birthday gifts of health & wellness

With my 26th birthday looming in this Sunday, I've had a few early birthday gifts. Potentially, the best gifts I've ever received.

First, I should explain that I didn't ask for gifts this year. I'm trying to escape the consumerist approach of buying/obtaining merchandise I didn't need. Need being the key word. The big problem out there isn't that we don't recycle properly or that we don't use enough reusable bags; it's that we buy too much and don't think twice about it. Or where it came from.

My first gift(s) arrived at the end of March: the first four issues of National Geographic Magazine (Jan - April). Mike had purchased me a year's subscription of the magazine! Over the holidays, each time we visited a home that had NGM, I managed to hide away with an issue flipping feverishly from page to page. While I always tote messages of 'Save the World' I still have a lot about to world to learn. Additionally, I've always wanted to have a worthy magazine in toilet for some, ahem, reading material.

Last Thursday night our buzzer rang and Mr UPS had a package from my sister. Opening up the box was another box. And inside that cardboard box: Simple Shoes!

My absolutely wonderful sister purchased me a pair of GT Janes: Made of bamboo, wood, jute and even a recycled car tire, the shoes (with the exception of the sole) can be thrown into a compost bin and composted when they are spent. I plan on wearing mine right through until they are falling off my feet. They passed the concert test at the AMS Block Party last Friday. Mike and I had a great dance session while Wintersleep performed.

Friday night Mike mentioned to me that if Saturday's weather as lovely, he wanted to give me a part of the rest of my presents [whoa, there was more?]. Bright and early Saturday morning, I threw back the curtains to reveal the sunshine, singing birds and cloudless skies. Score one for Lindsay. I laid back on the couch in the living room, closed my eyes and put my hands out. Mike came in and 'placed' my gift in my awaiting hands:

A Norco Bigfoot. The most badass bike I've ever seen. And ridden. We spent the entire afternoon on Saturday, after our Worm Composting Session at City Farmer, cruising the Seawall around Stanley Park. Now I can actually enjoy getting my lower body in shape rather than dreading my two-day split at the gym. And when my U-Pass expires on the 1st of May, I have another method of traveling around the city.

So with my real birthday around the bend, I have zero expectations for birthday celebrations or gifts. I'm completely and utterly blown away by these thoughtful gifts by two people who clearly know me. I'm the happiest bunny.

peas/xo