the way, I'm happy to report that the KSA government has unblocked Susie's blog and Saudi citizens can once again read Susie's Big Adventure.)


If you're an expat and looking for kindred spirits, click here to visit Expat Women: Helping Women Living Overseas. To read blogs by women from all over the world, click here.

Fashion Trend Alert Floral Prints and Accessories

Fashion Trend Alert Floral Prints and Accessories. Lately I've been seeing floral prints everywhere from tops and dresses to even earrings and bangles. The floral look is everywhere. I adore this trend since it's such a fun way to make other items in your wardrobe pop plus you can wear multiple hues at once. See the trend in action in the pics after the jump. Another style on the rise for all my fashion watchers is the leaf print which you can see in styles of earrings and necklaces.

This Weekend: Treat Your Friends to an "Exploding" Soda

Ok, maybe this isn't really an adventure but I thought it was hilarious. Wired has a great "how to" for creating an exploding drink by freezing Mentos candy into ice cubes and then adding the cubes to a glass of pop. Wired created a Manhattan (my grandmother's favorite cocktail) for this prank but it would work just as well with plain ol' Diet Coke. If you haven't seen what happens when you mix Mentos and Coke, click here, otherwise I know you're already giggling.

Click here for step-by-step instructions for making Mentos ice cubes.

For an amazing display of what you can do with lots of Coke, lots of Mentos (and some corporate funding), click here.

Today is Meet Your Neighbor Day

Happy Meet Your Neighbor Day!

Go forth and introduce yourself!

Meet Your Neighbor Day on Facebook

Join the "Meet Your Neighbor Day" group on Facebook. Click here.

Amy Winehouse Clothing Line Collection with PPQ

Amy Winehouse Clothing Line Collection with PPQ. When it comes to fashion lines and clothing line Amy Winehouse is one of the newest celebrities to give us a collection. Peaches Geldof will share some of her PPQ designer spotlight with Amy and they have announced a line which will be inspired by Amy Winehoues's style. They even stated that Amy Wino’s designing skills will only limit to her being “involved in the creative process”. I'll admit that Amy's style is a little out there and I haven't seen any clothing from her that I would personally rock but It will be interesting to see what the line looks like.



‘The range will be all about high-end statement pieces, inspired by Amy’s style. For example maybe an amazing piece of jewellery like a bracelet or a dress. It’s going to be distributed online, we are going to be providing all materials and doing the design, but Amy will definitely be involved in the creative process. It will be very different to Peaches’ line for PPQ as that was more of a diffusion line - this will be a homage to Amy’s look.’ Amy Molyneaux

Get Ready for "Meet Your Neighbor Day"

On Monday, I wrote that I am declaring June 5, "Meet Your Neighbor Day." Why? Because June 5, is AWB's first birthday and I want to create an adventure that we can all do together. Meeting an unknown neighbor will probably push your comfort zone just a bit. Depending on the neighbor, it could expand your horizons quite a lot! Here are a few suggestions.

How to Meet Your Neighbor:

You can simply walk up and say, "Hi" or you can take thing up a notch by doing a little more.

The calling card: In my current neighborhood, there is a nice tradition of greeting new neighbors with a hand written card that includes your name (and others in your family) plus your address and phone number. It helps the new neighbor remember you and it gives them a way of contacting you if they need assistance. This might be an easy way to meet an elderly person in your area.

Food Part I: Who doesn't like receiving a tasty treat? You can always knock on your neighbor's door with food in hand and tell them it's Meet Your Neighbor Day and you've come by to be friendly.

Food Part II: Why not invite several neighbors over for drinks and appetizers? You can enjoy the company of the neighbors you know and take the opportunity to meet some new friends.

Food Part III: Party! Grab a friend and organize a get-together for all the people who live on your street, in your complex or who work in your office. You can invite everyone for tea, you can do drinks and appetizers, you make it a potluck*, or you can go all out and have a BBQ with music and limbo.

Some of these things will be hard to pull off by Friday but as long as you're in the planning process, it counts for Meet Your Neighbor Day!


To be part of Meet Your Neighbor Day on Facebook, click here!



*I've hosted a bunch of foreign exchange students who are mystified by the concept of a potluck dinner. If it's new to you, click on the link to learn more.

Things to do with your new neighbor friend:
National Good Neighbor Day (September)
Dinner Day (2nd Saturday in January)

Celebrating AWB's First Anniversary

Almost a year ago, on June 5, actually, I started Adventurous Women Blog. If you've been reading along, you know that my plan for this blog was, and is, to encourage women to leave their comfort zones and try new things. That might mean mountaineering to you but it might mean starting martial arts to your co-worker or entering a cooking contest to your sister.

I've been thinking about ways to celebrate the first 12 months as an adventurous blog--I wanted to find something that we could all do together. That's not an easy feat considering that you wonderful readers come from all parts of the globe. Clearly, we're not going to have a party at my house.

Going back to the idea that adventure means expanding your horizons, learning new things and leaving your comfort zone I decided the one thing that we all share is a fear of the unknown. And what's one thing that is universally unknown? Our neighbors.

We all have a strange older woman or a reclusive gentleman or a wacky family that we generally ignore or avoid. We also have people whom we see regularly but have never met. All of these people can enrich our lives with their stories, their traditions and their perspectives.

So, in honor of AWB's birthday, I am declaring June 5 "Meet Your Neighbor Day" and I challenge you to introduce yourself to one new person. I'll have some ideas on how to do that on Wednesday.

To join Meet Your Neighbor Day on Facebook, click here!