The Feel Good Days

The English Rose and I decided to start off the week right by getting together early Monday morning and heading off to Laguna Beach for a couple of hours. We had an ulterior motive: Our first stop was to visit REUSE Jeans (www.reusejeans.com) to pick up the jeans we both purchased last week (two pair for one for $95 … you just gotta do it!). 


Not only does this place help save the environment by recycling fabric remnants from the textile industry to make its clothing (including jeans, shorts, skirts and jackets), but the varied shapes and sizes ensure you’ll find a jean that will fit you and the complimentary tailoring offered with every pair of jeans purchased eliminates an extra visit to the alterations store. 


So, shopping here makes you feel good because you’re doing your part to help save the environment and because you’re also saving money (buying recycled jeans and not frittering away gas driving to an alterations store), and you feel like you’ve really lucked out at the end when they throw in their great jeans bag to hold your purchase. There also are some funky bags for sale, by the way. Our favorite was the striped purse with the peace sign on display in the front window.

  With new jeans (and jean bags) in hand, we headed off to see if we could find something healthy to eat after all of the crap we’ve been stuffing ourselves with during the holidays. We settled on Active Culture - Natural Foods Café + Yogurt (www.facebook.com/activeculture), just a few steps north of REUSE jeans, which offers tasty and healthy bowls (the woman next to me raved about the Whole Bowl, a mix of organic brown rice, organic black and red beans, cheddar cheese, cabbage, salsa, avocado, cilantro and OG sauce), along with salads, smoothies, shakes, wraps, bagels, soups and a really cool self-serve frozen yogurt station that takes up the entire back wall. This is another great non-expensive place to go and yet another spot that makes you feel good — about filling your body with healthy alternatives. The unobstructed view of the ocean from the front patio’s not bad, either!

Of special note: Both REUSE Jeans and Active Culture offer convenient, free parking out back.

Next, after dropping by The Great Exchange Consignment Co. (where the Rose coveted a Murano fruit dish and I longed for the stained-glass fire guard with a lovely ocean scene) and a quick look at another healthy food eatery, The Stand (think blueberry wheat-free waffles covered with fresh fruit sweetened with agave juice syrup), we topped off our feel-good morning with a rest at the Rose’s favorite hidden beach overlook at the end of one of the town’s streets. (Sorry, I promised her I’d keep the exact location a secret!) 


At this beautiful place to just slow down and relax for a moment (one of many throughout Laguna), we enjoyed the stellar view and sound of the crashing waves, watched the stand up paddlers and boogie boarders, and were graced with the presence of flying species of all kinds … from a hummingbird to a blimp!

We headed back to the car … and to the reality of work and family … satisfied with the belief that we had indeed done our part that morning to complete our feel-good mission. Until next time, thanks for joining us on our journey!