Healthy Chicks

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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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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!

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!

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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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!

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!

Good afternoon all! Sorry I have been MIA for the past few days. As I mentioned in Friday’s blog post, I was off to Bumpkin Island, one of Boston’s Harbor Islands, for the long weekend. Despite the hundreds of ticks, poison-ivy coated pathways, composting toilets and ZERO running water, I truly did have a blast. I lucked out with just a few little mosquito bites and a pretty sweet tan.

And as bad as I’m making it sound, I miss the camping trip way. Sure, it felt good to take a real shower and go out for calamari and Merlot for my birthday last night, but there’s just something inexplainable about getting away. Not only did I get to see seven different sets of fireworks right on the ocean, eat homemade turkey burgers with feta over the fire and spend time with some amazing people (The Boy included), but it also gave me a chance to disconnect…from everything.

I never thought it’d be so refreshing to simply unplug and enjoy. No smart phones, no TV, no Mac, no blogging, no Starbuck’s iced coffee and limited makeup. What at first sounded like a nightmare ended up being a pretty phenomenal … Read More!

Wow, what a week. I think I speak for everyone when I say TGIF. Seriously, I’ve been waiting for Friday to come for what seems like months. I had one of those hell weeks, you know where everything just seems to go wrong. But I woke up this morning with a new outlook on things. You can’t change whatever happened in the past, so why not move forward? It’s not worth dwelling on past issues, when the future holds much brighter things for each and every one of us. As my roommate put it this morning: “Things can only go up from here!” And she’s exactly right. OK, enough with my philosophical advice; it’s time for my weekly Friday Favorites! Here’s what made my top three this week:

1. Red Lantern: I was lucky enough to work an event the other evening at Red Lantern, a new Asian Fusion restaurant in Boston’s Back Bay. From the beautiful Asian decor and chic atmosphere to the ever-so-delectable menu, I was more than impressed. The sushi was fresh and flavorful, the dumplings had just the right amount of flair, and the calamari fries were crunchy and savory. I’ll definitely be going … Read More!