Happy Friday! This weekend will be busy and full of lots of hard work, fun, and excitement! For those of you that don't know, I work full time at a non-profit therapeutic horseback riding program. We offer riding lessons as a form of therapy (physical, mental, and emotional) for children and adults with a wide range of disabilities and special needs. As you can imagine, it is extremely rewarding and inspirational. This weekend, we are putting on our 21st Annual Country Hoedown! It is our biggest fundraiser of the year and[...]
Category
Lifestyle
Last week, I posted about Michael Pollan's Food Rules. His simple breakdown on food and health (something usually so complex) resonated with me and represented the essence that I hope to convey with this blog. I would put mindful eating at the top of any list in terms of overall health. However, another vital aspect of a healthy lifestyle is exercise. I exercise for a whole gamut of reasons. Partly out of vanity, partly to maintain my strength, must mostly to keep my sanity. I have shied away from bringing up much abou[...]
I spend a lot of time thinking about food (probably more than most) and what an emotional response it can evoke. From bringing up memories of a loved one, to following a certain diet, the very general topic of food can spark conversation, help you feel closer to others, and keep traditions alive. I know that the mindset of what we eat, how, when, and why we eat it varies greatly depending on culture, life circumstances, allergies, and simply preferences. There are those of us that are already thinking about our next mea[...]
Call me crazy, but grocery shopping is one of my favorite activities. Of course, shopping at 11am on a Sunday right when church gets out and the whole town is preparing for the week ahead is never ideal, but generally speaking, I actually enjoy the entire process. I thought I would share that process with you today, because I know that there are a lot of people out there that can't stand grocery shopping, and I am here to help! I will also share what I bring home from a typical shopping trip at Trader Joe's, Sprouts, Thri[...]
Hello Hello! I hope that everyone had a glorious Labor Day weekend! For the past 10 years, we have spent nearly every Labor Day in Scottsdale, AZ boating, shrimp boiling, and just having an all around amazing time with friends. My college roommate's parents live there and they are ridiculously kind hosts, always treating us to an unforgettable time. This year, the Scottsdale clan broke from tradition and celebrated in a different way... with the ULTIMATE WEDDING WEEKEND in Denver, CO as my college roommate said "I do" to[...]
And just like that, it's Monday again! We are heading into a HOT week here in San Diego, so summer isn't leaving without a fight, that's for sure! We have a big weekend to look forward to (a very special Labor Day Weekend wedding) so I am keeping my eye on the prize. But before I get ahead of myself, let's chat about the weekend we just had! It was another lovely couple of days filled with fun, relaxation, and a little bit of work here and there. Friday night kicked it off in the best way possible...NACHOS! Any time I[...]
Happy Monday, friends! How about that eclipse, huh? Was it just me, or did all the people telling you not to look directly at the sun make you want to look directly at the sun? The whole thing got a lot of hype, but hey, science is cool and I'm all about anything that gets people excited in a positive way! Anyway...let's back up a little to this weekend's recap! It was our first weekend home in a few weeks, so we made sure to enjoy some quality time with our pups, get some work done around the house, and enjoy some time w[...]
We just arrived in Washington DC for a weeklong vacation on the east coast with friends and family! So much of my desire to travel is fueled by the fact that many of the people I love and care about the most are spread all over the country! I always I wish I could see my close friends and family members more often, but I do love the excuse to visit other cities and see other parts of the country. I thought that since I am traveling this week, I would share some tips to help keep you on track when away from home. Rela[...]
Last spring, Travis and I bought our first house. We were so excited, and so naive. Turns out home ownership is no joke, but so far so good. While we were looking, Travis was VERY particular about the integrity of the home (you know, structural stuff, roofing, plumbing, electrical...boooring.) My focus was on the potential for a beautiful kitchen, of course! After lots of searching and a little frustration, we came across a little yellow house with great bones, a GIANT Oak Tree in the backyard, and a large (terribly outda[...]
I think that Mondays really set the tone for the rest of the week. I am definitely more relaxed on the weekend in terms of food choices, and if I let it carry over to Monday, it seems to snowball throughout the whole week. So, I do my best to clean up my diet and get a healthy start. I love the motto "Never miss a Monday" when it comes to working out. This is all to say, Mondays don't have to be a bummer if you have a solid plan in mind to make it a healthy, goal-getting week. I usually spend about 30 minutes on Sund[...]