Thursday, October 27, 2016

Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide 2016

Modern Hippies, Bohemians, and Free-Spirits appreciate gifts.  As much as many of us want to "fight over-indulgence and an obsession with material things..." we also tend to be pack rats, collectors, and shopaholics.  Ever contradictory in nature, I know.  Exciting...

Anyway, hippies, bohemians, and free-spirits like gifts.  But what to get them, you ask?  Eco-friendly gifts?  Vintage gifts? New gifts? Handmade gifts? Don't worry... I have some suggestions.
Here it is:  My Bohemian/Hippie Gift Guide for 2016!

PonchoMeg: The Modern Bohemian's Bohemian / Hippie Gift Guide 
for Modern Hippies, Bohemians, and Free-Spirits and Friends (2016)

Hippie, Bohemian, Free-Spirit Gift Ideas!

HIPPIE STUFF:
Amp Solar Charger Bag
Survival Supplies
Reusable Water Bottle
A Tent
BOOKS:
"Bohemian Manifesto: A Field Guide to Living on the Edge"
"The Hippie Handbook: How to Tie-Dye a T-Shirt, Flash a Peace Sign, and Other Essential Skills for the Carefree Life"
"Hippie Crafts: Creating a Hip New Look Using Groovy '60s Crafts"
MOVIES:
"Avatar"
"Rent"
"Moulin Rouge"
MUSIC:
CDs from local artists
World Music
CLOTHING:
Leggings
Ponchos
Moccasins
Scarves
Anything Made from Recycled Materials
MISC:


Hippie, Bohemian, Free-Spirit Shopping Resources 
and Charitable Giving Options


Hippie, Bohemian, Free-Spirit Homemade Gift Help


More Great Hippie, Bohemian, Free-Spirit Gift Ideas!
1. Find something at a secondhand or vintage store, like cool old plates, vintage ashtrays, artwork, crocheted and knitted blankets, a sexy vintage dress, or a classic or unique board game or puzzle.
2. Get a gift subscription to a great magazine like Natural Health.
3. Give someone you love something of great sentimental value to you and enclose the story of the item and its significance when you wrap it.
4. Offer your services for free as a gift (free music lessons for your friends' kids, making a scrapbook with their pictures, etc.)
5. Name a star after someone at The International Star Registry


Cheap, Easy, and Eco-Friendly Wrapping Ideas

Additional Resources


And of course, give the gift of love this holiday season.  Spread peace and love across the whole world.  Donate to your favorite charities, send e-cards, post happy holiday wishes on Facebook and Twitter, and do nice things for people, even people you've never met.

PEACE AND LOVE TO ALL!!!


Tuesday, February 10, 2015

A 2014 Modern Bohemian Lifestyle in Review and What 2015 May Bring to this Hippie Bohemian Free-Spirit


2014 was an interesting year. As it usually goes with me... it was not quite as I expected. But much good came out of 2014. Just a few of the amazing things that happened included me getting ordained twice over, getting in the best shape of my life thus far, working on another movie, performing at the Renegade Theatre Festival, performing solo at an amazing charity event (Tori Saves Christmas) and of course, starting The PonchoMeg Program to help people with their health and fitness goals, promote meditation, peace and love, positive thinking therapy, and dancing free, and provide helpful products as well as resources for fitness, healthy eating, alternative medicines, holistic medicines, green living, and much more!

 Want even more good news? Well, I've got it! My 2nd nephew was born in 2014 and I got to meet him in person not long after he was born even though he lives super far away from me, so that is amazing. I flew on a plane for the first time in over fifteen years and spent great time with my family in Washington state.

What else? Well, my mom and I enjoyed our annual summer vacation and spent a few days in Grand Rapids. I met a lovely homeless man outside the Amway Grand Hotel one night while on that trip, and I cherish the conversation we had as we smoked cigs together with the night lights of the city sparkling around us.  I also went to Grand Rapids for ArtPrize with my Mom and Dad. I love seeing all the amazing art and reading what the artists have to say each year. Seeing a city so alive with creative energy is also a great feeling in itself. Glorious. I met a guy working for Greenpeace whilst wandering around from exhibit to exhibit who was super excited to know that I already contribute donations and time each year to the cause! It felt good to receive his praise, not gonna lie!

I had some decent success online with my writing (until a bunch of websites fell through on promises or got shut down or merged with other companies, that is...), I had some good modeling work and got a lot done on some scripts I'm writing. I joined in two world meditations for peace and had some amazing experiences doing so, some of which involve visions of a blooming purple lotus and love energy entering and leaving my body. Intense, right? It was spiritually freeing and amazing!!! What else, what else...


Well, for Halloween, I was Amy Pond. It was actually a last minute decision on the morning of Halloween, but it was so much fun. And though most people didn't guess who I was right away (Now, if I'd had a Doctor...) when I told them, they were like, "Wow! Yeah! You look like her!" Maybe it's just the red hair and the amazing sense of style and awesomeness that both Amy Pond and I seem to possess. Anyway, it was great. I went party hopping this year and ended my night watching a few friends play in a band at a bar I sometimes frequent with a few other friends and a few more drinks. It was a blast.

 But before Halloween, much happened. (After too, to think of it, as my sister visited for the holiday season with her family and there were of course holidays...) But it just seems like a lot of changes happened before Halloween. Maybe I should go back to the beginning.

Or Tarantino it, and skip all around so that you have to piece together my crazy bohemian year. Somehow.

Did I mention that I had a few poetry readings? I should have worn my awesome hat I got at the Civil War Muster in Jackson, MI.

 
That's the one!! I love it!  I absolutely love big hats, and I started to get a bunch in 2014 and plan to get bunches more in 2015. Big hats and big hair are two major loves of mine! 

Speaking of loves... As anyone who reads my blog, or follows me online, or knows me knows - I love music. I love singing, writing songs and lyrics, playing instruments (like trombone, piano, ukulele, tambourine, etc.), performing on stage, all of it!  Back in 2011, I was lucky enough to become a member of the band The Sunset Club. We broke up after only roughly 2 years, but in 2014, we came back together for a reunion show and a hopeful comeback. It was awesome, at first. I love these guys, and playing with them can be a lot of fun because they can ROCK! But there is more to being a great band than having fun and rocking hard on stage. So unfortunately for us, the reunion show was the last thing that The Sunset Club did before we broke apart again. I am very grateful for the time we did have, for the music we made, for the crowds we connected with, and for the lessons we learned though. 





But even before The Sunset Club had its turmoil, my family had some.
My Dad was diagnosed with prostate cancer and early on in 2014 had surgery. It was a hard time for all of us, especially as in my immediate family, there is only Mom and the two of us kids and my sister is far, far away. So it was just Mom and me. I was up at the hospital every day, I brought Dad toys and crosswords and scratch tickets to pass the time. When he got out, I helped him and my Mom with a lot. Luckily, I had the time to do it, having been recently fired from a daycare job because of my chronic illness (yeah, pretty illegal, I know... but if you knew the situation, you would know that their asses were covered and there was nothing I could do. So I chose gratitude. Losing that job gave me time I needed to help my family.)

But the problems didn't stop with the cancer.  I won't go into details because it is not my place to announce the details of my family's troubles to the world online. But I will just say, that I felt very tested by life in 2014.  I learned a lot from all the tests though; about my own resilience and strength, about real love and respect, about finding positivity and light in even the darkest of nights, and about being truly grateful for the good, and the bad, and all the in between...

On that note, let's leave 2014 in the past and look to the year we are currently in : 2015!

It's crazy that it is 2015 already, right? I still remember everybody freaking out about Y2K like it was yesterday. Sometimes, I swear it's still the 90's.

But at the same time, a lot has changed since then, and I often feel as though I have lived several different lifetimes in the span of just under twenty years. How does that work??

Anyway... 2015!! (Focus Meagan, focus...)



Already 2015 is going pretty well for me (even with some awful chronic pain and chronic illness issues). I have gotten a lot of writing done, I am working on trying to get a movie I wrote made, AND I started a Kitsy Lane jewelry boutique (which I had been meaning to do through most of 2014.)





If you sign up as a customer, you can be notified of amazing discounts and deals. Pretty groovy, huh?

If you want to open your own boutique for FREE, I would love to have you on my team this year! Follow this link to OPEN YOUR OWN JEWELRY BOUTIQUE for FREE!

I hope to do a lot more music, art, writing, acting, modeling, and volunteering this year. I also hope to spend even more time helping others with fitness, health, and spirituality goals. I want to learn as much as I can and deepen my spirituality through meditation, and I want to spend more time with friends, family, and other loved ones as well. 

I'm off to a really good start on that last one!! I already inspired a friend of mine to have a viewing party for The Backstreet Boys documentary! And YEAH, I went! It was awesome hanging with gals I've been pals with since middle school (or even earlier with some of them!!) and the kids of those who were parents. Plus, watching BSB is always good. I have also been talking on the phone and Skyping with my nephews out in Washington much more often, as well as spending good time with my Dad and Mom. My whole family even got together for a Skype party for my youngest nephew's first Birthday. Technology is amazing...

You know what else is amazing? Well, who I suppose... 
Nuno Bettencourt, that's who! I love him, and I got to see him LIVE with my Love, Will and a few of our close guy friends at Firekeepers Casino in Battle Creek, MI with his band Extreme. It was so fantastic. We sang along to "More than Words" and it was seriously magical. What an amazing experience. 

And 2015 just got started!!! 

So what else does 2015 have in store for me though? I don't know...
 And that's okay. 
I am off to meditate and enjoy this beautiful life in this beautiful year. 
2015 - I love you! Let's rock this!


Peace and Love to ALL!!
Meagan

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide 2014

Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide 2014



Yes my hippie, bohemian, free-spirit friends; my freaks, my gypsies, my hipsters, my counterculture darlings... the Holiday season is upon us. No matter what you celebrate, or who you celebrate it with or HOW you celebrate, the holiday season is a great time to gather with family and friends, to embrace peace and love, and to give just a little bit more to your fellow humans, animals, and Earth than you already do all year round.




This doesn't necessarily mean it is time to break the bank and rack up credit card debt though. The holidays are not a time to prove something by indulging in the obsessive consumerism that seems to have society, at least American society, within it's addictive clutches.



But that being said... it doesn't mean you have to be stingy either! Just think about how you spend your money, where it's going, who it is going to, etc. And get the idea of "more is better" out of your head. One QUALITY, well thought out gift can beat a thousand tiny crummy gifts in the battle of sentimental emotional gift giving in a heartbeat! Why? Because more is not better - it's simply MORE! Gifts with thought and love behind them are always your best bets!

So truly consider your recipients this year. What do they REALLY want and need? What would leave a lasting impact on them? (Hopefully without leaving too big of a lasting negative impact on the Earth as well, am I right??) Maybe your gift is a movie they love or a fun hippie item that makes them smile. Maybe your gift is a donation to charity in someone's name, maybe you make your own gifts, or maybe you find some amazing things made by others. Maybe you get some things online (through my blog, hopefully, so I get commission and can pay it forward!) or maybe you find something in a local store. Maybe you discover something in a window at the mall or you name a star in the sky after someone.

Whatever the gift, the point is to be thoughtful, considerate, humble, and genuine, not greedy, lustful, lazy, angry, or overly wasteful - and do not let the media, or anyone else, sway you to think otherwise. Not even me! I mean, yes, I could try to manipulate sales (because goodness knows I could use the extra money if people bought gifts through my blog) but honestly this Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide is here as a resource, NOT to shove gift items down your throat! I really love assembling these, and would do it even if I didn't make small amounts of money from it. I really believe that a gift from the heart is better than a gift bought to achieve some social standard in this consumer chaos we've created anyway.



Now that I got all THAT out of the way, we can focus on the fun part!! Being mindful about our gift recipients and finding the perfect gifts for them in my Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide; whether they be bought or made, charitable or pure luxury, hopefully I can help you figure this year out!

Be thoughtful when it comes to Holiday gifts...

Now, this year's Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide is going to be my biggest and best yet! Why? Well, for 3 reasons really.

1. I didn't do a Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide on the blog in 2013 (What!?!?! A travesty, I know...) so I feel the need to redeem myself a bit.

2. My blog is 5 years old. This is the 5th year I get to bring in the holidays with my loves online as PonchoMeg: The Modern Bohemian. So in honor of my anniversary, I am pumping up the Bohemian Hippie Gift Guide this year.

3. I just have so many great ideas and resources to share with you, that I HAD to make the gift guide bigger and better this year!

So please, enjoy! And if you do happen to find a perfect gift while you're here, please, feel free to leave a comment about it! Happy Holidays and Peace and Love to ALL!!

Peace and Love to ALL!! -Meagan

THE BOHEMIAN HIPPIE GIFT GUIDE 2014

Proudly brought to you by PonchoMeg: The Modern Bohemian

(Amazon products available through permission of the Amazon Associates Program. I do gain commission on products purchased through my Amazon links. There may also be other affiliate links that benefit me financially throughout the blog.  Additional ads provided by Google for the Google Adsense Program.)

DVDs / BLU RAYS (Movies, Docs, TV, Fitness, Kids):

Under the Tuscan Sun: Buy it on Amazon

                                                        The Ramen Girl: Buy it on Amazon
Moulin Rouge!: Buy it on Amazon

Dazed and Confused: Buy it on Amazon

The Birdcage: Buy it on Amazon

This is Spinal Tap: Buy it on Amazon
Cheech and Chong's, Up in Smoke (1978)
Up in Smoke: Buy it on Amazon
This is the End (Blu-ray + DVD + UltraViolet Digital Copy)
This is the End: Buy it on Amazon
Hello, Dolly! Widescreen Edition
Hello Dolly: Buy it on Amazon
The Grand Budapest Hotel [Blu-ray]
The Grand Budapest Hotel: Buy it on Amazon
Sound City (Amaray)
Sound City: Buy it on Amazon
Fed Up
Fed Up: Buy it on Amazon
Hungry for Change
Hungry for Change: Buy it on Amazon
Weeds: The Complete Collection (Blu-ray + UltraViolet Digital Copy)
Weeds - The Complete Collection: Buy it on Amazon
Peep Show - Series 1
Peep Show - Series 1: Buy it on Amazon
TRAILER PARK BOYS - SEASON 1 - 7
Trailer Park Boys Seasons 1-7: Buy it on Amazon
Natalie Jill's REV4
Natalie Jill's Rev 4: Buy it on Amazon
Jillian Michaels - 30 Day Shred
Jillian Michaels' 30 Day Shred: Buy it on Amazon
10 Minute Solution: Pilates
10 Minute Solutions Pilates with Lara Hudson: Buy it on Amazon
Frozen (Two-Disc Blu-ray / DVD + Digital Copy)
Frozen: Buy it on Amazon
Tangled (Two-Disc Blu-ray/DVD Combo)
Tangled: Buy it on Amazon
The Last Unicorn
The Last Unicorn: Buy it on Amazon
Ferngully - The Last Rainforest
FernGully - The Last Rainforest: Buy it on Amazon

MUSIC:

Greatest Hits
Foo Fighters - Greatest Hits: Get it on Amazon
Meridian cover art
The Soil and the Sun - Meridian: Get it on their website
Tales of Lovers & Madmen cover art
Lovers and Madmen - Tales of Lovers and Madmen: Get it here
  
Vanessa Paradis - Best of: Get it on Amazon
(Amazing pictures of modern bohemian Vanessa Paradis courtesy of Amazon as well. I couldn't resist posting them too, because she is so amazing! Love her!)
Kacey Musgraves - Same Trailer, Different Park: Get it on Amazon
Blue Mountain Belle - EP: Get it on Amazon
Rio and the Rockabilly Revival - The Midnight Rebel Sessions: Get it on Amazon
Experience Hendrix: The Best of Jimi Hendrix
Jimi Hendrix - Experience Hendrix - The Best of Jimi Hendrix: Get it on Amazon
The Beatles - The Original Studio Recordings - Box Set: Get it on Amazon
Dazed And Confused (1993 Film)
The Dazed and Confused Movie Soundtrack: Get it on Amazon

BOOKS and MAGAZINES:

Bohemian Manifesto - A Field Guide to Living on the Edge: Get it here
Peace is Every Step - The Path of Mindfulness in Everyday Life - Get it on Amazon
The Way to God - Selected Writings from Mahatma Gandhi: Get it on Amazon

Recycled Chic: Get it on Amazon

Hippie Crafts: Get it on Amazon

Eat, Pray, Love: Get it on Amazon

Free to Be You and Me: Get it on Amazon

Knit Your Own Zoo - Easy to follow patterns for 24 Animals: Get it on Amazon

Flea Market Fabulous - Designing Gorgeous Rooms with Vintage Treasures: Get it on Amazon
 
Fitness Magazine: Get a subscription here

Natural Health: Get a subscription here


  
Yoga Journal: Get a subscription here

MICHIGAN GIFTS FROM MICHIGAN PEOPLE:

Michigan Humane Society Store

CHARITABLE GIFTS:


-Give Non-Perishable items to Food Banks
-Give Toys to Toys for Tots
-Do Angel Trees, Wishing Trees, Giving Trees, etc.
-Offer services you have to offer for free
-Do things for others that they struggle to do themselves
-Donate to your loved one's favorite charities in their name
-Hit up the Hunger Site, the Rainforest Site, the Breast Cancer Site, etc. and donate for FREE
-Buy from online stores that donate to charity
-Give the "Give NOW" card: JustGive.org
-Give the gifts of livestock and other important items to others in need, all in your loved one's name, through Heifer International: Heifer International
-Symbolically adopt an animal for your loved one: National Wildlife Federation Symbolic Adoption
-Put the charitable work in your friends' hands with a card from Tis Best! TisBest


HOMEMADE GIFT IDEAS:

-Soaps
-Candles
-Blankets, scarfs, ponchos, etc.
-Art
-Poetry
-A song
-Food
-A lovely holiday centerpiece
-Etc. Be CREATIVE!!

One of my Holiday centerpieces I made for family.

GREAT PLACES TO SHOP ONLINE:

National Wildlife Federation Store
Etsy
The Beauty of the Bohemian Life on Createspace

Conflict-Free Brilliant Earth Ring
 
Peace Journals from Poo Poo Paper





















 A FEW ETSY SHOPS:
HELPFUL HOLIDAY RESOURCES: