I am as sensitive to hearing "you should really be living THIS way!" lectures as the next person. Perhaps more so, because I live in California, where I have daily (daily!) "conversations" (lectures) with an astonishing number of people who feel the need to tell me how I am eating/drinking/exercising/sleeping/parenting wrong. Which is why I'm loathe to toe that line on this site; I am not in the business of telling anyone else how to live their life.

But I'm going to make an exception today, because when it comes to the environment it's way past time to sound those alarm bells. The reason I feel comfortable making the below recommendations is that I am a creature of enormous habit, and have historically been in the "What difference can little old me make?" camp - but from where I stand now, that attitude isn't just lazy, it's unacceptable. I'm also not someone who's very good at overhauling decades-old habits, but what I've discovered is that you don't have to do everything right: What matters is that you start doing something. Little things. Anything.

That's the way to start.

Three years ago, I worked with the New Orleans Tourism Board on one of my absolute favorite projects to date: It involved spending three days exploring the city with my family, and having various dreams come true (ZOMG SASSY THE PENGUIN).

So in celebration of Mardi Gras, here's a throwback to the trip - including plenty of recommendations should you decide to take a jaunt down to this very loveliest and warmest and most magical of cities.

DAY ONE 

I finally read enough glowing reviews of The Amazon Coat (actually an Orolay coat that for various - and entirely legitimate - reasons is apparently one of most-sold-ever things on Amazon), and bought one to keep me moving on chilly Malibu mornings...and yes. It is 100% worth the hype. SUPER cozy, great-looking, well-made, and confusingly affordable. I like the yellow and red, but there are lots of far more normal colors, too.

"What we think we know about happiness is just plain wrong." Well I'm SO GLAD SOMEONE TOLD ME; I FEEL MUCH BETTER NOW. (Feel Happier With The Latest Advice, via Shape.)

Alice & Olivia is having an INSANE sale on their absolutely perfect hi-rise bellbottom jeans.

Thought about writing about bellbottoms today but I was boring even myself

Whenever I'm not sure what to write about on a given day, I click over to the "Drafts" folder on my dashboard. I have a tendency to jot down titles and a quick note or two there whenever a potential post title pops into my head (it's a good habit; if you're a writer of any kind I recommend it highly). Which means that, at present, I have 678 drafted posts dating all the way back to 2010 that, for one reason or another, have gone unseen. They cover topics including the wonders of Jessica Simpson shoes, why VHS tapes make excellent gifts (yes, I wrote this), how to handle illicit love affairs between your dogs (omg), and many more topics that make me thank the Internet gods that my 28-year-old self was wise enough to skip hitting that "Publish" button.

But there are also a couple that were kinda cute...and one that made me weep. And so now? Now they shall be seen.