I was being indecisive about what to get for lunch when suddenly
Thank you, coworkers. Thank you.
Cosmic Funnies
trying on a metaphor

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Xuebing Du

tannertan36
styofa doing anything
Cosimo Galluzzi
we're not kids anymore.

祝日 / Permanent Vacation

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Misplaced Lens Cap

@theartofmadeline
Sweet Seals For You, Always

★
NASA
Jules of Nature
2025 on Tumblr: Trends That Defined the Year

❣ Chile in a Photography ❣
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Stranger Things
seen from United States
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@katackman-blog
I was being indecisive about what to get for lunch when suddenly
Thank you, coworkers. Thank you.
End of an era.
Today I turned 29. My last birthday of my 20s.
My mom just showed up in Houston to surprise me for my birthday🎈
Rejecting stereotypes. Reclaiming our identities. Raising our voices.
Women of Color: Telling Our Stories
The craft of their hands
What is Luso la Manja?
Luso la Manja is a women’s sewing group located in Chifira Village, Malawi (a country the size of Indiana) in Southern Africa. There are ten women who came together to start the business in 2003 and they have been sewing together ever since. Luso la Manja translates to “the crafts of our hands”. Since they began 12 years ago, Peace Corps Volunteers have been involved with marketing and selling their products in Malawi. When I completed my Peace Corps service in April 2013, I purchased 200 bags from the women to sell in the U.S. hoping to help grow their international market.
What kind of products does Luso la Manja produce?
Luso produces some really amazing bags, gifts, and clothing. Malawians use these brightly-colored wax fabrics called chitenje for everything - to carry babies, to protect their hands from hot pans, to cover-up and protect clothing from dirt or spills - it’s a necessity. Well, this beautiful, intricately-patterned fabric is sold at markets by 1x2 meter lengths. The women from Luso la Manja select brightly colored chitenje to sew into bags and other items. Right now, their most popular item is the shoulder bag, but they also sell messenger bags, drawstring bags, wallets, change purses, skirts, shirts, aprons, pot holders, dolls, computer cases, and tote bags. They are always looking for interesting and new styles and they are open to suggestions and improvements on their current inventory.
Are these items both men and women will want?
Yes, the patterns and styles are gender-neutral and honestly, everyone should have one of these unique bags!
Where does the money from the sales go?
Proceeds go to the women to support their families and orphans in the community. Many of the women are supporting extended family members or have taken in vulnerable children. Money goes toward sending their children to school and feeding additional dinner guests. Recently the women started a nursery school with some of the funds and they are saving money to build a store-front in their village. Currently they sew the products at the home of Beatrice Zindondo (the founder) and their products are sold at small shops around Malawi, but they would love to have the ability to make and sell their own products in a shop of their own.
We heard that there is some exciting new changes happening at Luso la Manja, would you like to tell us about that?
Recently I was approached by the organization BuildOn to start a partnership with Luso la Manja products. High schools in the U.S. will buy the bags from Luso la Manja and then sell the bags in the United States and then their profits will go toward building schools in Malawi. It is an awesome opportunity for high school students in the U.S. to learn about Malawi while fundraising for schools to be built for fellow students. We just piloted this project last week with four high schools and if it is a success, Luso la Manja will be able to benefit villages across Malawi.
Does Luso la Manja plan to work with other companies in the future?
The women are excited for any opportunity that helps sell their products. I have been approached by several vendors and other selling opportunities. Right now I am serving as the liaison between buyers in the U.S. and the Luso ladies in Malawi, but I am hoping they can grow and develop and become self-sufficient.
Well that is very exciting!!! We here at From Passports to Pastries love your products, can you tell our readers where they can find Luso la Mania items?
You can shop on etsy: www.etsy.com/shop/lusolamanja Like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lusolamanja Follow us on Twitter: @LusoLaManja Follow us on Instagram: @luso_la_manja Read our blog: http://lusolamanja.blogspot.com/
March Stats
April Challenges
This post is late, but the challenges are already happening!
Weight Training twice a week
I stumbled upon this awesome site that talks about the importance of weight training for the ladies. Because of my schedule, I adapted the training from 2 days of lower body and 2 days of upper body to 2 days of both upper and lower body. I wonder if this is a gym faux pas? At any rate, it’s going well. Christian and I go to the gym 5 days a week (we shoot for 6, but sometimes that alarm is not enticing) and I have been bored with just elliptical workouts.
Abs in April
This month is dedicated to the 30 Day Ab Challenge!
Runnin’ Runnin’
The PIM Cinco de Mayo 5k is in a few weeks and my goal is to run 8-minute miles. Training has been going really well and I am keeping up with some of the fastest. Also working on a MapMyRun Challenge to run 50 miles over the course of the month.
That’s it for now. A bit concerned about what I will do when I travel this summer. That will be a challenge to maintain all this hard work.
A Guide to Thesis Writing That Is a Guide to Life
Hua Hsu on Umberto Eco’s 1977 thesis-writing manual:
The most alluring aspect of Eco’s book is the way he imagines the community that results from any honest intellectual endeavor—the conversations you enter into across time and space, across age or hierarchy, in the spirit of free-flowing, democratic conversation. He cautions students against losing themselves down a narcissistic rabbit hole: you are not a “defrauded genius” simply because someone else has happened upon the same set of research questions. “You must overcome any shyness and have a conversation with the librarian,” he writes.
Photograph by Martine Franck / Magnum
March in Review
POPSUGAR 31 Day Get Fit Challenge:
I enjoyed the POPSUGAR workouts, however a video would have been nice for some of the exercises. It was difficult to visualize and when I attempted them, I wasn’t convinced I was working anything. However, I am a big fan of POPSUGAR fitness. There are some videos on their website that are really great, a great app for your smartphone, plus some awesome recipes. And it’s free.
Power in Motion:
Killin’ it with PIM. I am sub-9 minute miles and I feel a lot stronger. My run group really pushes me and it feels good to be running again. I love having a supportive running group, especially during those 6+ miles on Sundays. I have been bad at keeping up with all the workouts during the week, but I have been cross-training with the elliptical so I’m not beating myself up over it.
30-Day Ab and Squat Challenge:
A great challenge, but I think I prefer having only one exercise to worry about - that’s why I enjoyed the wall-sit. I have so many other activities going on, I need something simple to worry about.
Summary of March:
It’s spring time and I am fitting back into my shorts that I couldn’t fit into last year. I’ve stopped weighing myself because it fluctuates so much and at this point I am back at a healthy weight, so I don’t care what the numbers say. I am pleased to say I am back at the size I was before Peace Corps and I am working on being healthier still. So many more goals to accomplish!
Proof that there's no one way to be fit.
Not moving is sad.
The month wrapped up and turned out to be pretty awesome considering there was a bit of travel and I dropped the ball on several challenges.
(I just downloaded an app to count my steps, so that number is way off)
Thanks for the inspirado, @fellowflowers 🌻🌹🌷
We’re proud to announce our new girls’ education and empowerment initiative, Let Girls Learn.
Across the globe, Peace Corps Volunteers become part of girls’ lives during their 27 months of service. These women and girls inspire us throughout our service. http://1.usa.gov/1BPE00k
This time last year I participated in a study with MD Anderson for cancer research. The study was through Power in Motion (PIM), my Wednesday night Running group. The results came in and I was pleasantly surprised with how much my body changed after 10 weeks of running (and to be completely honest, I wasn't always following my regimen, but even with imperfect practice, I saw results)!
Here are the results after 10 weeks of a running training program:
At the start of the program, you weighed 141.9 pounds and your body mass index (BMI) was 25.3 kg/m2. After completion of the program, you weighed 138.7 pounds and your BMI was 24.8 kg/m2. You lost 3.2 pounds and decreased your BMI by 0.5 kg/m2. Many epidemiologic studies have demonstrated that an individual’s BMI is related to their risk of developing several types of cancers, including: esophageal, pancreas, colorectal, postmenopausal breast (for women), endometrial (for women), kidney, thyroid, gallbladder, and likely other cancers as well. By improving your BMI, we can infer that you are decreasing your risk of developing cancer.
Your waist circumference at the start of the study was 72.5 cm. At the end of the study it was 71.5 cm. You lost 1 cm in waist circumference. Research has shown that waist circumference is related to cancer mortality, and that this risk is independent of BMI. That means that no matter what your BMI is, as waist circumference increases, the risk of developing and dying from cancer increases. Since your waist circumference improved, we can infer that you are decreasing your risk of developing cancer.
We performed a dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA) test to measure your body composition. Your percent body fat improved from 34.5% to 33.9%. Your percent lean muscle mass improved from 62.2% to 62.6%.
Cardiorespiratory fitness testing demonstrated an estimated VO2 max of 43 mL/kg/min at the start of the program and 43 mL/kg/min at the end of the program. The average untrained healthy male will have a VO2 max of approximately 35-40 mL/kg/min and average untrained healthy female 27-31 mL/kg/min. These scores can increase with training and decrease with age. Elite male runners can consume up to 85mL/kg/min and elite female runners up to 77mL/kg/min.
Albeit small results, but results nonetheless! They tested other aspects of my health including nutrition and strength, which I could not get the charts to cooperate on this forum. I will post these later.
Since last year, I have dropped another 10 lbs and countless inches and I am feeling great and running so much stronger and faster! Completely happy about this health-craze I am having.
March Challenges
Alright, alright! February was jam-packed with yoga and sprinkled with gym workouts, a juice cleanse and the occasional run around Rice University. Here are my March Goals:
POPSUGAR 31 Day Get Fit Challenge:
I already downloaded the app which conveniently has all the workouts ready to go! There's something for everyone - cardio, abs, yoga, circuit training - all in 30 minutes or less.
Power in Motion:
It's my third season of PIM and I am proud to say that I have moved up to the second fastest run group, Pre 4! I am so excited to push myself and to be running with some really fast runners (hope I can keep up)! I want to stick to the running schedule as much as possible, although POPSUGAR has some great cross-training workouts so I won't be completely missing out if I skip a run workout or two. However, I do want to get down to sub-9 minute miles these season. Goal race is in May, so I have ten weeks to kick some booty.
30-Day Ab and Squat Challenge:
I totally messed this one up last month. Starting fresh - 30 days of abs and squats to get a stronger core for running.