My January Goals for 2014

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This year I have decided to list my goals for 2014 on a monthly basis.  By doing this I hope to make more of them a reality because I will be able to not get overwhelmed.  Also, I know I can do anything for 30 days.

Although I haven't been seen by a doctor because of my symptoms and family history I believe I have hypothyroidism tendencies.  That being said I am hesitant to see a general practitioner because I am against big pharma companies and believe in whole foods.  After doing my own research I have decided to incorporate more raw foods into my diet through juicing.  I eat a lot of whole foods and an abundance of fruits and veggies as a vegetarian, but I really want to work on incorporating more raw foods.  Raw foods are obviously not cooked which means that the nutrients are not denatured and therefor super potent.
I love my new Omega Juicer so I have decided that a juice a day will be the best way for me to incorporate a large amount of nutrients into my diet.  Juicing is truly wonderful because it allows you to get the health benefits from fruits and vegetables without your body having to work to break down the fiber contained in most plants.  I have also found that if I were to attempt to just eat the veggies and fruits I am juicing that it would be too much food.  I would never be able to make it through a meal.  My jaws may even get sore from the chewing (giggles).

I am going to do my best to post my juices on a weekly basis so you can see what I am eating and I can be held accountable.

Last year at this time B and I decided to do a Spending Freeze and we did an awesome job.  We not only were able to save more money, but we are now more aware of our bills, excessive expenditures, and know what is coming in and going out of our accounts.  We are wanting to move closer to the city and shorten our commute times (about 3 ish hours daily) and that means that it is time to cut back on our not necessary expenditures and work on ways to save.  I love feeling empowered and honestly who doesn't?!  We are in full swing and ready to take on the challenge and further explore what works for us.

I feel like when my health and money are in order everything else becomes less of a struggle.  After all, when I am fit I feel more confident and stress less and when I know what is going on in my bank account I feel even better.

I am also going to get our wedding save the dates out, further plan the bachelorette weekend and Nashville, and work on the ceremony decor.

Here's the short list...

January Goals 2014

  • Juice everyday 
  • Spending Freeze
  • Wedding Details

15 Favorite Things from 2013!

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These are a few of my favorite things from this past year.  Here goes...

1.  My engagement! I can not imagine my life without B and I can't wait for 6.14.2014 we will be joined as man and wife.  

2.  Vega One Nutritional Shake makes the list because it is a vegan protein powder made from peas.  I love it because it is not whey or soy based.  I love all the flavors, but the Vanilla Chai is the one I like best.

3.  Vegetarianism!  In March I posted about plant based eating and even took on a vegetarian challenge for the month of April, but it wasn't until July 4th weekend that I decided to convert completely.  I have never felt better and whole foods taste so much better than nasty processed meals 8 days a week.

4.  DIY Wellness Motivation Board:  Not only is it inspiring having this in my workout space, but I love having all my motivation and exercises easily available.

5.  B bought me a used spin bike off Craigslist from my birthday and I love it.  I got it to help with conditioning for half marathon training and it has yet to disappoint me.

6.  Weekly Meal Prep/Freezer Cooking:  I love cooking food on Sunday afternoons for the week ahead or prepping food for the freezer for easy weeknight meals.  I commute about 3 hours a day, so this is a massive life saver.  I prep lots of soups for the slow cooker and cut up lots of raw fruit and veggies for the week.  Overnight oats is only of my favorites too.

7.  Long hair don't care.  I have stopped coloring my hair and have let it go long.  All the supplements and healthy foods have made my hair grow faster and shinier.

8.  Pink Polar Heart Rate Monitor:  This little baby is awesome for making your workouts more effective and really help you know the calories burned.

9.  Tea:  Because I have been trying to rehabilitate my thyroid, I have eliminated caffeine and that means limiting coffee to once every week and a half or so.  I have learned to love hot tea and I enjoy everything from English breakfast to chai.

10.  CSA or Organic Farm:  We have finally found a program that works for us and have been enjoying organic farm fresh produce that is easy and affordable for us to get our hands on.  

11.  Vitamins and Supplements:  While I eat a lot of raw foods and get an amble amount of micro nutrients I have been taking lots of vitamins and supplements.  I joke that if someone saw what I take they may think I have a terminal illness or cancer.  I carry all my "drugs" in a massive pill case in my purse and take them with lunch at work.  I take a high potency multi vitamin, vitamin D, liquid B-12, iron, selenium, zinc, kelp, B complex, biotin, and a pre natal vitamin (to repair the hair loss because of my thyroid).

12.  Ready Made Snacks:  Instead of spending lots of money on protein bars I have taken up the challenge of making homemade granola and even homemade Oatmeal Cookie Larabars.

13.  Plant and Food Education:  I have watched lots of documentaries including Forks Over Knives, Food Matters, Fat, Sick and Nearly Dead and Farmegeddon.  I am also mid way through reading Michael Pollan's book In Defense Of Food and so far it is AH-Mazing.  I can't wait to read his other books.

14.  Smoothies:  I have come to look forward to a smoothie and have found that it is an easy way to get a lot of raw fruit or veggies into my diet.  Here are some of my favorites:  Pink Pineapple Smoothie and Double Berry Smoothie.  I also like to add spinach, banana, fresh orange juice, strawberries, and chia seeds to a blender for a breakfast smoothie on my drive to work.

15.  Juicing:  Juicing is a fantastic way to flood your body with micro nutrients and allow your body to easily digest everything because a lot of the fiber has been stripped out.  I got a new Omega Juicer for Christmas and I can't wait to really break it in.  Check out some of my juice recipes or whip up your own using what you have on hand.

B and I also embarked on a Spending Freeze in 2013 and are taking measures to start again in 2014 so we can save more money and pay down our debt further.  The spending freeze was a huge part of our 2013, but it is far from my favorite highlights of the year.

Happy New Year!

Lately...

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I've been pretty busy with everything holiday related.  Lately, here is what I've been up to...


I love delivering goodies baskets and spreading holiday cheer.


This year I made B's sister a beauty basket this year for Christmas.  I put everything from lip glosses, nail polishes, eye liners, and even a shimmery gold clutch in this gift basket.


We made a basket of goodies for B's parents with homemade jams I made in the summer, peanut butter pretzel balls, pretzel toffee, and sweet and spicy nuts.


We also bought for a 12 year old little girl this Christmas.


And a 10 year old little boy this Christmas.  We got them lots of clothes that I know they need as well as lots of fun things.


I also made this yummy Ranch Spinach Cheese Ball to take to my parents.  There are no powders or strange ingredients in this cheese ball and it is so tasty.


There were lots of smoothies this month.  I go crazy for almond milk, frozen fruit and chia seed mixed with ice.


Staying busy means lots of quick dinners like this pizza toast on  Ezekiel Bread.


Or this baked pumpkin spiced oatmeal, gala apple, jack cheese and crackers.


Pizza zucchini is also a big hit and so easy.  This is a great low carb all veggie option.


The firm I work for even had a lot of holiday dinners and this one even had a lot of veggie options.


I even purchased more wedding items this month.  This beautiful glassware was bought at Goodwill Thrift Store and I can't wait to add it to the lot for the centerpieces.  Some of them will hold flowers and some will hold candles.


B and I went to see the Nutcracker Ballet last weekend and it was magical.  I am so intrigued by the beauty of the everything and the performance was amazing.

I hope your holiday was a wonderful as mine.  I will be posting goals for 2014 soon as well as meal ideas. Happy Saturday!



My Week In Recap

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 It's the last full work week before Thanksgiving.  What else can I really say?! This week was long and I am so glad to be home with B and Chloe Mae after a long boring week at work.  I have tried working out more this week and even ran twice.  I am ready to get this pesky thyroid under wraps and make it start working again.  I started taking selenium supplements this week and hopefully after next week I will start to see a difference.  I have also started to limit the amount of gluten in my diet.  That has been a little bit of a struggle, but it seems to be easier.

When B goes to karate (he has two black belts and is working on testing for master level) I usually don't cook anything special and if I don't have any food prepared in the fridge ready to heat up then it's usually something easy.  Sometimes that means cereal and a protein shake or a throw together salad.  This week I pretty much ate the same thing...brown basmati rice, cuban style black beans from Trader Joe's, diced tomato, chipotle salsa, and mashed avocado with lime and cracked black pepper.  Perfect balance of carbs, protein and fats post workout.


I am also happy to announce that after much searching we have found an organic co-op to join.  We had searched for a CSA that works with our schedule and hadn't found anything until we looked into Big Organic Garden.  Basically the way a CSA or co-op works is that you pay weekly or monthly for produce or other fresh items like fresh milk, cheese, etc.  Sometimes you will pay for a half share or full share or like we do for a certain size basket.  You usually don't know the specifics of your order until a couple days before pick up, but items are in season and usually locally sourced.  Our co-op selects all organic produce from local farmers, the southeast, and the US.  Because everything is sourced on the basis of availability the prices are usually lower than the grocery store and fresher because there is no middle man so to speak.


This is our lot for this week.  We received cucumbers, pears, a mix of apples, carrots, sweet potatoes, a pomegranate, small bag of cranberries and they even threw in the "poultry mix" herbs for free.  I love that we got all this ORGANIC produce for $23!  I can't wait to eat everything up.

Today we did one last shopping trip before Thanksgiving.  Since we are traveling to my parent's house in rural Tennessee for the big day a lot of the items for the salads we have to pick up and bring.  I am planning on making the cornbread stuffing, mac and cheese, chocolate fudge pie, caramel apple crisp, red wine apple cider sangria, spiced bourbon cranberry sauce, arugula salad with acorn squash and pomegranate and a beet salad with green apple.  Since we are not leaving until Wednesday I did go ahead and pick up produce for us to eat this week.


The acorn squash is for the salad, but almost everything is for eating.  I am going to roast the butternut squash tomorrow and probably a handful of the sweet potatoes.  I picked up a couple pomegranates too that I plan on cleaning and seeding tomorrow.  We picked up crab apples and satsuma oranges.  I have never tried either before but I am interested to see what they taste like.  The more my diet is plant centered and plant based the more I love veggies and fruits.  I honestly feel like when you eat fresh food you crave it and everything tastes good.


This was my little splurge today.  Anytime we are at Whole Foods Market I find it difficult to resist a sweet treat.  This little slice of heaven is a chocolate cake with chocolate ganache filling, a salted caramel layer, crispy rice bottom topped with buttercream, salted caramel drizzle and a salted caramel truffle.  YUM!  We had a deliciously healthy lunch at Chipotle so I couldn't feel too guilty about this one.  

Today before we hit all the crowds at Trader Joe's and Whole Foods I took my car to get an oil change.  We waited for-eva at Chipotle but it was so worth it.  There is nothing like their brown rice, black and pinto beans, grilled veggies, and all those yummy toppings.  I am a sucker for their pico, roasted salsa, corn salsa and guacamole.  No dairy or meat for me and it always feels good that it's so easy and delicious to be vegan at a place like that.


Since we usually have to drive about 40 minutes to a decent grocery I try to pick up items that are hard to get at Publix or even (cringes) Walmart.  Usually things like canned beans, rices, quinoa, lentils, and misc. items are what we end up bringing home.  Here is how I organize my pantry to make everything easy to find.  I usually like to organize items by category.  Cereal on the top self, baking items on the second, canned or bottled items along with nuts and seeds on the third and misc. boxes of crackers along with bins full of pasta, rice, grains, and snacks on the bottom shelf.

I love organization and plastic breathable bins allow me to put like items together.  I also like to just pull out a specific bin if I'm working on a recipe that calls for like items such as a pasta dish or granola.

Tomorrow I am working on DIY Christmas gifts, cranberry sauce for Thanksgiving, and a couple other recipes.  I can't wait to share everything with you.

Happy Weekend!

Weekend at Home

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This weekend has been pretty relaxing and I am so thankful for that.  After everything the past couple weeks, B and I have been happy to just relax at home and keep everything low key.  I've done some cooking, laundry and yoga but that's been about it.  


Here's the meal that I whipped up last night.  Whole wheat spaghetti with homemade marinara, spinach salad with olives and tomatoes, french bread with olive oil, rosemary and cracked pepper.


I topped off my yummy dinner with a glass of white wine and a couple good cookbook reads.


We bought a bag of gala apples, granny smith apples, and concorde pears at Trader Joes for the week.  Aren't they beautiful?!


I also decided to pull out all the odds and ends meals from our freezer and cook everything for the upcoming workweek.  I cooked up rice casserole, twice baked cheddar broccoli potatoes, chocolate chip pumpkin muffins, enchilada pie, french style carrot and potato mash, and Hawaiian BBQ chicken.  I am a vegetarian but B still eats meal a couple times a week.  I love prepping meals for the week so I don't have to worry about spending money eating out or being too busy when I get home.


I decided to make some yummy gingerbread loaf this morning and we have been snacking on it all day.


Chloe has been doing a lot of this today.  Give this pit bull a lap and a blanket and she is out cold.  Nothing like napping on this gross rainy day.


I did some yoga this morning and it felt so good to do something to be active again.  I decided to do some squats and crunches too.  I am still trying to take it easy after last week, but I just want to run or spin so much.  This morning I made B and I some oatmeal with cinnamon and almond milk topped with a little brown sugar, lots of blueberries and walnuts.  We also had apples with a sprinkle of apple pie spice and a slice of gingerbread cake.

I hope everyone has enjoyed their weekend!  

My Week in Recap

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This week was absolutely an improvement from last week.  Last week I had a huge scare with my thyroid or what I think is my thyroid.  I have been feeling pretty gross for the past little while and had a very swollen lymph node for most of last week.  I have wanted to go see a doctor but unfortunately with me starting at the new firm I don't have full insurance yet.  I have been reading about holistic approaches instead.  I have introduced kelp tablets into my diet and until I get everything worked out I am cutting back on my exercise routine for a little while.


I am an avid fruit lover for sure but I am really going to try and amp up my fruit intake.  Hopefully consuming more carbohydrates will also help me once I start working out more heavily again.


B and I miss juicing and are determined to buy a different kind of new juicer next month.  I think I have found the masticating juicer that will be perfect for us now we just have to save some money to buy it.  In the meantime however I will just enjoy cold pressed juice from Whole Foods.  There is nothing more delicious than beet juice.


On Wednesday our firm had its annual real estate department client schmooze dinner and I was so worried once I realized it would be a set menu.  It can sometimes be difficult being a vegetarian and eating out can sometimes be challenging.  We went to a fancy steakhouse and luckily the waitress volunteered to make me a large veggie plate.  I had loads of steamed broccoli and asparagus and even had sauteed spinach with garlic.  The waitress brought me so much I had plenty to take to work the next day for lunch.  I was also pretty grossed out when I saw everyone's steak and the fact that it literally took up most of the plate was appalling.  After everything I've learned it makes it difficult to not have negative feelings surrounding that much meat in one sitting. 


I made these yummy Granola Clusters at the beginning of the week and we are still eating on them.  This recipe is great because you can throw in whatever nuts or seeds you have on hand.  I used a lot of hemp seeds because they are not only very yummy but they are also a complete protein source for us vegetars.  Thanks Taralynn!  This recipe rocks!


Yesterday I prepped food like I usually do before I head to work but I decided to cut up more apples.  Yes, I know I have been eating a lot of apples this week.  I am kind of thinking of this as a sort of mini monomeal.  I cut up three gala apples and topped them with apple pie spice for a delicious mid morning snack.  I try to eat at least five small meals throughout the day.  Eating every couple hours is not only good for your metabolism and your digestive system but I find that it helps prevent overeating.


Most of my nights this past week have ended early with a snuggle session with Chloe and laying in bed before 9pm.  I will be glad when I get my thyroid situated and don't feel so exhausted.  I did some light yoga this morning and then we headed to take Chloe to her usual vet appointment.  After the appointment we headed to Trader Joes to stock up on staple ingredients for meals this coming up workweek.

I know we are all on the countdown to the holiday season and I for one could not be more excited.  Happy weekend!

Our Weekend in Instagram

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This past weekend Bernard and I had a blast.  We packed a picnic and headed over to Stone Mountain Park with Chloe Mae.  We weren't interested in all the tourist-y stuff but decided to purchase an annual pass parking pass for $35 instead of $10 per visit and start walking.  The weather was quite nice and in the low 60s...what a delightful break for the chilly temperatures we have been experiencing.  This weekend was a quick glimpse of spring weather and we took full advantage of it.  
We walked around, took some pictures, and enjoyed some submarine sandwiches that I made.  We both love Jersey Mike's but since we started the Spending Freeze in January we haven't been eating out so I whipped up a turkey sub on a wheat french loaf with provolone cheese, thinly sliced red onion and tomato, spinach, garlic pickle, oregano, and a quick vinaigrette of red wine vinegar and olive oil. 

We had to get a couple shots with Chloe who was having the best time of all of us.  She even got to wear her purple polka dot bandanna, which is always a hit. 



This is the view of Stone Mountain Lake from the quarry area of the park.




With our hit of Spring Fever in full swing we decided to hit up Lowe's on Sunday.  I have always wanted to have a space where I could garden and luckily for me the boyfriend has a big yard and loves fresh food.  We ended up getting seeds for me to start planting to transplant later, veggies to sow once I get the raised bed together, and flower seed to plant in the front yard and pots on the back patio.  We plan to mulch, weed, and re-landscape the front yard to improve the curb appeal of his house.  I also have some pots from my house that I will be bringing to his place so we can create a backyard sanctuary. 



I planted my tomato and pepper seeds in egg carton containers and a recycled spinach container.  The seedlings will only be in them for a little while before they get planted in the raised bed I plan to make out of some cinder blocks.



The finished product looked like this and I have to say I am so pleased with how they turned out.  I let them hang out outside for a few hours because the weather was in the high 60s but of course they get to germinate in the house with my care.

I am very excited about the opportunity to enjoy the outdoors with my honey, garden, and then can and preserve all the harvest.  We are talking about putting a fire pit in the backyard to get more use out of the back yard.  Even though we are on a Spending Freeze, we plan to enjoy our summer and should be able to DIY one for about $35.  In Georgia our winter is incredibly short so a fire pit will allow us to be outdoors for March through late October/November.  After all, we could go on a date night to a chain steakhouse for $35 or we could put in a fire pit...I will take the fire pit for maximum fun.

I will let ya'll know how the fire pit turns out when we do it!

Happy Spring!

Spending Freeze: The Power of No and Social Norms

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Since my boyfriend and I started the Spending Freeze at the beginning of January things have started to change when it comes to how we both look at money.  The biggest takeaway so far is the power of no and being able to say no when we feel tempted to spend or feel pressured from an outside source to compromise our financial goals.  We have been able to say no to eating out, traveling, going to the movies, and extra items at the grocery store.

The power of no in a certain way is actually quite liberating because it allows you to control your finances and realize where you want your money to go.  Financial priorities are important because it allows you to focus on what is important to you instead of just letting those little slips happen.  Sometimes it feels difficult to say no to things you would have previously said yes to but realistically I don't feel like I am sacrificing much by doing so.



Maybe you feel guilty from telling your friends that you don't want to go to a fancy place and spend money on drinks or maybe you feel like these relationships will suffer from your decision to not over indulge.  Here are some tips:

1.  Figure out who your true friends are.  Basically all I am saying is that the people how really care about you will understand and respect your decisions to not throw money away on things that don't meet your list of financial priorities.  Also,  refrain from letting "associates or acquaintances" dictate what you should be spending money on.  A true friend will also meet you where you are.

2.  Find ways to hang out and visit friends that doesn't involve spending anything or is very inexpensive.  Meet at a friends house for a potluck or series premiere of a television show you both watch, go on a walk, meet for drinks at someone's house before going to dinner or research restaurants that offer discounts or specials if you simply must eat out.  Anna Newell Jones has some awesome ideas of things to do instead of spend money.  Websites like Groupon, Living Social, and Scout Mob are all great places to start for deals in your area if you can't completely slash eating out or events.

3.  See if you have a fellow frugal friend.  Maybe one of your friends wants to start a spending freeze or limit what they spend, by teaming up not only do you gain an accountability partner but you can also have an ally when it comes to everyone making plans for the weekend.

4.  Use moderation and set limits.  If you know that it will be impossible to stop going out to eat with your friends or doing other things that can add expense to your budget then set a limit.  Maybe instead of doing something a couple times a week do something once a week or wait until the weekend.  If your crew likes the weekend scene, see if you can look for deals or promos that will help you save some dough or meet up for brunch or lunch which are usually cheaper than dinner and drinks.  Give yourself a budget for each outing so you have an easier time staying within your monthly goal.

5.  Feel good in your choice.  If saving money or paying down debt is important to you then DO NOT let anyone waiver your decision to put your financial priorities on hold.  Remember only you know your finances and there is nothing wrong with you choosing to abstain from expenses that are not necessity in order to make your goals a reality.

Often times we charge things to a credit card start paying it off months later and have no idea what was so important at the time that we couldn't spend the cash on it then...it's time to take control.

The power of no is about empowerment!  Even now that I am unemployed I am not too worried about finances because I have managed to pump up my savings and get my budget down to the bare essentials.

The important point to realize is that by saying no to certain things you are able to say yes to others like paying down debt, saving, and planning where your money goes.  Maybe your goal is to pay off all your credit card debt and start saving to buy a new car or go on a fancy vacation.  By saying no to a pair of to die for heels or not hitting Starbucks a couple times a week, you are able to say yes to slashing that debt and freeing yourself.

Saying yes to taking control and utilizing the power of no will not only help you better control your money, but will also leave you empowered with your priorities.  You can do it!

Weekend for the Books

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before the maple cream cheese glaze
This weekend was one for the books when it comes to loving the simple life and realizing that that is what GOD wants for us.  Saturday was a relaxing day...I took Chloe to the vet's office first thing in the morning, took her on a long walk, then Bernard and I came down to his house in the suburbs of Atlanta.  I even whipped up some yummy cinnamon buns thanks to the recipe provided by Smitten Kitchen.  It was about time to break in the beautiful Kitchenaid mixer my sweetie got me for Christmas.



Today we got up and headed to church to hear Andy Stanley preach.  The message was absolutely perfect to what we needed to hear when it comes to making your time count and living each day to its fullest.  Check out what Andy had to say here about Breathing Room.

So often we add items to our schedule because of obligation or what society says and we forget that not each day is promised.  Why not focus on our relationships instead of slaving away for the corporate man?!  Spend more time with our families and less time trying to impress people we don't even know?!

What wonderful things to think about as we start this work week...

Goals for 2013

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New years are always a way for people to focus on things they have not been able to master in the past and 2013 is a great way to get a fresh start.  Goal setting is important when it comes to being successful in pretty much any area of your life.  Whether your goal is to get fit, save more money, or spend more time with your family you can make it happen if you focus on what you can do everyday to reach or become closer to your goal.

An awesome tool to try would be to use the SMART goals criteria.  The SMART goals model allows you to be specific, measure your goal, make sure it is attainable, realistic, and time sensitive.

Some of the things I hope to achieve in 2013:



1.  Read at least one new book a month until my paralegal classes start.  The one I am reading now is called Set Free to Live Free and so far is truly exactly what I need.

2.  Be more diligent about my quiet time with GOD.



3.  Focus on Bible Study with my sweetie and make that more of an emphasis in our relationship.  We will be starting to read 5 Love Languages book together and there is even a free study guide on the website.

4.  No technology one night a week.  My boyfriend and I have agreed that Wednesday will be a night when we read and do other things non-technology related.



5.  Workout at least 4x a week for 45 minutes a session.  Last year I trained and ran a half marathon (13.1 miles) and this year I want to possibly run another one and continue to focus on myself and my fitness.

6.  Start and finish my paralegal certification program and make a successful career change as a paralegal.



7.  Get rid of my debt and adhere to the terms of the Spending Freeze.  This means slashing debt, saving those pennies, and planning large purchases without financing.



8.  Go on a fun vacation with my boyfriend.  You may think this goes against the Spending Freeze, but once the debt is paid off we want to be able to go on a little vacation at the very end of 2013 maybe even the holidays.  Planning how much to save per pay period between now and then will help us make that happen.



9.  Focus more on simple living.  When you live in a large city it can be difficult to focus on the things that matter and limit distractions.  This is something I hope to tame in 2013.  Basically less materialism and more whole living through body, spirit, and mind.  For us this means enjoying the spring and summer months with a garden and spending warm weekends at the park with Chloe instead of going out and spending too much money on dinner and drinks.

10.  Have fun and enjoy every precious moment!

I hope this has inspired you to set some goals for 2013!  It's never too late to take charge of your life or enhance something you are longing for.

What are some of your goals for the new year?  Are you focusing on saving money, getting fit, or spending more time doing the things that you love?  I want to hear what's important to you!  



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