It’s DAY 9 over here of the 30 Days of Love. We’ve already had two yummy recipes and a week-long Giveaway, some treats, a sneeze, and now, some very wise words.Today, my love to share with you is the wise words of Arianna Huffington spoken at the graduation ceremony today of my alma mater, Smith College.

Listening to Arianna today brought me back to my own graduation. As she called out to the Class of 2013 to “Redefine Success” I was reminded of my graduation day and the Class of 1996.

Back then, our commencement speaker was Anna Quindlen and she rallied the crowd by saying, “Men and women need to meet in the middle.”

Spoken like a true wise woman. And such a sign of the times — sixteen years later women and men are literally meeting in the middle, sharing work and home duties as never before. My own home life is proof of this evolution – we share the cooking, laundry, bills and business duties.

But it doesn’t mean “we are there” yet as a society.

Today, Arianna broke it down for the women of Smith in a new way. 

“What I urge you to do is to lead the third women’s revolution.” 

She was referring to our current cultural definition of success — the fixed equation of money + power. Arianna’s call was for a third metric, one founded on: 

“Money and power by themselves are a two-legged stool — you can balance on them for a while but eventually you’re going to topple over. And more and more people, very successful people, are toppling over.”As she described our female plight, Arianna highlighted the fact that “success the way we have defined it is no longer sustainable, for human beings or the planet,” citing that:- women have had a 40% increased risk in heart disease
- self reported stress rates have gone up by 18%

Then, she unleashed the showstopper. 

“You don’t get to the top by marrying someone, a much simpler way is to sleep your way to the top.”

Arianna was talking about the literal “SLEEP” to prevent deprivation and burnout. It was her call to action for these young women – and it should be for all of us. 

Her message and challenge for the graduating class of 2013 is to find room for WELLBEING in the definition of success. 

“So find your place to stand, you place of wisdom and strength. And from that place lead the women’s third revolution and remake the world in your own image, according to your definition of success, so that all of us, women and men, can live our lives with more grace, more joy, more empathy, more gratitude and yes, more love. So Class of 2013, congratulations. Onward, upward and inward!”

Well said, Ms. Huffington. I couldn’t agree more.  LOVE more.

More tomorrow,
Lovemore (fearless),
Jamie

It’s DAY 8 over here of the 30 Days of Love. We’ve already had two yummy recipes and a week-long Giveaway.And, my love of today is this: 
A big sneeze. 

I have been sneezing all afternoon. My nose is running its own marathon over here. I think it’s the pollen, Mother Nature’s funny way of shouting, “Ahem! Spring is here people!”

Flowers are popping up everywhere. Which I love.
But….

I cannot stop sneezing. 

Don’t get me wrong, I love a good sneeze. Just not a constant Kleenex chase.

It’s kind of gross, and makes me feel like a snotty nosed litte kid all over again. The kind of kid who would giggle at gross photos of a still frame sneeze: things that make you go ew!

And, for the adult in me, and my love to share of the day, here are 10 natural remedies and tips for allergies. 

Sipping tea.
Aaaaah chooo!

More tomorrow, 

Lovemore (fearless),

Jamie

It’s DAY 7 over here of the 30 Days of Love. We’ve already had two yummy recipes and a week-long Giveaway underway!

And, my love of today is this: 
Cheating on my crazy, healthy diet…
And, I give you permission to do the same!
Happy weekend!!

More tomorrow,
Lovemore (fearless),
Jamie

{What is your favorite treat to cheat?}

It’s DAY 6 over here of the 30 Days of Love. We’ve already had two yummy recipes and a week-long Giveaway underway!And, my love of today is this: 
Best TV Moments “EVAH”

I’m watching the FINALE of THE OFFICE tonight. It doesn’t seem possible that this show is already over. It’s definitely going out on top, at the right time, and all that jazz . . . but stil. 

So as write this between tears and saying goodbye to the gang at the office, today’s “love” is sharing some of the best TV moments I can remember.

(Hey, we got to do it now, before television is a thing of the past . . . if it isn’t already.)

The first finale I ever watched was M*A*S*H. I remember watching it with my parents and staying up super late, way past my bedtime. It was the first time I remember crying while watching TV.

And then there were my college friends, who I feel like I grew up with during my adult years, finding jobs, friends, boyfriends, weddings, and the whole bit.

And, of course, those other New Yorkers were right there too. I still remember the Green Day theme song from that final show:

“Another turning point, a fork stuck in the road
Time grabs you by the wrist, directs you where to go
So make the best of this test, and don’t ask why
It’s not a question, but a lesson learned in time

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.

So take the photographs, and still frames in your mind
Hang it on a shelf in good health and good time
Tattoos of memories and dead skin on trial
For what it’s worth it was worth all the while

It’s something unpredictable, but in the end is right,
I hope you had the time of your life.” 

So Dear Office Friends: I hope you had the time of your life. 
More tomorrow,

Lovemore (fearless),

JamieP.S. Would love to hear your best TV moments.
PLUS! Here are 80 Greatest Moments In TV HISTORY

It’s DAY 5 over here of the 30 Days of Love. We’ve already had two yummy recipes and a Giveaway underway!And, my love of today is this: 
The Story of the Lovemore+Fearless TeeJust in case you didn’t already hear all about it, I want you to know where this Tee comes from because it’s pretty powerful in a change your life sort of way…
It all started with a promise.Back in 2011, I made a promise not to shop for clothes or shoes for one entire year. What? Yes…no shopping, for the things I love, mind you.Over the course of that year I made a switch — instead of spending my money on my wardrobe, I invested in my head, heart, body and soul (and blogged about it every single day!).

This promise sent me to the spa for hot rock massages, on 30-day cleanse (where I discovered I was addicted to sugar, chocolate and coffee!) and into all sort of new adventures: facials, brazilian bikini wax, green smoothies, pilates, running, and a lot of learning.

I dove into the wisdom of ancient Chinese medicine, Ayurvedic treatments, Energy Medicine and many new ways of thinking about love, life and health. I sat before some of our great wise gurus, including: Deepak Chopra, Joan Borysenko and Donna Eden.

Soon, I learned they were all teaching the same thing. There are only two forces in this world - love and fear. With this incredible insight I made my next promise, (can you guess what it was?) to LOVE more and to FEAR less.

The following year, I dove deep into my fears and embraced them with LOVE.

I swam with sharks off the coast of Burmuda, we rafted the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon where I slept next to spiders and scorpions and all sorts of freaky looking bugs.

I traveled to Paris and threw my wedding rings from a previous marriage into the fountain of St. Sulpice. I removed the things that were holding fear inside of me.

And that’s why I created….

The LOVEMORE+FEARLESS TEE.

It came from a promise to change my life. To face my fears. To love and live with joy and abundance.

And NOW, you can win your very own LOVEMORE+FEARLESS TEE this week in my daily giveaway.

>Sign up at this link

Love on!

More tomorrow,
Lovemore (fearless),
Jamie

P.S. I still make promises, but now I am committed to helping you make promises too. Sign up for your personalized promise at http://www.thepromisedaily.com

And, my love of today is this: A Serious Summer Arm Workout. Why?
Tis the season to sport some Michelle Obama arms!

Check out this article on how to get some serious summer arms from iVillage – just in time for T-Shirt season!

Speaking of… Have you registered for your chance to win a Lovemore+Fearless Tee this week? You have 4 more chances this week! One a day. So register now sweet pea.

And flex some muscle!

More tomorrow,

Lovemore (fearless),

Jamie

We’ve already had two yummy recipes.And, my love of today is this: 
a FREE LOVEMORE+FEARLESS TEE to one lucky ducky.  CLICK HERE TO REGISTER and LIKE

You have 5 chances this week! One a day. So register now.

More tomorrow,

Lovemore (fearless),

Jamie

Yesterday, I shared my Mama Sling’s Gooey Butter Bar recipe.And today, Day #2 of 30 Days of Love, my LOVE to share is this:  my modified recipe for a cookie. 

…Not just any recipe mind you — these are the kind of cookies I eat these days.

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies, made with Stevia instead of sugar, applesauce instead of butter. You get the idea. Before you gag on the idea of a cookie without butter and mounds of sugar — try this doozie of a recipe.

You might like it. 

Warning: they are a bit more like breakfast bars, and a little more crumbly than cookies – but hey, you can eat them and feel guilt-free. And I call that a sweet treat!

Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies
_________________________________________
2 cups Gluten Free rolled oats
1 cup almond flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
12 packets of Stevia (1 gram each)
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 clarified butter (or applesauce)
Dash of vanilla extract
1 tablespoon almond milk
2 egg white or 1/2 egg substitute
2 ripe bananas mashed
dairy, nut, soy free mini chocolate chips 

Mix dry ingredients in one bowl.
Mix wet ingredients in a separate bowl.
Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix. Add mashed bananas and chocolate chips. Mix thoroughly.

Bake for 15 minutes at 350.
Try not to devour the entire platter in one sitting. I double dog dare you!
_________________________________________

Enjoy…
And, Happy Mother’s Day!

More tomorrow,
Lovemore (fearless),
Jamie

Instead of my promise to do a Gift A Day, I am experimenting with a new twist on it — I am giving away some good old fashioned L.O.V.E. every day for 30 days.Let’s see what happens!

To start, in honor of Mother’s Day, I thought it fitting to share this: Mama Sling’s recipe for some serious treats.Here’s the thing — I don’t eat this way anymore but boy does it bring back good finger licking memories.

PHOTO FROM:   http://lilluna.com/gooey-butter-bars/
(go check it out and give her some link love!)If you’ve never tried a Gooey Butter Bar, well…. brace yourself. The sugar rush alone will send you to Mars and back.

So today, my LOVE of the day, is sharing my mom’s recipe with you.

It’s so good I once caught my dog, PUP, standing on his hind feet, paws on top of the counter, eating the middle out of a fresh batch of Gooey Butter Bars — right before we were supposed to take them to picnic.

(TRUE CONFESSION: I just cut the ends out of the pan and took them to the picnic.)

Anyhoo….. here’s the recipe!

Mama Sling’s Gooey Butter Bars
_________________________________________
1 stick Butter 
1 egg 
1 package yellow cake mix 
1 tsp vanilla 
8 ounce cream cheese 
2 eggs 
2 cups powdered sugar 
Nuts (optional) 

Mix butter, egg and cake. Pat into bottom of 9×13 inch pan. Mix cream cheese eggs powdered sugar and vanilla. Pour onto cake mixture in pan. Bake in 350 degree oven for 30 minutes, dust with powdered sugar. 
_________________________________________

And tomorrow, I wil share a recipe for the kind of treats I can eat these days – Gluten Free Oatmeal Cookies.  

I’m convinced in thirty years there will be a generation of adults walking around this world reminiscing about all the odd food their parents made them eat — like green smoothies, kale chips, and gluten free oatmeal cookies. 

More tomorrow,
Lovemore (fearless),
Jamie

I know hate is a strong word. The word is so intense and so EXTREME. 

But I really hate quitting . . . anything.
I’m a STICK TO IT kind of gal.

Sure, sometimes I procrastinate. Or take a long pause. Who doesn’t?

So today, I am firing up my promise this year to explore abundance and give a gift away a day.

Except, I’m going to morph it a bit.
(I’m not quitting, mind you, just tweaking!) 

You see, I’ve realized that I just can’t get over the word GIFT. It’s highly loaded for the Perfectionista inside of me.

GIFTS feel really BIG.
Gifts carry an intensity that feels, well…. overwhelming sometimes.

(I know there’s a lesson in there for me too.)

So, I’ve dug deep for the past week and tried to figure this out. Why does it feel so HARD to give a gift a day — everyday?

I think I’ve figured a piece of it out.
It comes down to LOVE.

For the next 30 days I am going to morph my gift of the day into a LOVE OF THE DAY. 

I will share my LOVE. Randomly and happily.  

It feels more personal, more meaningful, and more special to me. I can’t really explain it (and I know I’m not explaining it well here) but I FEEL it. 

And, I’m learning that our FEELINGS are the best guidance system we have access to. 

So, I’m going with it. 
Cause, I’m a lover, not a hater.  

More tomorrow,

Lovemore (fearless),

Jamie