Healthy Chicks

[my dog Sunny…how can he NOT make you smile?]

I woke up this morning feeling gooooooood. You know, just one of those mornings you wake up on the right side of the bed, and you just know it’s going to be a good day. Naturally, I hopped out of bed and made my favorite breakfast (an egg white veggie omelet with feta cheese, side of toast and coffee…lots of coffee). Then I headed to my office (ahem, room) for some tweeting, blogging and article writing. It was only fitting to blast some Christmas tunes as well to go with my joyous mood. 

Then my mood was quickly taken down…about ten notches. For some reason, everyone I’ve talked to so far today were being Negative Nacys to the max. Complaining, being grouchy, being bitter, being mean. At first, I let it get to me and began to feel bad/guilty/sad/frustrated too then I realized I am my own person and am not going to let other people’s moods effect my own. So today I am dedicating this post to “happy” things to hopefully help brush off all that negativity, and make you smile. Life is far too short not to… 

Things … Read More!

[don’t be a Grinch!]

As I’m sitting here in my cozy apartment with a “Warm Baked Apple” candle lit listening to Christmas tunes, I couldn’t agree more with Andy Williams when he said, “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year.” I’m absolutely obsessed with the season, and kind of turn into an overly happy, overly energized, overly joyous Santa’s elf around this time. I’m one of those girls who wants to listen to Christmas music 24/7, decorate the apartment with snowflakes and pretty tinsel, and glitter-ize everything! 

So I guess I don’t understand that when I go to the mall I see so many grinches out there. Mothers screaming at their children, people fighting with sales clerks and billions of people walking around with the most scary looks on their faces. What gives? It’s the holiday season, after all! SMILE! But I get it…I really do. While the holiday season brings lots of joy to many, it can also be quite stressful. After a trip to the mall, it’s very tempting to want to pound a few spiked ciders or vodka on the rocks. But let me tell you: that’s not the answer. 

That’s why I went out and … Read More!

[me (second on the left) at a friend’s high school grad party-guess a lot has changed]

[my sister and I dressed up as Santa’s elves for the Turkey trot]

Welp, Happy Day-After-Thanksgiving everyone! Hope you all had a wonderful day with your family and friends, and stuffed yourself as much as I did. I have to say the one thing I love most about Thanksgiving (other than being surrounded with my family for the entire day) is enjoying food I only get to eat once a year. Some of my favorites include my aunt Terry’s broccoli casserole (so cheesy & savory), my dad’s turkey (always perfectly moist & flavorful) and the assortment of desserts (think: massive chocolate chip cookies, carrot cake with cream cheese frosting, and pumpkin pie galore). Food as good as this only comes by once a year, so you bet your healthy butt I am going to indulge, and indulge I did. 

So don’t you dare feel guilty about eating a pound of mashed potatoes, three servings of grandma’s stuffing and one too many pieces of apple pie. Don’t feel ashamed if you had to unzip your jeans before dinner was over (I wore leggings to avoid that) or change into sweatpants while guests were still over (totally did that). It’s Thanksgiving and … Read More!

… Read More!

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Lately, I’ve seen a lot of people on Facebook doing an “I am thankful” countdown of sorts. I’ve been amazed and touched by how creative and inspiring people are getting with these things. Therefore, I’ve decided to dedicate a post for myself on things I am thankful for in my life. I thought it was only fitting that Thanksgiving is just two days away, and it’s been one of the only things on my mind for the past month. I guess you could say I am in the Thanksgiving mode, and have decided to treat my neighbor for lunch today because of it. He’s one of the millions of things (er, people) I am thankful for and I think it’s nice to give back sometimes and give a little “thank you” of my own. So here goes…

I am thankful for…

1. My wonderful friends who live all over the place (as far as Virginia) and the fact that whenever I see them it’s like old times again…like time hasn’t even passed.

2. My goofy, caring, and sometimes crazy family for loving me for me, and being there for support no matter what. 

3. Peanut butter, and … Read More!

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Thanksgiving is just around the corner, but let’s be honest: I’ve been thinking about it since early October, and I’m already thinking about Christmas. Hey, it’s the malls fault for being all decorated and pretty with lights and Christmas trees. But when it’s all said and done, Thanksgiving is and always has been my absolute favorite holiday. The delicious smells, the wonderful feeling of family and the fact that I go into a turkey coma every year (no matter how much I tell myself to slow down) is all part of the joy of Thanksgiving. 

But even though I almost always have to unbutton my pants come dessert, I’d be lying if I said I didn’t try to keep my Thanksgiving just a bit healthier. After all, I’m not trying to gain 10 pounds in one sitting and feel like absolute crap the next day. That would be doing my body no good. So this year in particular, I’m working on adding a little extra healthy oomph to my favorite holiday, and that I will share with you…

#1 I’m running my first ever Turkey Trot on Thanksgiving Day: I’ll be running the 5-mile Manchester Road Race, … Read More!

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I remember when I was a little kid, having pancakes for breakfast was just as exciting as seeing presents under the tree. Our family made such an event out of it. There were blueberry pancakes, banana pancakes, and my absolute favorite childhood flavor: chocolate chip pancakes. And of course we made a batch or two of plain, only to smother them in butter and Maple syrup. Seriously, there was nothing like pancakes for breakfast. 

Then I developed a gluten/wheat sensitivity two years ago, and haven’t been able to enjoy pancakes ever since. Seriously, I had forgotten what they tasted like. Last year, our roommates hosted a winter day brunch, and all I could eat were the eggs, fruit salad and bacon. The pancakes just sat there staring at me, with all of their ooey gooey goodness. Grr. I cursed them for containing wheat, but then again, I guess it’s not really their fault. 

Well, it wasn’t until this morning that I was brought back to childhood with a bite of some damn good pancakes. Yesterday while strolling my favorite place in the world -Trader Joe’s – I stumbled upon a box of frozen gluten free pancakes, and … Read More!