Healthy Chicks

Sorry I didn’t post a “real” blog today. It’s been a hectic week between starting my job at the cafe, attempting to build my parent’s salon website and finishing up training for my big half marathon that is THIS WEEKEND! While I can’t grace you with a long, insightful blog post today, I do have a song for you at least. Forgive me? Please…with a cherry on top.

They keep playing this little gem at the cafe and it’s one of the only things that gets me through the non-fat-one pump-caramel-triple-latte stress. Press play & enjoy…

Lovin’ this jam? Download it on Amazon.com for just $0.99 cents! … Read More!

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Motivation. By dictionary definition is means the desire to do; interest or drive. But to me, it means much more. I’ve been thinking a lot about motivation, and the act of getting yourself motivated, these past few days. After all, it is quite the powerful force.

Motivation is what gets you out of bed in the morning even when you want to crawl back into your cave and sleep forever. Motivation is the thing that helps you go that extra mile while running even when your legs feel like JELL-O and you just want to stop. Motivation helps drive you to take that extra plunge, take a chance and fight to the finish to reach your dreams.

And what better coach than yourself to help motivate you to get what you want out of life? This week motivation has taken me far. I motivated myself to stop crying and feeling sorry for myself, and rather score a part time job at an adorable little cafe. So what if it’s not my dream job in a magazine agency, but it’s a start. I motivated myself to run 10 miles a few days ago in preparation for my half … Read More!

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I think we could all use an extra smile every now and then…particularly lately. There’s just something about this month that has put me – and many people I’ve been talking to – into a major funk. So since it’s the 28th and this long month is almost over, I’ve put together a list of 28 things to smile about right now. It sure has got me feeling all warm & fuzzy inside. Enjoy!

1. European-style cafes – they are just so quaint & classy

2. The joy you get from a simple hug

3. Family dinners

4. Temps are starting to hit 50s & 60s…bye-bye teens!

5. Freshly brewed tea…the kind where you can see the petals, herbs and whatever else they put in there

6. Free re-fils

7. Sunshine – it gives you an excuse to wear your aviators everywhere

8. The simplicity of T-shirts & jeans

9. A good ol’ competitive game of Cranium with the crew

10. Spring-y scarves with flowers & bright colors

11. Purple nail polish

12. A long, much-needed chat with an old friend

13. Finding a lucky penny on the ground…and really believing in it

14. Spring-esque candles like … Read More!

Happy Friday lovely readers! Hope everyone has some phenomenal events planned for the weekend. As for me, I’m heading up to our condo in NH with the fam and The Boy for a little R & R. I absolutely can’t wait…NH retreats are the absolute best.

I also have some more great news in the home front: I ran my first ever 10 miles this morning, and not only did I survive, but it felt absolutely amazing. I won’t lie; there were points I just wanted to STOP but I kept telling myself, “You Can Do It”… “Only 5 more!”… “Only 3 more” and then suddenly I was done. It amazes me that just two years ago I could barely run 3 miles. I actually bawled my eyes out during my first 5K that I ran with my dad, and now look at me. I’m like Ms. Running Machine! This just goes to show that anyone can do what they set their mind to do…you just have to work at it and stay with it.

Anywho, it’s Friday so it’s that time again for FRIDAY FAVES:

My Forerunner 305 Garmin: I made the purchase for this bad ass GPS watch … Read More!

usually I’m a pretty happy girl, but yesterday I hit my breaking point…

When I graduated college two years ago, I always dreamed I’d move to NYC, score an incredible magazine job and live the city life. Once I realized that a.) the economy is looking rather rough and b.) NYC is freakin’ expensive, my ideal future slowly changed. So I moved to Boston, worked a front desk job at a gym to make money, and then dabbled in the corporate world for a bit. I soon realized that a.) A 9 to 5 desk job just isn’t cut out for me. I like people and talking far too much and b.) Money can’t buy me happiness.

So, I quit my job as a Content Manager and filled my time with doing “Rachel” things. I starting writing in my blog every single day, bought my own domain, self-published a recipe book, made some new friends, scored a pretty sweet boyfriend, picked up a few freelance writing gigs, and explored the city of Boston in my spare time. I guess you could say I’m one of the most active “unemployed” people you’ll ever come across. I never just sit at … Read More!

Happy Friday everyone! Hope you all had a happy, perky, beautiful, sunshiney week. Anywho, since it’s Friday it’s time for my weekly Friday faves. Take a peak of what I’ve been lovin’ this week:

Sunshine: As you know I’ve been in Miami since Sunday night, and the sunshine hasn’t stopped since I got here. It’s amazing what a little sunshine can do for my mood. Hellloooo Vitamin D. Not to mention what it’s done to my coloring. No more pasty white. Maybe now I’ll match my boyfriend a little better?

Palm Trees: Palm trees make me happy and, well, they are everywhere. Enough said.

Juice: I’m on a fresh juice kick this week. I just can’t get enough of it. It’s the perfect way to start your day, and makes for the ultimate afternoon perk-me-up! Yesterday I ordered an “ABC” with dinner: Apple, Beet, and Carrot. YUM.

Last-Minute Plans: Sometimes last minute plans are the best plans. I wasn’t planning on going to Miami until a few days before I left, and boy am I glad I went with my gut instincts! I got so spend some time in the sun, and spend lots of girl time with my best … Read More!

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We listen to our heart…Why not listen to our body?

As I’ve talked about many times on my blog, my summer trip to Italy about four years ago was one of the happiest times of my life. Before Italy, I used to fear food. I thought it was an evil substance that would make my thighs even bigger, my pants even tighter and the number go up, up, up on the scale. To put it simply, throughout college, food (and calories) was all I thought about. I wasn’t ever able to enjoy food because I was too busy calculating calories, planning out my “meals” and exercising my little butt off. It was unhealthy. Now I adore food. It makes me all warm and fuzzy inside, and I love trying out new restaurants and exploring decadent flavors I’ve never explored before. Now I am happy, though it took a long time to get there.

When I went to Italy, the country made it difficult for me not to enjoy food. Everything looked oh so fresh,  beautiful and mouth-watering. So I ate. I ate it all. The fresh-baked breads from the corner cafe that you could smell from … Read More!

It seems as though doctors, and society in general, continuously change their minds about what is “good” and “bad” for you. One week soy milk is the miracle milk, another week it causes cancer and makes you gain weight. Everyone has their opinions, and everyone’s opinions are always 100% different. Some say coffee is a terrible toxin that stunts your growth, and some people (like me) think it’s a daily necessity and without it many people would be Oscar the Grouches. Anyway, today on my morning run I got to thinking – when am I not thinking? – about all these little “bad” things I do that are actually 100% OK, and healthy too. Hopefully you can find comfort, or at least a chuckle, in knowing all those little, weird “unhealthy” things you do are completely OK in my book! [Side Note: I’ve been reading Melissa Nibbles blog for a while now, and every Friday she posts a similar “It’s OK” series (kinda like a spin off on Glamour’s). Anywho, it cracks me up every week and you should totally check it out! I definitely don’t have her humor nor her wit, however!]

1. To be Utterly Addicted to … Read More!