Lifestyle

Clean Eating After a Weekend of “Too Much Fun”

12 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

[we had a blast at the wedding this weekend, but now it’s time to get back to reality (and clean eating)]

Good afternoon ladies ‘n’ those few ‘gents who read my blog! Sorry I’ve been missing for a few days, although I promise you I have a good excuse. I’ve been road tripping the past few days with The Boy visiting grandparents, mini golfing and attending a friend’s wedding up in upstate New York. Needless to say, we had a blast enjoying one another’s company, dancing the night away laughing our faces off, and um, eating our faces off. Correction: eating and drinking our faces off.

Yes, I consider myself a healthy gal 90% of the time, but if you think I’m the type of girl who’s going to pass up a good weekend for iceberg lettuce and sugar-free, calorie-free cocktails, think again. That’s where the other 10% comes in, the “leeway” or wiggle room if you will. And let me tell you, that 10% is pretty generous. It lets me indulge in one too many glasses of wine, 10 too many slices of cheese, and an extra chocolate truffle. It allows me to savor my delicious chicken, potatoes and … Read More!

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Finding Your Place of Zen

2 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

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According to Urban Dictionary, zen is “a total state of focus that incorporates a total togetherness of body and mind. Zen is a way of being. It also is a state of mind. Zen involves dropping illusion and seeing things without distortion created by your own thoughts.”

Zen sounds pretty darn good, now doesn’t it?

To me, that means shutting down, unplugging, relaxing, and finding time to breathe. It’s letting go of the hectic-ness of reality and simply being. It’s finding that balance, and feeling of “OK.”

For me, there is nothing as zen-ful than a relaxing night in with me, myself and I. All I need is dimmed lights with a delicious smelling candle lit, a good book or magazine, a cup of herbal peppermint tea with some lemon and Ingrid Michaelson playing in the background.

Internally, it’s feeling calm, collected and at peace with my mind, body and soul. It’s having no worries, or choosing to let go of those worries. It’s that feeling you get during Shavasana in a yoga practice. That is the utter definition of zen to me.

What does zen mean to you? How do you find that place of … Read More!

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Friday Favorites: Chipotle, Quick Oats, A Dollar & A Dream

5 Comments / Lifestyle /

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Why goodmorning, ladies! I know this post is a day late, but Friday kind of got away from me between meetings, going out for sushi, and watching The Boy’s last softball game. Anywho, even though we’re a lil delayed, here are this week’s Friday favorites:

Chipotle: I can’t believe that I had never been to Chipoltle before last night. This place is genious! Not only does this Mexican food haven have the BIGGEST burritos you’ll ever see, but they have every. single. topping. & hot sauce you can possible think of. I opted for a healthier option, and went for a salad topped with grilled chicken, pico de gallo, salsa, roasted vegetables, brown rice, shredded cheese and a touch of sour cream. It was heavenly, and you bet I slurped up every last bite of it. The ingredients tasted ultra fresh, and the meal was filling without being too heavy.

Quick Oats: I know, I know, oatmeal talk, again? But it’s so…boring, you think to yourself. Not so much! This morning I made two bowls of Organic Quick Rolled Oats for The Boy and I in just a few minutes. Yes, it’s true: eating healthy doesn’t have … Read More!

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Monday Motivation: Go Outside Your Comfort Zone & Express Yourself

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I have a confession: I can’t dance. Well, that’s not 100% true. I can technically dance, but it’s really a funny sight. I lack any sort of rhythm and find it hard to just “groove to the music.” That’s probably why I didn’t last very long in ballet when I was younger. I’m not very graceful, and tend to be just altogether…awkward.

BUT, since I’m attending a wedding in a few weeks with The Boy (who also admits he can’t dance) we vowed to learn to dance, or at least attempt to learn. So when we both went out with a group of friends to Faneuil Hall the other night, I forced my scared little self to get off my butt and at least try. And that I did. I danced away, to my  best abilities. Granted there was a 90s cover band playing in the background, so it wasn’t necessarily the best dancing tunes, but I’m proud of myself for going a little outside my comfort zone. I won’t lie: the cocktails definitely helped a lot.

But it wasn’t just about the dancing. Anyone can dance, well, if they try. It’s about coloring outside the lines, … Read More!

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Tuesday Talk: On Giving Yourself Time to Get “There” (You Know, To Your Happy Place)

5 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

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Unfortunately, there are no fairy godmothers in the real world. So now what?

Yesterday, I got into a discussion with my fellow blogger pal Jess regarding giving yourself time to get there. There? What’s there, you ask? Well there is undefinable as it can mean many different things for different people, and it changes as we grow. A few years ago, “there” for me was to get to a place where calories and crunches didn’t consume my life, where I could live happily and without anxiety in a diet-free life. I’m happy to say I did finally get there, but you see it took time. Time for me to grow, time for me to change, time for me to figure myself out in a trial-and-error way of sorts.

Now, as a budgeting, struggling freelance writer living in the Bean, there has changed to finding a career where I can both follow my passions and pay the bills. By dabbling in several careers over the past two years, I’ve realized one important thing about myself: I need to work in a career I feel passionate about, where I help people live a healthier lifestyle while utilizing my talents … Read More!

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Friday Favorites: Picnics, Puffs & Pretty Beach Hair

2 Comments / Lifestyle /

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Beach hair may just be the way to go in this sultry weather…

Happy Friday chickies! Hope you’re all getting pumped for the weekend, and staying as cool as possible. I saw on the news yesterday that there are little things we can do to keep our sweaty & muggy abodes cooler (and conserve energy) like closing the blinds, putting up blankets to cover  large windows, and keeping the thermostat around 70, 71. Hey, it can’t hurt. But something tells me in this kind of heat there’s little we can do to really make a difference other than jacking up the AC. What do all of you do to stay cool in this brutal weather?

Anyway, it’s Friday so let’s get to it with this week’s Friday Favorites:

1. Picnic in the Park: The other day my best friend and I packed up a lunch and headed over to the Boston Common for a picnic in the park. I packed a large salad composed of spinach, mixed greens, tomatoes, cucumber, fresh mozzarella, tuna, red wine vinegar and olive oil. It was so nice to catch up with my friend, gossip, and people-watch the afternoon away.

2. … Read More!

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What Does Healthy Mean to Me? It’s Not About Counting Calories and Living Off Salad

7 Comments / Health & Wellness, Lifestyle /

In college counting calories, unhealthy     Now @ my happy weight – 15 lbs. lighter

Yesterday while organizing my room, I came across a purse I used back in college. I decided to look through it, mostly to see if I could find a random $20 bill. No luck. But I did find an old “meal plan” I used to carry around with me Junior year and I was appalled by what I read. “Breakfast = puffins or egg beaters with veggie cheese Lunch = handful of grapes & walnuts Dinner=sweet potato.” Um, what? Grapes and walnuts for lunch? That doesn’t even equate to a good snack considering the way I eat now.

Not to mention, my lifestyle and thoughts on healthy living were completely distorted. I was counting calories. I was letting food consume my life. I was unhealthy. Flash forward a few years and I’ve completely transformed the way I view health, and even more so the way I view myself. I now fill my plates with hearty, wholesome meals and have learned to love cooking and creating delicious meals for myself, my family and even my boyfriend. I am a 100% new woman.

So since my blog is … Read More!

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Quotable Sunday: Island Life, Pig Roasting, and Love

5 Comments / Lifestyle /

Good morning everyone. I hope you all had a lovely weekend, and are enjoying yourselves on this beautiful Sunday. I had an amazing weekend relaxing at my grandparent’s oceanside house on Fisher’s Island in celebration of my uncle’s wedding. Him and his wife got married at dusk on a beach a few months ago – simple ,romantic, and filled with love. However, we still thought they deserved a party so our family threw them a grand pig roast on the island.

The weather couldn’t have been more perfect and the food couldn’t have been more delicious. I indeed tried the ham (though I was skeptical at first), but filled up mostly with steamed clams, tropical fruit kebobs, thai pasta salad, sangria and Chardonnay. I also picked at fresh baby shrimp in cocktail sauce, smoked striper, and gluten free carrot cake muffins with cream cheese frosting that my aunt made special for me! I must say, nothing compared to the steamed clams which were cooked ever-so-perfectly in butter and garlic. Talk about an island treat.

fruit kebobs, anyone?

wine & sangria galore

clams, clams everywhere…

It was so nice to see my uncle so in love, and I’ve never seen him … Read More!

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Friday Favorites: Beach Walk, Blueberry Waffles, Boating and Everything in Between

6 Comments / Lifestyle /

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Who doesn’t love a walk on the beach?

Good morning ladies! Hope you all had a fabulous week, and have an even more fabulous weekend. If you recall last week I mentioned I was feeling under the weather. Good news is I’m feeling a little better, bad news is I’m still not back to my 100% self. I guess only time, hydration and lots of tea will heal me! I’m just happy I have my voice back; I can’t imagine what is was like to be Ariel in the Little Mermaid. Girl must of had it rough. OK, it’s Friday and that means it’s time for Friday Favorites. Here’s what I’ve been hootin’ and hollerin’ about this week!

Beach Walk: No, not actually walking on the beach (though that’s fun too), but rather the Yankee Candle scent. I know candles are typically a wintery thing, but I just couldn’t resist the fabulous sale Yankee Candle was having the other day at the mall- just $8 scored me a large, 22 oz. candle. And I must say, I am 100% happy with my purchase. Notes of salt water, ocean, tangerine and orange blossom make any day a sunny … Read More!

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Friday Favorites: 3 Must-Haves After My Island Adventure

1 Comment / Lifestyle /

Can you believe it’s already Friday? I can’t! This week sort of flew by like a hurricane for me…a very blurry hurricane. Ever since I’ve been back from my Fourth of July camping adventure, I’ve unfortunately been sick as a dog. I feel sore, lethargic, and have a killer sore throat. But I’m trying to stay as positive as I can despite my situation. There’s nothing a little R & R, Vitamin C and hydration can’t fix, after all! I’m hoping to be back to my normal self soon enough.

Anyway, it’s Friday and you know what that means…it’s time for my weekly Friday Favorites! Here’s what I’m obsessing over this week:

Slow Flow Yoga: The other day, I was feeling a little down so I decided to use my complimentary week pass to Healthworks and get down with some Slow Flow Yoga. First off, Healthworks was absolutely beautiful. It was my first time attending the fitness center for women, and I was so impressed by the sparkling clean interior, outstanding customer service non-crowded space.

I also thoroughly enjoyed the Slow Flow Yoga class, which was a mix between a meditative practice and a slow flow of yoga … Read More!

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