There are some things you just can't have too many of.

Luna bars are that thing for me. At first glance, they look like just another "energy bar," nothing special. But to me, they are a candy bar from the Gods of veganism - since I can get away with eating 3 a day! One bar usually contains more than half a day's worth of protein, iron, calcium, and vitamins. They are usually 70% or more organic and contain NO hydrogenated oil! It's targeted towards women, though I've heard lovely reviews from men and women alike. They are relatively inexpensive, especially if you buy the box! That's pretty difficult for me because I am constantly changing my favorite flavor (currently Blueberry Bliss), but even individually, they're usually just a buck and a half at most! They're also amazing because they can be used for almost any meal. This week in particular, I've had a generous Luna Bar donation -- so I've had one for breakfast and one for dessert every day! I've also thrown them in my bag for in-class lunch, between-class snack, and paired 'em with an English muffin for a quick dorm room dinner! 

     I also wouldn't let a bad Luna Bar ruin your taste for them. There are so many flavors, you're bound to like one of them! If you have or have had a candy bar or sugary candy addiction like I have, then chances are you'll benefit from switching over to this bad boy. It's like a candy bar (you can find one with whatever kind of chocolate you like), and it can be fruity (raspberries, anyone?), and then you throw in your favorite kind of nut! More and more I'm seeing Luna Bars everywhere, not just lil hippie places. There's no excuse not to pick one up! 


Good times for a Luna Bar: Studying for finals, driving to college, when you're feeling sad, when you're feeling happy, an awkward transition time, when it rains, if your dog poops on the floor, when your computer battery runs out, when you pass in a paper, when you have to visit your mom, and when you're hungry.

     This Saturday, May 5 is my one year anniversary of becoming vegan! Also known as the one year anniversary of the best day of my life. It was a day like any other -- sitting in Pre-Calculus during SSR reading another -- or what I thought was another -- get thin quick book: Skinny Bitch. I'm sure you've all heard of it but what you may not know is that the title is mere propaganda for a book about the ins and outs of factory farming, the dairy industry, the FDA, and then a small section about the effects all this crap has on your body.
     I'm usually pretty skeptical, especially about these books-- but I couldn't find a good reason not to. I thought about it all day, I did my research, I couldn't stop thinking about the sad little animals, about the empowerment I'd feel from not being a part of it anymore, and by the end of the day, just the thought of eating meat or drinking a glass of milk disgusted me endlessly! I knew it was over. My life had changed. I found meaning in something I'd brushed off so foolishly for years. 

      I dabbled in vegetarianism for ridiculous, unmentionable reasons off and on for years of my life, but I had never stopped to even consider the "animal rights" issue. I simply had no idea what was going on or how much power I had. This book (also the reason Ellen & Portia went vegan -- awesome!) taught me everything I needed to know, and gave me more than enough reasons to get started... that day! 
      Now, of course making mistakes (especially in the beginning!) is perfectly normal especially with a full vegan transition.  And I made my fair share. The beginning was easy, but I had tense moments over the long haul. I knew it wasn't about being perfect, it was about doing your best to make an impact: to save the animals and the earth itself. A breakfast cereal I didn't know contained gelatin isn't going to keep me down for long. 

     Although it was plenty hard to turn down my first summer s'more after I went vegan last May, I always kept my spirits high knowing delicious sweets were always in my future! In my full year as a vegan, I haven't found one thing I couldn't veganize -- s'mores included! And it may just be my passion talking, but I think they taste better than ever now! As you may have gathered, I have the sweet tooth of a seven year old girl, and my eyes glow at anything that sounds remotely like "ice cream." And let me say, I manage quite well to get my fix as a vegan! With bakeries like Wildflour, ice cream trucks like Like-No-Udder, and good old fashion dairy-free ice creams from Stop n' Shop, I manage to stay a happy, healthy, cruelty-free Chelsee! And of course I always have the ability to make sweets myself or with my family! Trust me, there's no shortage of cookbooks where I come from!  

So, how will I be spending my one year vegiversary? I have no idea! What is the perfect way to celebrate such a good decision? Wait a second, I can answer that: sweets!! I can only imagine it will involve some of my favorite vegan treats: pancakes, s'mores, strawberries, ice cream, Skittles?? All of the above?
Whatever happens, I know that above all I'll be looking forward to another cruelty-free year. 

     Fitchburg isn't a bad place. Correction: Fitchburg State isn't a bad place. It's actually a great school if 1. You already know people who go there or 2. You love film. Or perhaps if you're just really good at making friends. None of these apply to me by any means, yet this is where I ended up for my first full year of college.
     I'm not stupid. I know why I made this decision to leave everything I know and go to a school far away. Have you ever seen a show, a movie, or heard anyone talk about how much trouble they had making friends in college? No! No one questions college being "the best years of my life" no matter where one ends up. College is college. It's going to be great no matter what.
     Or at least this is the ridiculous propaganda I heard. 

Besides not making friends, college was an extreme disappointment. Where were the nerds I was promised? People who shared my interests? Where was book club? Where were the animal rights activists and protests? Where were the people who cared? It was rough, let me tell you. On top of that, I had roommate problems left and right, I had major issues (haha, punny) until the very end, and I never made any real friends despite my attempted do-overs. My only real solace was going to class and working in the English Studies Department among some pretty cool professors that I got a chance to know well.

     Regardless, however, it was clear to me by April that I couldn't last another minute, let alone another year. Fitchburg isn't a bad school, it's just not for me. But of course this gets me wondering, is it really just Fitchburg? Why was I the only one I knew suffering so intensely? I scoffed at commuters last year asking what's the point of going to college if you're going to commute? I'd never do it! Well, commuters, I'm willing to admit I might have been wrong. 
     Next year I'll be transferring to Bridgewater State: bigger, closer, and I know people. Will my problems finally be solved? Time will tell. If this experience is just as traumatizing, it might be time to call it quits. I am a firm believer that college just isn't for everyone. I'm starting to believe that the luxury of living on campus isn't for everyone either. 

Although I am no stranger to the dance studio here at my college, I sometimes have trouble motivating myself to get down there. After all, why bother? Learning a dance or creating a dance is fun, but then what do I do with the finished product? Years ago, I had plenty of ideas. However these days when I'm flying solo, absolutely nothing! I was pondering this idea last night in my dorm when the answer came right to me: reform my dance group of yesteryear! 
hittekiKAPOW! was sort of short-lived, and its dancing was not quite on par with my ideal, but one thing that really sticks out in my mind is how much fun I had doing it! And even if the dance comes out poorly, at least I'll have that! 
I asked Dawley who was just as excited (or perhaps even more excited) than I was, and simply gave Megan no choice in the matter! Ahh, the good old days. 
Dawley and I were so excited in fact, that we plan to begin practice for our new dance this weekend! 
Megan and I will resume a 3-year practice for a dance that we will hopefully premiere this summer. 
Hopes are high, but even if we flake out as we did with last year's reunion, I'll be happy to say that I tried. And to be honest, anything that gets me in the studio is a good thing to me!

Anyway, the tale of reunion is still developing, so I'd have to say STAY TUNED for announcements on the song and dance decisions!

I mean Honest Ade!

I buy one of these gems every Tuesday and Thursday morning before my 4 consecutive classes + work haul. Despite the fact that I am honestly not a fan of lemonade, this little bugger always keeps me coming back for more, and I felt the need to share my love affair. 
I first met Honest Ade at a Geared Up For Kids walk last May and I was not convinced it was anything worth my time. However, while pursuing my school's Commuter Cafe, I came across this guy sporting zero calorie, naturally sweetened (Stevia!), caffeine-free, organic (ooh lala!), GMO-less lemonade. How could I ignore such a beauty?
I was absolutely delighted when I actually tasted this lemonade -- and it was divine! A lemonade I approve of? Gasp! 
But I was shamefully addicted. Since then, almost all of my "Falcon Dollars" have gone right to my biweekly bottles. I am not sorry!

Not to mention... Who wouldn't stop for that picture? It's a bike! Not just any bike, it's the first bike ever. Made out of lemons! Just kidding. But it is the penny-farthing, an awesome bike that I will someday learn to ride. Am I kidding about that one? You'll have to wait and see!
I am usually very skeptical about drinks that aren't water. Vitamin Water, that SOBE water, Crystal Lite, I've had my days with all of these ridiculous things. The day always comes where I decide to question myself, read the ingredients, and realize that most of these are just as bad as soda. A lot of them have calories -- from a whole day's worth of sugar per serving. The ones that I gave my heart to were calorie-free chemical explosions of cancer-causing yuckies. 
I'm willing to admit nothing beats good 'ol water, but it's so hard to get myself to drink it sometimes! And I'm sure the Ade isn't completely innocent in the chemical world, but for the time being, it beats the heck out of everything else. 
There are other flavor options, but I haven't tried them because most stack up to 100 calories per bottle. Although healthy, I can't stand wasting my precious daily calories on liquid! The flavors are tempting though... one is pink (pink!) and has some sort of pomegranate flavor... Perhaps a treat someday!
For now though, I'll stick to the zero-guilt 'ade. 
Anyway, if you haven't tried it, try it. It's one of those heart-stopping healthy-but-yummy winners that you don't see every day! 

      Yes, that's right, raw vegan ice cream. It's not just raw, it's also vegan, gluten-free, soy-free, kosher, and organic. Aka heaven. I was immediately enthralled with this product.  have heard of raw ice cream before and God knows you can make it yourself for no less that $100, but here it was, in the midst of a Google search, in none other than a Whole Foods ad! Whole Foods is conveniently located on my ride home from school... And a stop every now and then is such a treat! I was getting so excited to grab some on my way home on Wednesday when I decided to check out the site!
     Despite being extremely healthy (all ingredients are found in the produce section! Cool!), this product had a frightening amount of calories. Just one cup totals you between 700-800 calories! Whoa! Now, my sweet tooth hardly lets me get away with one cup on my typical choice of coconut milk ice cream which totals between 200-250 calories... As you can see, this was a slap in the face.
     I did, however, finally resolve to try some every so often as a treat, and just share it with a friend or two! Problem solved -- no pint killer!

     That is... Until I looked a little closer on the website and realized that this brand of ice cream is ONLY available in New York...

      Don't mind that sound, it's just my heart breaking. :(

     As you can see, vegan sweets and treats are very important to me... Just as important as finding things that are healthy (usually!) and cruelty-free. It's not actually a bad combo. Vegan and healthy tend to be synonymous -- though unfortunately not always accurate. Oreos, anyone?