Wear. And. Fare. Wednesday.

It's here again!!!

WEAR

I wore this little number out last Friday to sing karaoke with friends from my dodgeball team! I love it!  I made a few cute outfits this week with that scarf! Here's what I'm wearin':

Skirt: Buffalo Exchange - Leifs Dottir

Striped shirt: Arc's Value Village - Logix

Vest: Express

Scarf: Neighbor's Clothes Closet (my work place thrift store!) -Italian Scarf from Italy

Shoes: Buffalo Exchange - MOMA (Also made in Italy)

Oh, and you're probably wondering what I sang for karaoke? 

None other than, "Touch Myself" by the Divinyls.

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I made these beauties this weekend! I got the idea from 2 sources. I don't remember where but I had seen these once online and a person did them with tortillas rather than phyllo. I could still do them with ezekiel wraps or sprouted grain tortillas, but I wanted to try the phyllo dough. I got the phyllo dough idea from none other than DAMY Health. They  have some great recipes with phyllo dough so you should go on the blog and check them out! This was my phyllo dough quiche!

What I did:

Phyllo dough: purchased at Lund's (you usually find this in the freezer section). 

I cut the phyllo dough into squares and spread some light olive oil on each sheet. I used 5 sheets per quiche. I placed the stack of 5 into a lightly oiled muffin pan to make the cup shape.

Next:

I mixed 4 egg whites, salt, pepper, diced peppers and onion. I divided this mixture between the 2 phyllo dough cups. On top, I sprinkled a small amount of mozzarella cheese.

Bake in the oven at 350 degrees for about 30 mins (depending on your oven) and voila!

2 mini-quiches for brunch! YUM!

Hope you all have a spectacular middle of the week! 

How Many Calories Are In That?

Ah, yes. "How many calories are in that?" A question that, it seems lately, I have been getting a lot. I don't know why this question is being brought up so much as of recent, however, I do know that my response will continue to be the same. "I don't know," as I continue cramming my mouth full of food.

This question is posed to me by people in the gym, sometimes friends and probably whoever happens to see me shoveling food into my face throughout the day. And the truth is, I really don't know. Quite honestly, I really don't care.

Don't get me wrong, I completely understand the whole mathematical equation. Calories in - Calories out (burned) = Weight Gain or Loss (dependent upon the outcome of that equation). However, the beauty of my current lifestyle and my dedication to the DAMY Health program is that I don't have to count calories, points, fat, carbs...thank the Lord! Because I don't want to!

UGH!!!!

Source: loseweight-safe.com via ElidiaArevalo on Pinterest

The other evening at the gym, I hopped on an elliptical machine next to an acquaintance at the gym. She said that she had noticed me with my DAMY Health printouts and asked where I got them, what I do, etc. We continued to have a long discussion about health and diet and she would bring up calories and this and that. I tried to tell her that I don't worry about that but amazingly enough for me (if you knew me, you would know this is pretty amazing) I could hardly get a word in!!

All this recent questioning about the matter of calories lately has given me the opportunity to reflect about the situation of diet in our country (and I'm sure many countries around the world). It really is difficult and frustrating for me to see people who spend so much more time counting the contents of calories, carbs, fat and so on in their food, rather than just enjoying really good and healthy food. I feel like the act of calorie counting itself can be come quite an unhealthy obsession.

Obsession? Not at all! Hmmm.

Source: fit-to-be-thin.tumblr.com via Anya on Pinterest

I don't make these comments as any type of judgement towards any people that may count calories or points, but I say this based on personal past experience. I was once a calorie and point counter. I had tried so many different methods to control my weight growing up. I felt like the counting did become an obsession. It seemed to make eating a painful experience rather than a pleasurable and healthy one. I thought about points all the time and mostly, I thought about eating all the time. I was one hungry point counter! Not only that, but I would go as far as to say that at different periods of my life I was exercise anorexic. Eating very minimal amounts of food and exercising myself like crazy to lose large quantities of weight in short periods of time. It never lasted, I would inevitably gain it all back and more. How can you really spend that long doing that to your body, before your body really demands what it wants?

Perhaps some of you are reading this and thinking that I am a hypocrite, because I have to be measuring what I eat to some degree to maintain a fit physique. To some extent, you are right. Just as everyone else, I do have to watch portions. You can't go eat a whole cake and expect to be fit and trim. I do have to watch the types of food that I am putting in my body at certain times of the day as well. However, I can eye up the size my meat should be by my palm. I can make a pretty accurate estimate of the amount of carb needed on my plate and of course, I will happily load up on heaps of veggies and some fruits. Of course these things need to be quantified, however I don't feel obsessed over them. I don't feel deprived. Eating can be enjoyable and I can constantly feed my body the right food - all day long - and remain fit.

Source: loseweight-safe.com via mialti on Pinterest

What I really wanted to say with this post is that I find it frustrating and saddening that people feel they have to be trapped by food counting - as I once did. Even worse, that our media puts these types of diets on display and aids in making them fads. I also write to say this: If you are trapped in food counting and you loathe it, I challenge you to try DAMY Health. If you are calorie counting and at a plateau or realize that the food counting isn't getting you the results you want or your always hungry and tired of being obsessed with counting, try DAMY Health. Yes, it will feel backwards. But you will see that you CAN eat a lot of food and get the fitness results you want. I am living proof! See??

Please, if you are ready to treat your body the way it deserves to be treated, give DAMY a whirl. Your body, in turn, will thank you.

Goal. Tracker. Wunderlist.

Over the last few months, I've been keeping up with my goals and that includes having to use various different methods and tools to keep me moving forward every day with these goals. The big goals of mine are only accomplished with continuous tiny steps towards them. You don't just say, "I'm going to build a business," and then BOOM the next day it's done. Nope. We all know it takes a lot of work, baby steps, every day to get to the goal - as is anything in life.

Thus, I have implemented tools to keep my on track. Initially, I used my white board and pieces of paper to keep up with my mini-goals. I would write down on the white board what I needed to accomplish each day and cross it off as I went. Perhaps you guys remember this picture in a post I did last year:

Soon though, my mini-goals became a bit too overwhelming for my white board and you can't carry that many pieces of paper along with you all day. Plus, you are using too many trees!

Set many goals!

I came across a post that was written by someone with an AWESOME blog, the Awesome Life Coach. He did this post on a review of an app called Wunderlist. See the post HERE.  I read the post and researched some on this app and decided that I would give it a whirl. 

I have to say that I have really enjoyed this app and it is so nice to have my goals prioritized and categorized. You can see that I have many categories for various areas of my life; business, blog, personal, long term, fitness, etc. There is also a list for immediate goals. I make my goals for each day on this page and check them off as I go. The completed tasks will be checked off. 

Source: etsy.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

One thing that I cannot picture here that I love most about this program is that you are able to collaborate with others and share your lists. If you are working on goals or projects with people, you can both add to the list and check items off. The other thing that I thought that this was useful for is accountability. My friend, Mary, met with me one day and we played around with the app together. She was able to see my list and what I had to do. The only negative aspect about this was that it didn't show her when I crossed something off of my list, rather the item just disappeared. I thought that this could be a great feature that could be added to this app. That way, your accountability partner can cheer you on! :) I think having people to cheer you on in your life is a great push! I'm thankful for the people that cheer me on!

Source: Uploaded by user via JD on Pinterest

If any of you are able, I recommend that you give this app a try. It has worked "Wunders" for me! ;) You can also download the app on your phone and sync your phone and computer. It is compatible with Apple, Androids and PCs. 

As for me, I still don't have a compatibility partner for my Wunderlist. Maybe my friend, The Awesome Life Coach, would like to give it a whirl with me?? What do you think Life Coach?? Two goal getters keeping each other accountable? Are you up for the challenge?

How about the rest of you? Who keeps you accountable and how do you measure your progress?

Wear. And. Fare. Wednesday.

Back for another Wednesday post!

WEAR

I put this outfit together last week! Have been saving it up for you all!

I apologize but I had to cut my head off because this picture was SO awful and I didn't realize and hadn't saved any other ones! I kind of looked drugged, so we'll just cut off the top! :)

Striped shirt: Old Navy

Vest: Express

Skirt: Leifs Dottir purchased at Buffalo Exchange

Shoes: ALDO

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I've been needing some new flavors, as I earlier mentioned, so I've been working on trying some new spices and marinades with my chicken and vegetables. I found this Ginger Honey Chicken recipe last week on the Livestrong website. I really liked this combination and it was tasty and a nice change!

The marinade.

You can find this recipe HERE.

The only things that I changed in this recipe was that I didn't have a hot sauce so I used cayenne pepper instead. This was really tasty and I nice way to mix things up a bit. 

I hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday as always. 

We are halfway to the end of the week! :)

Life. Changer. Week.

This week is one of those weeks that I can feel that big life changes are on the way, for better or for worse.

Source: Uploaded by user via Alyssa on Pinterest

 I am living one day at a time and all I know, for better or for worse, everything happens for a reason. I thought, because of these changes going on in my life, that this was an appropriate small post to remind us all - things do happen for reasons - bad things, good things, emotional things, happy things, sad things - they are a significant and unique to each of us.

No matter good or bad, there is one thing that I am certain of...I choose to embrace them.

Source: flounder88.tumblr.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

Wear. And. Fare. Day.

I've had this post sitting in my saved posts and the week just FLEW by so I didn't even get it posted! But here it is! It works out this way as the food is GREEN in the spirit of St. Patrick's Day!

WEAR

Note: I look a little groggy in this pic. I had just woken up from a nap! :)

I put this outfit together for the warmer days this week at work! I've run into one problem for the spring/summer. I have NO light colore/fabric pants to wear. I will have to make some exchanges at the thrift store and try and get some new pants. I do have plenty of skirts and dresses to get through the summer though which is nice! I put this one together quickly before work - albeit with dark pants. I did get compliments at work though!

Pants: Opitz Outlet -

Top shirt: Old Navy

Bottom Shirt: Logix - Arc's Value Village

Shoes: Urban Outfitters

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As I mentioned earlier this week, I wanted to share a new tofu recipe with you all that I tried this week. As I'm needing some new flavors, I thought it could be fun to mix in some new proteins. I've never been a huge fan of tofu, but I'm always willing to give things another try! I made this Apple Smoothie and it had a nice flavor, but I was unsure about the texture. After talking with my friend who used to be vegetarian, she informed me that the reason it was gritty was that I needed to get the "Silken" tofu. I had bought the extra firm! Duly noted and I'm willing to give it another whirl sometime soon!

I found this recipe on the lovely site, called The Gracious Pantry. It focuses on clean eating recipes. Some of the recipes I am able to alter to make them even more clean. Unfortunately, I didn't get a picture of this the day I made it! However, I assure you all that it IS green for St. Patty's!

Find this recipe HERE

I'm off for the evening! Time for some relaxing at home!

Happy St. Patrick's Day to all of my fellow Irishmen and women!

Re-Dedication.

RE-dedication. That is my theme for this week. Not only with what I'm going to continue to write about, but also with my business and moving forward with that. I have to be honest with you all and with myself. Recently, my clean diet has been slipping. Small unclean foods have been working their way into the everyday diet. A little here, a little there, no problem, right? Wrong.

Over the short time that these foods have been inching their way back in, I notice small changes. Less muscle tone, a little tighter pants and definitely an overall icky feeling. I've decided that this week, it's time to RE-dedicate myself. No more unclean foods slipping into the diet during the week. Letting a treat be an actual TREAT! You can't have a REAL treat if other treats are happening throughout the week after all.

Source: mth2011.tumblr.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

 

I am only human and these things happen. It doesn't mean that I have to dwell on these negative events and can't turn it around. In fact, I can choose to do that at any moment, any day. I choose now and I've been sticking to it! I armed myself with an aresenal of clean treats, spending my Sunday afternoon cooking away.

Source: mth2011.tumblr.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

I was also thinking what caused these events. Of course, part of the answer is that it's lack of willpower and MY own personal choices. I made these bad food choices and that is something that I accept. The other thing that I think has taken part of it is that I feel like I am bored. I feel like I have been eating the same foods over and over, the same flavors, etc. I've researched some new recipes this week so that I can try them out and keep myself interested! New meals should spice things up a bit! I even had a tofu smoothie this morning!!! Wait for it on my Wednesday post!

I am making a conscious decision to turn it around this week. No excuses, no moments of weakness. Mind is stronger than the tummy! RE-dedication, begin!

When you are not achieving the success you would like to achieve in one area of your life, how have you revamped your situation to make sure you stay on a continued successful path?

Lollipop. Leaders.

Miss Kyla Gagnon, a trainer  in Canada who I happened upon on Facebook (you should like her page, she posts some really great fitness videos and is also a follower of DAMY Health's page as well and makes DAMY's treats too!!), posted this really interesting video this past week on FB. I took a look and I found it to be such and inspirational video and so true! Before you read on, please take a look at this video below.

This video really made me contemplate about the "lollipop" moments in my life and if I've thanked the people who have given me these gifts. It also made me reflect on my own potential to be a leader, inspire others and be able to provide lollipop moments to others, via my blog and in real life.

I will start with one lollipop moment of my own, someone who I have not told that what they said, something so simple, made an impact on me. Frequently, when I think about quitting, or wonder where the heck I'm going or what I'm doing, I think back to this moment and I know that I must trudge forward with my goals and missions.

Source: Uploaded by user via Alyssa on Pinterest

I know that I mentioned to all of you that in my former job, I was not a happy person. To me, it was not a pleasant environment and I felt constant stress. Fortunately, despite having less than desirable employers, I did have some awesome coworkers, many of whom I'm still in contact with today. One of those coworkers was a guy named Nate. Nate, (along with most of my other coworkers), knew that I was pretty miserable working there. He also knew, and I spoke with him regularly, about my resignation. I wanted to pursue my business and some days the stress there was just too much. One day, in talking with Nate about this, he said to me, "If you quit, don't look back. Don't look back and regret your decision." It was nothing astounding or highly philisophical, it was a simple urging to move forward and not look back at the past. However, unbeknownst to Nate, that small sentence made a huge impact on my life. Any moment that I ever even question my decisions to pursue my business, when it gets difficult, when I feel overwhelmed, when I am not really 100% SURE of myself, I think back to that moment and remind myself to keep marching forward, continue to give my best effort and to never look back. So to Nate: If I never told you this before, thank you. Thank you for giving me a lollipop moment and for being an everyday leader.

Source: google.com via Alyssa on Pinterest

To further touch on this topic, this video serves as a reminder to me (and I hope to everyone else) that we are all leaders. That we all have a huge human capacity to affect one another - a God given capacity. I frequently think about my blog and my everyday actions, I hope that I have been able to give a lollipop moment to another individual. Have I lit a spark that created a burning desire in someone's life? Have I been the constant reminder to push forward? Have I simply put out enough of my own energy for people to feed off of it? Or has just a simple hello or action that I didn't even think was great, made a difference?  I am frequently reminded, that my actions can have a chain effect and that what I put out there is important. It's important for me as a granddaughter, a daughter, a sister, an aunt, a friend, as a human being.

I agree with Drew Dudley that we are all inspirations to one another. We don't have to be the Dali Lama, Mother Theresa or the President. We just need to be our human selves. With this I say, live every day that you are granted with heart. You never know, to somebody else, you may be their everyday leader and everyday hero.

Source: broadsheet.com.au via Keith on Pinterest

Have you thanked anyone in your life for giving you a lollipop moment?

What is your lollipop moment? Who is your everyday leader?

Wear. And. Fare. Wednesday.

Aaah yes! Clearly I'm back in the swing of things! Imagine that...a Wednesday post on Wednesday!! 

I have a lovely little dish for you guys today and a cute little new outfit I put together! Enjoy!

WEAR

I had all of these pieces for this outfit, minus the shirt which I just picked up on my first day of vacation. It caught my eye when I was also in search for some biking shorts for a yoga class.  Love this top!

Hey look! I grew wings! 

Top: Target

Jacket: Heartbreakers

Jeans: Old Navy - (Sweethearts mid-rise)

Boots: Steve Madden

Locket: Gift from mommy!

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During vacation, I can't promise that I was the best model of clean eating. I gave myself room to slack off during vacation but now I'm back on track. During my fantastic time out with my friend, Sarah, we went to brunch in the morning. We stopped at this restaurant that neither of us had been to and I ordered an egg scramble breakfast. Oh my gosh, was it good! It had potatoes and peppers and it just had this nice little kick to it. I was hooked! After that day, I was still craving it again! I decided to try and make my own clean version of this so I can enjoy it time and time again.  

How I did it!

I took one clove of garlic and minced it finely. Then, I chopped up onions and red peppers. I began to saute these all in a pan with some olive oil. Meanwhile, in the microwave I cooked at sweet potato. When it was finished, I diced it up into square pieces (skins on). I then added the chunks of potato into the pan with the vegetables. I added several spices to give this a kick - 1/2 tsp turmeric, 1/4 cumin, 1/2 tsp paprika and chili powder to taste. I thought I put maybe too much chili powder in but when I ate it, I thought it could use more, it didn't have the kick that I expected but it was still SOOOO good! I sauteed the veggies, spices and potatoes together till the potatoes had a bit of a crunch. I took out the vegetables then in the same pan cooked 3 egg whites with one whole egg. I also think in the future I will try just scrambling the egg into the mixture. I still have some experimentation to do with this but it still was just what the doctor ordered! Hope you all enjoy it too!

Have a happy Wednesday!

Mission. Vacation. Accomplished.

I'm back everyone - a full week of vacation and no work! So great! I had a wonderful time during my staycation and I am feeling more charged and ready to take on life again! I met with the wonderful Mary during my staycation and we talked about how sometimes when you've been SO busy, the simplest of tasks seems SO difficult! Even just sending an email! We both agreed that it was great that we aren't the ONLY ones who get burnt out and feel that way. I thought I would update you all on how my wonderful staycation went! Here's the recap:

The first day of my break I had a wonderful time celebrating with family! We celebrated my grandfather's 92nd birthday with a small party and then we had a surprise baby shower for my cousin! Super fun and I was so happy to be able to catch up with my family!

Me and Gramps!

The following day I spoiled myself to death!

In the AM I went to a Bikram yoga class! It was so cool! I have a few more classes left that I am for sure going to hit up! It's the 105 degree heated room yoga and you sweat like crazy - but it feels so good! I was so tired after though that I slept like a baby for 2 hours!

Next I hit up the local nail shop for a pedicure! The tootsies felt so good!

                                   Before                                                         After

The following day I pampered myself even more! A spa day! So worth it! I didn't even have to pay for it as I used my credit card points to purchase a certificate! Yea!

In my lovely spa getup! 

Now that I was pampered it was time to get down and dirty! Yes, my inner-adventurer was broken out again (with some encouragement from friends) and I was taken on an urban exploring adventure. 

Sometimes I'm a rebel and I do rebellious things (whispers: I could have gotten caught!!) ;)

At top of building.

One of my fave pics I took.

To top the night off, nothing could have been better than a night out with my friend since 3rd grade, Sarah! (Note: About this time, Sarah also left me stranded on the playground with a broken ankle. Just sayin', Sarah!) 

We also rented a hotel room for a change of scenery. We got out and about and also played in the snow!

Testing the bed.

Sarah and I.

We also visited Foshay Tower in Minneapolis!

At the top of the Foshay!

The next couple of days were filled with fun stuff! Rock climbing, coffee dates with friends I've been meaning to catch up with and just chilling out. I got out to dinner with my family and Saturday I caught up with a new friend for brunch and a fun local event!

Finally, Sunday I sat down and picked up a book I've been trying to read for over a year! Yes - I said over a year! I started reading and got so into it I couldn't put it down! It was so great to feel sucked in again and relaxed enough to just to sit down and read! I finished it too! Soon I'll trade it in for some credit at the local bookstore! Yea!

Finally, I finished off my vacation with a great dodgeball game night were we took all 3 games!

THEN?!

A no brainer! A DAMY Health Quinoa Brownie with  Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Frosting. YUM!

Check out the blog for the recipe!

I'm sure there was much more that I didn't talk about here, but overall, I just wanted to say I had a great rest and I'm ready to get back at things with my full effort! 

Woohoo!

Wrenching. Time.

On my new goal board this year, (which I have yet to post up here), one of the things that I wanted to push myself to learn was more bike mechanics. It will be useful during tours in case something happens that I know more about the actual bike and how to fix it. I already knew, of course, how to change a tire and some basic things, but I think this will be a nice added boost.

I've been spending some time at Recovery Bike Shop (who also supplies me all of my equipment - check them out - they are in Northeast) and doing some volunteer wrenching. I mainly just watch the bike mechanics and learn from them but sometimes I get to help and change tires, etc. I've really been enjoying it because I get to learn and practice. I've missed the last couple weekends but I hope this weekend I can get back and put in some more time.

Me with bike tire I changed. 

This is Joram, on of the bike mechanics. We pretty much just spend our time picking on him all day. :)

A bike being built.

This is Janneke. She lets me help out and really shows me the ropes!

On this front, I know that I've mentioned that I have vacation coming up next week. However, after vacation I'm going to get into high gear with my business-related stuff. I am using this week to recharge my batteries, have a little enjoyment and then I will be back in business! I can't wait for this vacation! Today is my last work day for a week! Woo hoo!

I'll be off on vacation now and I hope to bring a big update on everything I did! :)

Blogger. Burnout.

I told you all I would be making a new post about my blog. I know that I haven't been posting a lot lately, but to be honest, I'm just burnt out! I'm not burnt out on accomplishing my goals and working on the things that I would like to achieve, however I am burnt out on blogging about it.

I was thinking the other day about how over this past year, I haven't really had any vacations. I had one small vacation to visit my sister and her family. During that time of vacation, I was also spent a lot of time working on my business. Thus, leaving me with the feeling that I haven't actually had a REAL vacation and taken any time for myself.

While I'm not very into comparing myself with others - that really gets you nowhere, generally I'd like to think I'm only in competition with myself - I have made notice of many of my awesomely accomplished friends and that they have at least taken a couple, if not a few, vacations to recharge. I have most definitely lacked that this year.

I recently had this conversation with my friend, Pierre, who was back visiting from Germany where he is currently living, but is originally from France. We were talking about vacations and I was discussing my present lack of the financial ability to go on a vacation because much of my money is spent on bills (for my business and schooling). I was talking about how I banked 13 hours of vacation and carried over 2 weeks of vacation into this year. Pierre expressed that he didn't understand why Americans didn't take vacation. I stated that I just didn't have the money to go anywhere, so I figured why take it off? Pierre said that even if you go nowhere, you have that time, why not take it off? I admit, Pierre has a point. Now with the feeling of being completely burnt out, I'm taking your advice, Pierre...I'm taking some time off! Not only am I going to take some time off, but I'm going to try and do the things that I've been wanting to do here but just can't seem to find the time. I also have one goal for this vacation: no work! That's right, none! Just pure enjoyment and relaxation. My very own STAYcation!

I recently ran into THIS blog online. It really resonated with me and I'm really happy that I've made the choices in life that I have and am pursuing my passions. I am happy that I AM living a life that is true to myself. However as I scroll down these items, one item stands out to me, "I wish I hadn't worked so hard." I don't think that this statement COMPLETELY applies to me because yes, I do work hard...but I'm happy about my work because it fulfills me and it's working on my passions, not just a job that I am complacent at. However, it is a reminder that I sometimes need to slow down and just take a breather and enjoy life.

The reason that I write this is that I wanted to firstly, apologize that I haven't been more diligent in blogging. I really enjoy blogging and it keeps me on track and I hope that you all enjoy it as well! I also wanted to explain my lack of recent blogging and let you all know that I'm STILL working diligently on my goals, I just need a mini-break from writing about them. I hope, however, after my vacation the week of the 20th, I can come back fully renewed and refreshed and I'll be back to my old diligently blogging self!

Who else has had burn out? 

How did you recharge?

Wear. And. Fare. DAY!

Since I haven't been able to get my Wednesday posts up regularly, I can't really call this Wear and Fare Wednesday anymore. It's official. Until I can get back to a regular schedule, it's just Wear and Fare Day!

WEAR

Today for work I tried to put together somethig a little bit different. I know you all have seen this skirt before. I love it. I put it together with an all gray base (gray tights and long sleeved tee) and then added a pop of color on top. Put this together quick. I think I did a great job for no planning and it being a quick morning decision!

Long-sleeved tee: Old Navy

Sweater: Express

Skirt: Buffalo Exchange

Boots: Steve Madden

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Another great treat from DAMY Health! It seems lately this is where all of my new ones are coming from! Probably because DAMY keeps posting fantastic recipes all week! Here are some new treats by DAMY Health. These are the "Clean Peanut Butter Eatmore Bars". Go to this link HERE and click on the blog. This is where you will find the recipe for these bars. They are SO good! I have a box in my freezer right now. A great treat for the week!

Hope you all have had an excellent week thus far!
Look for an important post from me this week! I'll be updating you guys on a little bit about my life! :)



Lessons. From. "The. Art. Of. Manliness."

I just ran across this article from the blog, "The Art of Manliness." Although this is directed towards men, I love this blog. The posts are really interesting and I learn so much too! This post today really struck a chord with me! Reminds me so much of my journey! For such a long time, I couldn't figure out why when I was doing what I "SHOULD" do, go to school, get a degree, find a job - just wasn't making me happy! I felt like I had tried the traditional route and it wasn't working for me. In the back of my mind, I had always wanted to pursue my biking business! I'm so grateful I stopped "shoulding" and started choosing! I've chose to follow my passion. I hope you all do too!

I hope you all check out this article...

HERE!

Better. Late. Than. Never

As you may have noticed, my regular Wednesday post didn't come through. I'm running a bit behind. I did, however, make myself a new outfit and a new goodie this week! Scroll down to see! :)

WEAR

This is a nice new skirt that I got from Everyday People, a thrift store in Uptown. I LOVE this skirt! It is originally from H&M and it's perfect for my body shape! A nice full skirt with polka dots! I love it! I also like that I could wear this one in the winter or the summer! Score!

Skirt: Everyday People by H&M
Shirt: Target
Jacket: SES (A clothing store in Australia)
Shoes: ALDO
Locket: Gift from mommy! :)

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DAMY Health Protein Cookies!
If you follow me on my Facebook page, you may have noticed a little post about these. These cookies are probably one of the best creations I've ever had in my life!!! SO yummy and SO healthy! You can't go wrong! It's now turned into one of my favorites from DAMY Health. You should try this recipe and then if you're impressed, you should join DAMY Health, get some new healthy eating habits and enjoy many more recipes just like this! I made these chocolate chip style the first time, as indicated in her link. Find this recipe HERE! Click on the "BLOG" Section and then type in "Protein Cookies."

I did however, make a fun modification the second time. Clean eating oatmeal raisin cookies!
Here were my adjustments: Instead of 19oz of garbanzo beans, I used a can of 15 oz. I then added 1/4 of gluten free oats. I added a lot more cinnamon and a small sprinkling of nutmeg. Before making the batter into the cookie shapes, mix in the raisins. Not too much. I figured about 6 per cookie or so. If you just put them on top, they will burn or get crunchy. Also, in both the chocolate chip and oatmeal raisin cookes, I used only 1/4 of agave. I don't like to use Stevia personally. Enjoy! These things are GREAT!

Behind. The. Scenes.

I haven't been blogging much lately because I have been doing quite a bit of stuff,  however it's mainly been work pertaining to my business.  I have accomplished some things for this upcoming season that I am excited about. Firstly, I have found a storefront space with a biking business in Uptown! Yea! I think it will be great to have a meeting location and a place to store some things so that I don't have to carry everything with me! It will be a magnificent AND needed change!

My next order of business that I am hoping to start this week is to start doing volunteer work at the bike shop I work with Recovery Bike Shop. It's a great shop, with great people running it and I can't wait to get some more hands on work done and learn some more about wrenching! :) It will be great skills to learn and that will also be beneficial for my business.

I have also been doing a lot of work these past couple of weeks on accounting. I had a major accounting fail. When I began my business, I took some free Quickbooks classes to learn the ways of accounting and bookkeeping. Every time that I was in a class, I would think I understood but then would return home and end up just staring blankly at the screen. I am more of a hands-on learner, so I really needed to be DOING it while learning. That's where this great organization called Fiscal Foundations came into play. They also do the free Quickbooks seminars, but I paid for some consulting with them so that I could learn the ways of Quickbooks. It was a bit of an investment but one that was worthwhile as I will carry these skills with me throughout the duration of my business. I am finally getting all caught up on entering my business expenses and I hope that I will be able to meet with them once more to get my tax information in order and then I will be sending into my accountant! Yea! I am really not good at the accounting stuff but I am working hard so that I can learn it and keep up with it!

I did do one really great thing the other day, that I wanted to blog about. I met with the Minneapolis Bicycle Coalition to do some surveying of the Uptown area so that bike racks could be added to parking meter. Some new funds were acquired and they needed people to help count the meters in the area. It was a cold and blustery day to do it, but I was really glad that I could and did help. I can't wait till more bike parking comes to Uptown!

So, I'm going to keep on working on these things, even though not SO interesting to blog about and I hope I see some great results for my business in the spring! Can't wait!

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!