A Labor of Love

“Control is never achieved when sought after directly. It is the surprising consequence of letting go.” ~James Arthur Ray

Where has the summer gone?  It’s hard to believe it’s already the end of August.  And while I am super excited to launch the fall line in just a couple of weeks, it’s taken me quite a while to get there.

Call it writer’s block...or um, a creative block?  Regardless, I spent a great deal of time this summer coming up with different design ideas, and then tossing them aside.  The more I forced myself, the less I wanted to work on them, and the ideas just stopped flowing.

A friend suggested walking away for a few days, checking out mentally and enjoying myself.  (Great advice by the way!)  And wouldn’t you know, the minute I did that, the ideas came to life and I got back at it!?!  I even revisited a few of those designs I had put in the “no” folder and I’m thrilled to say that the new additions to the free to be yoga tees® line are finally at the printer.  Phew!

This September, I am introducing a new color to the ‘Peace Love Detroit’ tee, plus a super adorable (or at least I think so!) new baby long sleeve one piece.  There will also be two new women’s tees--a long sleeve and short sleeve v-neck.  And one of those will have a charity angle!!  More on that soon.  :)

I am so relieved to be done with the fall designs, and am super excited to see what you all think!  I sure hope you like them--it’s been a true labor of love!

And on that note, I’m thinking it’s time to relax and celebrate Labor Day Weekend.  Enjoy, everyone!

Until next time...


Namaste,
Julie

Beach Clean-Up

“The world is a dangerous place not because of those who do evil, but because of those who look on and do nothing.” ~Albert Einstein

It’s time to lead the change.

On a recent trip to Florida over the Fourth of July holiday, I set out for a morning walk along the beach with my family.  It was the day after the big fireworks display.  We were horrified by the amount of trash along the beach--there was a ton of debris, including wires, plastic pieces, and other remnants from the fireworks.

We were concerned why this mess had not been picked up.  I didn’t feel right continuing my walk without doing something, especially with high tide fast approaching.

We spoke with a kind lifeguard and he said the beach was in bad shape when they arrived for work that morning.  People had trashed the beach during the festivities--leaving tents, glass, and other garbage behind.

The lifeguard went on to say they did the best they could, but the clean-up crew that was scheduled to come that morning never showed up. While he shared in our concern, he said that ‘it is what it is,’ and they really couldn’t do anything else about the situation.

As far as I was concerned, that was not acceptable.  So we decided to do something.  We asked if they had bags and gloves--which they did--so we took some and set off to clean-up the beach ourselves.

Thankfully, there were other people on the beach that morning who felt the same way, and after seeing us get to work, they offered to help!  We ended up with a group of about 10 people who pitched in and helped clean-up the beach.

When all was said and done, we had five very heavy garbage bags filled with debris leftover from the fireworks--five heavy bags of garbage that would otherwise been swept out into the Gulf of Mexico.  Much of the debris would have posed a serious threat to marine life, which often mistake trash as food.

It’s sad to think what might have happened had we not lead the clean-up efforts.  A lot of people just stared at us, or complained about the trash as they walked by, but very few were willing to do something about it.

That morning on the beach turned out to be one of the highlights of my trip.  It also helps solidify my belief that we can be the change we want to see the in world--sometimes we just need to lead the way.  :)

Until next time...

Namaste,
Julie

free to be turns 3!

“Don’t miss all the beautiful colors of the rainbow looking for that pot of gold.” ~Unknown

It’s hard to believe, but free to be yoga tees® will be turning three this week!  I never imagined the journey that would ensue when I came up with the concept and founded free to be llc three years ago.   Sometimes I get so wrapped up in the day-to-day business that I forget to take a moment to reflect on how far free to be yoga tees® has come.

From an idea that transpired during a yoga practice, free to be yoga tees® can now be found in three prominent malls in Metro Detroit (Twelve Oaks Mall in Novi, Laurel Park Place in Livonia and The Mall at Partridge Creek in Clinton Township), as well our online shop at freetobeyogatees.com.

In addition, with the help of my mom and aunt, we started to take free to be yoga tees® out into the community and explore art shows and other special events over the last year.  These included the Birmingham Holiday Gift Show, the Michigan Earth Day Festival and The Made in America Roadshow.  The response received from these events has been wonderful, so we are hoping to participate in even more in the future!

And finally, one of the things that I was most excited about was the introduction this past fall of the “charitee” style, where a portion of sales from that tee are donated to charity.  The first tee, featuring a polar bear and the French proverb, ‘Live in hope,’ helps support organizations working to save polar bears and their home, the Arctic.  I hope to build off of this, and introduce more styles to the “charitee” collection soon.  Since one of my ultimate goals with the tees is to use them as a platform to make a difference in the world, I’m excited to explore the possibilities with this angle.

So as free to be yoga tees® celebrates it’s third birthday on Friday, I just wanted to say thank you.  I have an enormous amount of gratitude for everyone that has supported me and free to be yoga tees®.  It’s been a source of personal and professional growth, and I’m excited to see where the path leads next.

Until next time...


Namaste,
Julie

World Turtle Day!

“I have just three things to teach: simplicity, patience, compassion. These three are your greatest treasures.” ~Lao Tzu

This past week I was driving home from work and noticed something very small moving in the road.  As I got closer, I realized it was a tiny turtle attempting to cross the road during rush hour.  Now, if this sounds familiar, you are correct.  This has happened to me before and I did indeed blog about it.  But given the fact today is World Turtle Day, I decided to write about it again!

So I come to a complete stop and hop out of my car despite the traffic.  The person in the car behind me got really mad, swerved around me and gave me a dirty look as he drove by.  Since I wasn’t sure how to handle a turtle the first time this happened, I had looked it up and knew it’s best to just pick up the little guy by the bottom of his shell and help him finish crossing the street in the direction he was traveling.

Evidently, if you don’t put them down in the direction they were traveling, they will turn around and try again.  Good to know, because I’m not sure if the other drivers down the way would be willing to stop and help!  I know we are all in a hurry, but I simply don’t get why people don’t stop for animals crossing the road.  They are a living, breathing beings and have just as much of a right to be here as you and me do!  Have a little patience!

I was reading an article from TreeHugger.com today, and it said: “Of the 207 species of turtle and tortoise alive today, 129 of them are listed by IUCN as vulnerable, endangered, or critically endangered. That's an incredibly 62% of species! Though these species wear a suit of armor, they are incredible fragile and in need of protection by humans, from humans.”

Something to think about it!  And perhaps the next time you see one struggling to cross a busy road, you will be a friend to these vulnerable creatures who are in need of our help! :)

Until next time...


Namaste

MI Earth Day Fest

“If one way be better than another, that you may be sure is Nature's way.” ~Aristotle

Free to be yoga tees® is incredibly excited to attend this year’s MI Earth Day Fest, taking place in downtown Rochester (Third and Water Street) from Friday, April 26 thru Sunday, April 28.

The event, Michigan’s premier green and healthy living celebration, is a great community event highlighting the success of hundreds of local businesses and community groups that strive to ‘Make Every Day Earth Day’.

The MI Earth Day Fest will offer a wide variety of fun, informative, earth-friendly activities including:  green/wellness exhibits and activities, world-class presentations, organic food, farmers market, kids corner arts and activities, farm fun area, strawbale and rock climb, stage and street entertainment, contests and prizes, free wellness programs and massage, and Connections Cafe roundtables. Discover healthy, green alternatives in food, wellness, energy, transportation, gifts, personal care, art work, home, garden, finances and more.

Dates/Hours:
Friday, April 26 4 p.m. - 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 27 10 a.m. - 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 28 10 a.m. - 4 p.m.

The event is FREE and fun for all ages!  For more information on the event, visit www.migreenteam.com

We hope you come and visit the free to be yoga tees® tent and celebrate Earth Day with us!  (We will be located in booth a1.)  We’ll have a wide selection of free to be yoga tees® available for purchase.  All free to be yoga tees® styles are earth-friendly--made from sustainable fabrics with low-impact dyes, free from chemicals and custom designs printed with water-based ink.  What better place to highlight our tees than at event that celebrates the eco-friendly philosophy!  We hope to see you there!

Until next time...

Namaste

Earth Day 2013

“I would feel more optimistic about a bright future for man if he spent less time proving that he can outwit Nature and more time tasting her sweetness and respecting her seniority.”  ~E.B. White

Earth Day is almost here, and we’re pretty excited here at free to be yoga tees®!

As you know, free to be yoga tees® prides itself on carrying eco-friendly tees for women and men.  All of our styles are made from sustainable fabrics with low-impact dyes, no chemicals, and custom design work printed with water-based ink.

In addition, free to be yoga tees® are proudly made in the USA, which believe it or not, is better for the environment!

According to the Made in the USA Challenge blog: “Companies that keep their manufacturing in the US are subject to EPA regulations to help protect the land, air and water. Additionally, a made in the USA product’s carbon footprint is smaller because it has less distance to travel.” (madeinusachallenge.com)

With that said, free to be yoga tees® is celebrating Earth Day ALL WEEKEND long by offering our loyal fans and customers FREE SHIPPING!

Shop freetobeyogatees.com 24/7 and enjoy FREE SHIPPING this Friday, April 19 thru 11:59 p.m. on Earth Day (this Monday, April 22).

Until next time...make every day Earth Day! :)

Namaste

Made in America Roadshow

“If you take advantage of everything America has to offer, there’s nothing you can’t accomplish.”  ~Geraldine Ferraro

Free to be yoga tees® is excited to take part in the Made in America Roadshow, happening at the Suburban Collection Showplace in Novi April 12-14.

The traveling roadshow will exclusively feature American made products and services from all across the country.  As a small business that prides itself on being ‘Made in the USA,’ free to be yoga tees® is thrilled this event will be making a stop in Metro Detroit.

The event will feature American made clothing, jewelry, sporting goods, furniture, home decor, food, arts and crafts, wineries, breweries, vacation resorts, celebrity appearances and more.

Dates/Times:
Friday, April 12:  4 p.m. to 8 p.m.
Saturday, April 13:  10 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Sunday, April 14:  11 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Tickets are $10 for the general public, $8 for seniors, and children 12 and under AND veterans and active duty military* are FREE! (*with identification).   For more information, visit www.miaroadshows.com!
 
Made In America Roadshows invites you to play a part in the economic restoration by building relationships between American manufacturers, service providers, and consumers. They believe the people who produce and manufacture in the USA nurture America’s commerce, industry, welfare, and pride.

Free to be yoga tees® could not agree more!  Hope to see you at the event--we will be showcased in the Art-is-in Market booth.

Until next time...

Namaste