Prepping for Valentine’s Day

Since I know my main squeeze doesn’t read my blog very frequently, I am safe in posting this right now. Last year at Valentine’s Day, I adopted a red panda at the Saint Louis Zoo and he LOVED it. You even get a stuffed animal and our little guy is a pretty solid fixture in our home. He even became a part of the Cardinal cheer squad this year (pictured here with our rally towel, Stan the Man and Chris Carpenter).

Image

This year, I’m keeping in the theme of giving back and donating some dolla dolla bills to the Arbor Day Foundation. For a mere $6 you will receive a card to give to your beloved, that informs them that a tree has been planted in one of our amazing and majestic national parks in their name. There are several cards to choose from, I ordered several with this design to share with some family members as well: 

Image

 

To purchase your very own, visit The Arbor Day Foundation here. Big thanks to Buzzfeed for the heads up on this one. 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Weekend at the Farm

One of my BFFs came in from New York for the weekend and we spent some time at his family’s farm in Mid-MO. We shared a lot of laughs, wine, 4-wheeler rides and delicious food and the landscape was just stunning. 

ImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImageImage

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments

Detox Tea: An Update

Image

So my Sweatin’ Sisters and I did the Detox Tea last week. If you aren’t up to speed, here is where you can find the recipe and our intentions. Since each of us did the detox, I thought it would be fun to tell you how it went for each of us. Overall, we did experience some minor physical changes, definitely seemed to have some emotional impact on most of us and there were varying opinions of the taste. Herewith, a collection of our experiences and opinions:

 
Taste:
Meg Y: Didn’t mind the taste, and it made me drink 60 oz in a day, so ultimately it upped my water intake.
Amy: The taste definitely grew on me. 
Meg C: I drink tea (hot in the morning and iced from time to time), and I like bitter, so this didn’t bother me. 
 
Physical Changes:
Meg Y: Didn’t lose weight, but lost some bloat.
Kenz: I didn’t lose much weight, but could tell that I have lost some bloat. I did break out on my face, chest and back (NEVER happens). The biggest change was how much I went to the bathroom. It was really quite amazing. 
Amy: I didn’t lose any weight…gained 1.5 lbs, actually. But, like Kenz, I did feel less bloated. I felt like my tummy was much flatter. I didn’t really break out much…just a little on my back.
Meg C: None, really. I did have a forehead pimple, which hasn’t happened in year. I didn’t lose any weight and I didn’t feel less bloated.
 
Emotional Impact:
Meg Y: I like to think my super mood swing day was a sign that it was flushing out my hormones in my liver, since that’s where they are stored. 
Amy: Aside from being REALLY crabby on Wednesday, I didn’t feel different throughout the week.
Meg C: I did have a day where I was also super crabby. 
 
Overall Opinion:
Meg Y: I’m mixed on it. I feel good, but not sure if it’s just because of the detox. I’m definitely just overall eating better so I can’t pinpoint it. 
Kenz: I liked the detox. I’m continuing the drink, because I have leftover tea and thought, why not?
Amy: I have mixed feelings about the detox. Because of the tea, I wasn’t drinking as much soda. Was a kick-start I needed to cut back on how much I was drinking. I still have ingredients left, so I may wait a week or so and give it a go one more time.
Meg C: It was ok. I don’t know what I really got out of it, other than the sense of community w my girls in doing it. Since none of us live in the same city (Kenz and I live close), it was a nice way to stay connected and chat everyday. 
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged | Leave a comment

Let’s Try a Detox (Sounds Like FUN, Right?!)

Over the last few years, I’ve taken some steps to become much healthier and get in better shape. The long and short of the story is that when I was in my teens, college and through my twenties, I could literally eat and drink anything and I stayed thin – I frankly didn’t have to worry about my weight. 

Around the time I turned 30, a few things happened. All of a sudden my body started to change a bit – my hips spread and I gained a bit of weight. Shortly after, I fell in love (which, in short means I drank a bunch of wine, ate decadent food and failed to get out of bed in the morning to work out). That packed on a few more pounds. After a few years, I was sluggish and incredibly uncomfortable with my body. 

The first thing I did was find a trainer. After one that was a complete douche, I met the trainer I work with to this day and I love her. I meet her 3 times a week for boot camp, do yoga at her studio and she makes me turn in a food and cardio diary. I know it sounds a little strict, but trust that it’s not. I slack all the time (and I can tell). 

The other thing I did was look to my girlfriends and see what they were doing. One friend was very dedicated to boot camp. Another used a Fitbit as a great tool to stay on track. The other was sharing tons of adjusted healthy recipes. Somehow, over the course of the last year or so, we’ve dubbed ourselves “The Sweatin’ Sisters” (we also happened to be pledge sisters in college). Now we share weekly recipes, work out challenges, recipes and encouragement to one another. 

I will introduce my readers to my ladies, but I wanted to share with you first what we are up to this week: Jillian Michael’s Detox Tea. I read about it online (probably through Pinterest), and I thought it might be an interesting thing to try – and of course, I’d love to kick whatever crap is in my body out. 

Here’s how it works: mix 60 oz of water (the recipe calls for distilled, but I’m not even lugging that up to my loft, so filtered from the fridge it is), 1 T of REAL cranberry juice (no added crap, it has to be pure cranberry juice), 2 T lemon juice, 1 mug of dandelion root tea. Mix together and drink throughout the day. Here are my “tea tools”: Image

It was super easy to make. I just filled up my bottle, made a mug of the tea and poured everything else in with the water. I even squeezed the tea bag a bit into the bottle. Shook it a bit, put it in the fridge overnight and started drinking it this morning. 

So far so good, some people report that it’s a bit bitter, but I don’t mind it (I usually drink tea instead of coffee as it is and I don’t care for sweet tea, so maybe that makes it easier for me). I’m about halfway through for the day and it’s not even noon yet. 

I’ll make sure to keep you posted of any results and progress throughout the week. Plus I’ll have the Sweatin Sisters give their feedback as well! 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Well, hey there.

Hello! It’s been a long time, hasn’t it my friends (and by friends, I mean Mom and Dad – hi!)? It’s been a bit of a crazy time, from the last time I shared with you some things and rather than do a very long and drawn out written post, hows about we go for something pictorial?

Let’s see what’s happened since mid-December….

Image

This handsome man asked me to kick it with him for life, so we are gonna go ahead and get married.

IMG_5891We gave these kick ass tea towels to our mothers for holiday gifts. One will soon be framed and hanging in our bedroom.

IMG_6160Christmas apps were made with these little guys.

HeyRedHey_Amtrak_Chicago

We took Amtrak to Chicago for a friends wedding. It was the best. Get a room on the Amtrak if you can.

HeyRedHey_CheesecakeI made this blackberry lemon cheese cake for the annual New Years festivities. By festivities, I mean we make dinner, drink champers and watch bad movies. This year was Crocodile Dundee.

HeyRedHey_Snowstorm2014There was a giant snowstorm that kept us indoors for 2 days. It was heavenly.

HeyRedHey_MichiBartSFThese two incredibly talented, kind, hilarious and smart people made a couple of babies and they were born just a few short days ago. Affectionately, I call them “mom and dad”, so what I’m telling you is that I have new twin brothers.

I’m geared up for 2014, so let’s get this shit started!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

A Pin Made Me Uncomfortable, So I Wrote About It

I love Pinterest. I’ve gotten so many great recipes, purchased great gifts, come up with some great ideas for the house and even managed to do a workout or two based on other Pinners’ boards. I even love the random quotes that people post. It’s like a virtual, emotional, creative, expressive place for people to drop off the things that inspire them and I love it.

However. In the last week or so, I’ve come across something that has been repinned a number of times and the content of the pin has stayed on my mind, so much so that I felt the need to write about it.

Ordinarily when people post to the interwebs about their political, spiritual and social beliefs, I read them and carry on with my life. I don’t always agree with them, but I certainly believe in their right to post what they want. Every once in awhile they even make me consider a different perspective and better understand others. Anyway, this particular post has really had me thinking. It’s been on my mind so much that I felt the need to write through it.

The post reads as follows: Yes, I am a Christian. I believe in the Bible. I do not support homosexuality or “homosexual marriage.” Yes, I still love you. Yes, we are still friends. No, I am not judging you. No I am not condemning you to hell. No, I will not let anyone bully you. 

But realize that name-calling and stereotyping those of us who stand for what we believe is exactly what you don’t want done to you. We have a right to speak what we believe, same as you have a right to speak what you believe. 

That last portion of the post, I completely agree with. However I have a huge issue with the first part.

I think I am struggling with this because I too, am a Christian. I love Jesus, he was a seriously amazing person and I wish I could be as selfless and kind as he was. I strongly believe that he would not be okay with me using his name and teachings to hold other people back from the same basic rights I have as a human being.

It is my belief that no one – NO ONE – has the right to use their beliefs to justify the oppression of another person or group of people. Rights are rights, whether you are Christian, Jewish, black, white, vegan, overweight, ultra-athletic, from the South, an immigrant, gay, straight, etc. You may not support gay marriage based on your Christian beliefs, but if you actively advocate against gay marriage because of those beliefs, you ARE, in fact, acting as an oppressor. I suppose that is the issue for me here – I read the above post as an excuse for whoever posted it to use for advocate for hetero-only marriage. Perhaps I’m reading it incorrectly, maybe they aren’t advocating, maybe they are simply explaining their position.

But something still sticks in my craw about that. Being against equal rights for all human beings – particularly when using Christ’s name to do so – seems averse to the actual teachings of Christ.

I know, I know – I’ll never be able to convince people to change their stance, just like they wouldn’t be able to change mine. However, I will continue to love and advocate for all human beings to have equal rights.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

December: WantNeedWearRead

I know, I know. I’m late to posting this. But I have so many good excuses. Mostly, I’m busy at work and with side projects, which makes me sleepy and I only want to play Ski Safari and read Buzzfeed when I get home. So, I’m 4 days behind, but here you go. Enjoy.

December-WantEatWearRead

Want:

This month, it’s a two-part want, but don’t worry, they aren’t selfish desires. First, I would like many, many more donations to Gateway 180: Homelessness Reversed. Either by way of poster purchases, which you can get here remember to enter “baseball poster” in the notes!), OR by donating actual items. I’ll be happy to come get them from you, so long as you live in the Saint Louis area. Please PM me and we can coordinate.

The other thing I want this month is to do as many selfless deeds as possible. A few weeks ago, my friend Jenny, and I drove by a homeless man and his dog near our local Target. He was holding a sign, asking for help. Jenny mentioned that she’d seen someone doing the same thing last year and a customer had gone into Target, purchased treats and bones for the dog and gave it to the man. That got me thinking about doing simple, kind acts for other people. So I’m going to see if I can make sure to do something nice for someone as much as I can.

If you have any suggestions for Random Acts of Kindness for people, I’d love to know what they are so maybe I can sneakily do them over the next 4 weeks.

Eat:

I want to eat everything. That is currently my problem with a busy work schedule, a busy social schedule, and a pretty demanding life. In turn, my workouts have taken a hit and my cooking has severely declined into the Hot Pockets and Pizza Rolls territory. This month, the goal in terms of eating, is to get back to the juice!

Last January, I discovered Suja Juice, which I love. Since I can’t really afford to drink that amazingness all the time, I bought a fantastic juicer, that I used with some regularity, until March. Then I got lazy. Anyway, I’m going to challenge myself to get back to the juicing. I’ll probably get some Suja since my schedule is so hectic right now, but I’ll also stock up on fresh fruits and veg and make some tasty and healthy bevvies.

Wear:

Let’s be honest. I’m a disaster when it comes to this section. I need boots. I need a warm winter coat. I hope to goodness that I’m able to get it together and fight through the retail frustration (and sweaty-trying on process) and just get something. We’ll all be better for it.

Read:

I still really want to read The Book Thief, but that doesn’t mean I’m off the hook with a December read. This month, I’m going to re-read The Alchemist. I don’t actually know if I’ve ever gotten through the entire thing, but I have 3 copies at home, all given to one of us at some point, so I’m gonna do it. It’s a quick read and it’s supposed to be very inspirational and impactful. At this point in my life, I feel as though I’m looking for a few answers and perhaps this book will help feed my perspective.

There you have it! Let’s see what we can get done during this very busy month!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

November Goals: What Really Happened

Well, I’ve been very bad about keeping up with the blog that last few weeks. Blame new deadlines, laziness and the holidays, I do apologize.

Shall we review where we were:
Image
And now, where we’ve landed:
Image
November Want Goal: 
Donations to Gateway 180: Homelessness Reversed.
What Actually Happened:
Things took off like a shot. We sold over $600 in posters (which you can still purchase! The holidays are just around the corner!) and managed to fill our cars no fewer than 3 times to take over donations. We’ve collected everything from men’s, women’s and children’s clothing, household goods, games, food, shoes, toiletries, etc. I am absolutely thrilled by how giving people have been and they keep on giving. I just loaded up another big haul into my car this morning and it will be taken over to them this week!
November Eat Goal:
Make that Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili.
What Actually Happened:
Done and done.
November Wear Goal:
Ankle boots. I need them, desperately, I’ve been wearing the same boots for the last 5 years! Told you I was a terrible shopper.
What Actually Happened:
I did not buy them. I went to Nordstrom Rack exactly 1 time. I tried on exactly 3 pairs of shoes, got sweaty and got the hell outta there. I have not bought new boots and I’m concerned that I’m not going to have any for the winter months. At this rate, I’m considering giving up and just waiting for the sales so I’m better prepared next year.
November Read Goal:
My sweet sister-in-law lent me her copy of The Book Thief, which I enthusiastically jumped into one day during a particularly boring Rams football game. It’s a really fascinating book, but I did not finish it this month, which makes me feel like a jerk face. I will continue to work on it for next month, in addition to my December read goal.
I did however, manage to read an absolute trash book called The Girl’s Poker Club, a book I’d been given years ago, read and forgot about. I foolishly picked it up when I wanted something simple and light and was properly annoyed when I finished it. I also made it thought my standard monthlies – Vanity Fair and GQ.
Stay tuned because the December goals will be coming your way soon! I have them all written up, I just need to finish up the graphic and get it posted! Promise, it’s coming!
Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

November Goals: EAT

Screen Shot 2013-10-31 at 3.06.43 PM

No sooner did I post the November Goals, that I had an immediate hankering for the Slow Cooker Quinoa Chicken Chili. It was probably the easiest thing I’ve ever made and I did not adjust the recipe much at all. Here are the very simple instructions:

Rinse a cup of quinoa. I did not think it was going to be enough, but it is. Trust.

Dump the following into a crock pot:

1 can of crushed tomatoes

1 can of Rotel (I used the kind with Habanero because I like it SPICY)

2 cans of black beans

1 can of corn

1 tsp each of: cayenne, salt, black pepper, cumin, paprika

1 cup of water

2 chicken breasts

rinsed quinoa

Set that sucker on low and let it go for about 6 hours. Shred the chicken and mix well and let it go another hour or so. Dunzo! Easy and delicious.

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Guest Blogging at YogoGirls

Image

Every once in awhile, I am asked to do a bit of writing for other bloggers, which I absolutely love to do. This time around, I was invited by my incredibly talented boss, Michelle, to write something for her blog, YogoGirls.

For this post, I’m showing you MY St. Louis (not the toasted ravioli-eating, Budweiser-drinking Midwestern town you are thinking of). Click on through to check it out!

Posted in Uncategorized | Tagged , , | Leave a comment