This is such a great story! I wanted to share it with you today in case you didn't hear about it last week.

Press Release Source: The Keep A Breast Foundation On Monday March 29, 2010, 5:12 pm EDT

DANA POINT, CA–(Marketwire – 03/29/10) – Professional surfer and Stand Up Paddleboard (SUP) ambassador Jodie Nelson became the first woman to paddle 39.8 grueling miles from the island of Catalina to Dana Point yesterday. She finished in 9 hours, one minute and 21 seconds, all in an effort to raise awareness and funds for breast cancer research and prevention.

I hope you can take a few minutes to watch this video. It's incredible!

Jodie started her journey at 6:15 a.m. on Sunday, March 28, the only person doing a solo paddle as part of the Ohana Ocean Catalina Challenge. On the top of her paddleboard, she had printed names of loved ones close to her who were affected by breast cancer. Her mother is a breast cancer survivor, her aunt is a cancer survivor and one of her dearest friends is currently battling the disease.

“I wanted to go out there and do something big and overwhelming, something I had a good chance of failing at… I see so many people who have battled and who are beating breast cancer, they are tackling something bigger than them. They keep fighting and don't give up. I want to motivate people to keep fighting!”

18 miles into the paddle, Jodie had a close encounter with a 30-foot minke whale, which are fairly rare for the waters but are known to be friendly and docile. She dubbed him Larry and watched as he blew bubbles beneath her, fluked, and showed her his belly. The whale stayed with Jodie for about an hour and a half. “It was the most beautiful thing I've ever seen in my life,” she said.

According to Ray Hsieh from the Crow's Nest Boat Center, who was driving Jodie's support boat, “I've been boating and fishing all my life and have never seen anything like what I saw today. It was so strange, I actually called my friends at Sea World to ask them if it was normal, and they said, ‘It's your lucky day! That whale is just playing. Sit back and enjoy the show.' So I did.”

Jodie's campaign to “Paddle With Purpose” is supported by Emergen-C Pink®, which Jodie used during training to help prepare her for the endurance mission.

Jodie's goal is to raise $100,000, and so far she has reached about $8,000. All funds go toward The Keep A Breast Foundation and Boarding for Breast Cancer. To donate, go to http://www.paddlewithpurpose.com

Note: Video and still footage of Jodie's journey, the gray whale and heartfelt welcome by her family and friends is available upon request or by visiting or http://tinyurl.com/yeg48tv.

~LilSis

Posted under Fitness

I hope you're all having a good week.  I'm having a great week myself, but I have a nagging feeling that I can't seem to shake, and it's about the 27,000 exotic animals that the SPCA is taking care of.  Last week, I told you about the largest animal rescue in US history that took place in Arlington about six weeks ago.  Since then, the SPCA of Texas has been caring for 27,000 exotic animals who were neglected and abused.

I got an urgent email from the SPCA this week, which said that the “people” (I use that word loosely) who owned the company have appealed the judge's decision to confiscate the animals from them and award custody to the City of Arlington.  Until that appeal is settled, the SPCA will continue to care for the animals, at a cost of $8,000-$10,000 per day.  They are in desperate need of $150,000 ASAP!

If this situation touches your heart as it does mine, will you please consider making a donation to the SPCA?  If I could do another bake sale tomorrow that would put a dent in this need, I would do it.  But their need is much bigger than that.  They need us all to come together for them, and contribute what we can.  Thanks for considering helping these poor little critters!

BigSis added this note January 28 at 1:30 pm: I just found this great video on DallasNews.com, which shows some of the animals and gives you an idea of the lengths the SPCA is going to for these guys.  Here's the link: http://www.dallasnews.com/video/dallasnews/hp/index.html?nvid=412930

It's short, so please check it out.  I'm in love with the Ring-Tailed Lemurs and the teensy turtles.

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

When BigSis was here in CA last month for my birthday week, we made our usual trip to Trader Joe's. We always try to pop in so BigSis can pick up a few favorite items since there's not a TJ's in Texas…yet!

Yes, Texans, get ready!  Trader Joe's is coming to Texas. There are five confirmed locations in Texas so far. The first stores will open in Fort Worth, Houston and Plano, then in Fall 2012, they'll open in Dallas and San Antonio. (I bet BigSis is first in line when their doors open at the one in Dallas, which just so happens to be pretty close to her house.) 🙂

When she was here, BigSis picked up some of these Wasabi Roasted Seaweed Snacks since she regularly buys the wasabi flavor in the Annie Chun's brand, and loves them. I've tried the plain ones without the Wasabi before and even though I did like them, they smelled a little fishy so I never bought them again.

Can you see how yummy and crispy these are? Not only are they a great snack, but this is my new favorite quick and easy, healthy lunch.

Two or three of these simply wrapped around a half a slice of  TJ's low sodium turkey breast makes a perfect lunch.

Here are a couple made with TJ's no salt Solid White Tuna.

I've been making these almost every day with either the tuna or the turkey, depending on what I have on hand. It's a great alternative if you're trying to cut back on the carbs. For vegetarians, I've made these wrapped around an avocado and tomato slice and they're super good!

I'm sure I could get even more creative with these; maybe crab and avocado like a California roll? Yummy!

If you're lucky enough to have a Trader's nearby and you like Wasabi, pick these up on your next trip and let me know what you think.

An added bonus is that they're only 99 cents!  And, maybe the best thing is that they satisfy our cravings for a salty crispy snack, but they are actually low in sodium at only 65 mg per serving.

(Just so you know, this is not an “paid” endorsement for Traders, I just love their products and they have great options for low sodium products!)

~LilSis

Posted under Food, Shopping

I don't think we've mentioned lately how much our kitties love wearing hats!  🙂

If you don't believe us, just look at these happy faces from previous Halloweens when all three of them posed in their favorite witch hat!

TomTom looking very sly in his witch hat.

Ashy trying to look like he isn't enjoying his witch hat.

Gaby looking very dark and mysterious in his witch hat.

See. Don't they look like they're having fun?

(We're both animal lovers so we want to assure you that there is never any cruel treatment to our little furkids to get these photos.  Please don't call the authorities on us.)

Since we no longer host costume parties or have little kiddos to dress up, we sisters just get a kick out of showing off our little furkids in their Halloween costumes, their Christmas outfits, and their New Years Eve hats.  We actually don't need much of an occasion in order to torment them with photo shoots.

No, we aren't crazy cat ladies (yet)!  I know we aren't the only ones who like dressing up our pets. I was in Petco today and couldn't believe all the cute outfits for little doggies!

Does your pet have his/her Halloween costume yet? If so, we would LOVE to see them!

Just for the pure fun of it, we thought we would have a little Parade of Pet Costumes here on BigSisLilSis for Halloween. And this parade isn't limited to just kitties; it's open to all pets: dogs, bunnies, guinea pigs, birds, reptiles…you name it.  We want to see it!  Cats in Hats, Masquerading Mutts, Doggies in Dresses, Incognito Iguanas…you get the idea!

If you want to join in on the fun, just snap a photo of your pet in their hat or costume and email it to either BigSis (BigSis at BigSisLilSis dot com) or LilSis (LilSis at BigSisLilSis dot com) by Thursday, October 28th and don't forget to mention your pet's name.

We'll post the parade here on Halloween, Sunday, October 31st!  🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Animals

Score! I think I've found a new mascara to replace the Maybelline Great Lash that I've been using for years (up until I recently learned that Maybelline tests their products on animals)!

I happened to be in Macy's last week and decided to stop and take a peek at the Clinique counter to check out their mascara. After looking over six or seven different choices, I bought the Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara for $14.00 and just kept my fingers crossed that I would like it.

Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara

I can't say that this mascara magnifies your lashes to twice their size, as Clinique claims, but so far, I like the Clinique Lash Doubling Mascara in Black even more than I liked the Great Lash.

It glides on easily because it's thinner than some mascaras, which is one reason that I liked the Great Lash. This mascara didn't clump, flake off, or smudge, even after a workout.

I also love the size and the shape of the tapered brush because it separates the lashes nicely and reaches each and every little lash.

(After several uses, you may find that you need to dab off a little product from the point of the brush, but it's not near as bad as some thick mascaras.)

The best thing about this product, and the reason for me switching mascaras, is that Clinique is on the list of companies that DO NOT test their products on animals.

A couple of months ago, after BigSis revealed the story about the beagles being rescued from a testing lab, she and I both committed to not purchasing any more products from companies that animal test. Unfortunately that list is longer than you may realize. It's really easy to go to www.caringconsumer.com to check out the list of companies that DO test on animals and those that DO NOT test on animals.

I've still got a lot of work to do to get my household purged of all products made by companies who animal test, but little by little, as I run out of something, I make sure that I replace it with a product made by a cruelty-free company. 🙂

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

It's finally here; the day we've been working toward and looking forward to since last year's sale that resulted in a $3,055 donation to the SPCA of Texas!

The baking and packaging is all done, and now all we can do is sell these goodies!  Our goal is another $3000 for our favorite charity, and we pray pray pray that we make it!  Our secret fantasy – not so secret now – is that we sell everything we've made!  How incredible would that be!

If you're in the Dallas area, email me for directions at bigsis at bigsislilsis dot com.  We'd love to see you!

If you're not in the area and you'd like to help these little furkids, you can donate at http://www.spca.org/goto/bakesale.  If you use this url, the SPCA can see that your contribution came through our event, and we can send you a thank you!

Thanks for your support, your well wishes, and your prayers for a successful event today!

~BigSis

Posted under Animals

Today is a big day for us!  This morning, I'm hopping on a plane to meet BigSis in Vegas, where we'll be attending the BlogWorld & New Media Expo 2009. We've been planning this trip for months so we're really excited that the much-anticipated day is finally here!

We've been studying like crazy to prepare ourselves for all that we hope to learn this weekend at the Expo. And, we're secretly (ok, not so secretly now) hoping to meet Darren Rowse, the infamous ProBlogger. I'd also like to meet the zany, Jenny of The Bloggess. And, we're both curious about Anthony Edwards being a Keynote Speaker.

We're going to be extremely busy with morning til night sessions and plan to crash a few ‘After Parties', so if something exciting happens, you can bet we'll be Tweeting about it! If you aren't already following us, just go to the right sidebar and Follow BigSis and LilSis. We promise not to bore you with what time we get up, what we eat for breakfast or what time we get in from the casinos; just maybe a couple of quick Tweets about our adventures and misadventures!  We'll also be putting up our photos on flickr.  You can find our photostream at www.flickr.com/photos/bigsislilsis.

And, if time permits, we'll throw up a post or two from Vegas so stay tuned for more on our BigSisLilSis adventure @ Blog World in Vegas!  Look out Vegas; here come the sisters!

~LilSis

Posted under Travel

Even though I have almost 5000 songs on my iPod, I've become completely bored with the songs that I have in my cardio playlist. I bet that I've listened to the same songs thousands of times since I created this playlist a few years ago. This past week, I made it a priority to sit down and take a little time to work on it.

I deleted quite a few that I just can't bear to listen to one more time but I also added some fun new songs to help me boost my workout.  I've become so dependent on my iPod that it's almost impossible for me to workout without it.

Here are a few of my favorites that I've been listening to this week.

“Yeah” by Usher

“Bad Romance” by Lady Gaga

“Even Flow” by Pearl Jam

“All the Single Ladies” by Beyonce

And I absolutely adore these next two songs. Neither are upbeat enough for my cardio playlist, but I can listen to them over and over and over again.

“Just Breath” by Pearl Jam

“Hunger Strike” by Temple of the Dog

I'm trying to be more open-minded when it comes to listening to music that's outside my “norm”.  I could easily get stuck in a 70s, 80s, 90s rut if I let myself, but luckily, having a 16 year old in the house that loves different genres has opened my eyes to some new stuff.

Thanks to BigSis and HayHay for downloading some new tunes for me!

I would LOVE to hear from you if you have some favorite songs that you LOVE to listen to while working out! Just leave a comment or send me a quick email to lilsis at bigsislilsis dot com. 🙂

Have a GREAT WEEKEND!

~LilSis

Posted under This & That

Great product recommendations, BigSis!  I've never tried any of those, but I just might have to give the CeraVe Hydrating Cleanser a try. I have drier skin and I always need to make sure that it is hydrated or I look really “tired”.

I also never go to bed without cleansing my face, but I guess you could say that I have lower maintenance skin. It's not out of laziness that I don't take more time to cleanse my face, it's more a matter of convenience. I never have liked using washcloths to remove eye makeup because I hate that the mascara stains the cloths. A few years ago, I got tired of buying the cotton rounds and separate eye makeup remover.

• I discovered that the Olay Regenerist Micro-Exfoliating Wet Cleansing Cloths worked quite well on removing mascara and do the job as a facial cleanser as well.

Olay Micro-Exfoliating Wet Cleansing Cloths

If you purchase them at Target or Wally Mart, they are around $7.99.  I just found this deal at drugstore.com. They are $8.79 at drugstore.com, but if you buy one Olay Regenerist item, you get the second item for 50% off.  I'm not recommending that this product is for everyone because obviously it is not a deep cleansing product. It's quick and easy and gets the job done when I'm in a hurry.

• When I do actually take a little more time to cleanse, I really love Origins Checks and Balances Frothy Face Wash. This cleanser does a great job on combination skin.  My skin feels nice and clean after using this product but never feels dry and tight. At $18.50 a tube, it is still a good value.

Origins Checks and Balances

• I also love Origins Never a Dull Moment. Origins calls this product a skin-brightening face cleanser.  It contains extract of crushed papaya and not only smells amazing, but really does the job of sloughing off dead skin. It almost feels like a scrub, but isn't drying. It also costs $18.50 a tube.

Origins Never a Dull Moment

Of course, with both these Origins products, I have to remove my eye makeup separately, so I don't end up using them as often as I should.  If I get my makeup off, moisturizer and eye cream on every night, then I'm pretty happy.

Now, when it comes to hydrating products and eye creams, I'm a a lot more rigid and use a combination of those products every morning and every night!  I've got drier skin than BigSis, so I might be a little more obsessive about these products. I would talk about those now, but they deserve an entire post of their own. BigSis, you want to share some of your favorite eye creams?

~LilSis

Posted under Beauty and Skin Care

Photo from 3seams.com

Happy little faces, aren't they?

These little girls probably have lots to be unhappy about, considering that they live in Haiti where the devastation continues.

True; children have a way of finding joy where there is none.  At least none that our adult eyes can see.

But one of the reasons these little girls are smiling is that they have adorable new dresses.  Dresses that were made by hand for them.  Dresses of cute cheerful fabric that are reversible, with shoulder ties to allow for adjustments as their girls grow taller.  Dresses that can become precious tops to wear with shorts later on.  Dresses that their girls can love and cherish and wear for a long time to come.

Photo from 3seams.com

Is this the cutest dress you ever saw?  Any little girl would love it.  But can you imagine what this gift would mean to a little girl in Haiti with nothing left?

How did this wonderful thing happen?  The answer is the dream and the vision of Inga from 3seams.  Inga is in Haiti at this moment, training 5 seamstresses to make dresses for the Haitian girls who are in such need.  It was only through donations that 3seams was able to make the trip to carry out their mission:

To reach beyond ourselves through children's clothing, promoting global interaction, and putting faith and love into motion!

Beautiful, isn't it?

I'm not sure how long 3seams will be in Haiti or what they have planned afterward, but I'm going to follow their progress. If there's an opportunity for us all to help them with future projects, I'll bring that to you.

Thanks to Angie from Bring the Rain for her charming post on this great work; and for sharing it with folks like me who hadn't heard about it.

Way to set a great example of us, Inga!  We're proud of you!

~BigSis

Posted under This & That