Thursday, April 26, 2012

Plant and Harvest

It's true time goes fast.  Everyone feels that in some capacity or another.   For me, the best remedy for the quickness of time's passing is to be constantly planting...that way you are also harvesting.  In other words, I am not nostalgic for my 20's and have absolutely no issue with being a 31 year old and I think much of that contentment can be attributed towards using those years wisely and investing in us and our future. 

I didn't do those years perfectly, and I'm sure I'm not doing these ones just right either, but I do have something to show for them and that is critical.  Whether that investment was time spent working towards a more satisfying career path, or the investment was saving money to give yourself more options, or traveling the world and exposing yourself to places you may never have had the opportunity to see....  You've fulfilled the goal.  Your years have not been in vein.  There's something, whether tangible or inherent, to show for them. 

Some days I get incredibly frustrated and I feel too stagnant, but I'm not. Chances are you're not either. Planting can be slow.  It can be tedious.   It will test your patience and that's something hard to battle with day in and day out.  But it is worth it.  and we're doing it.  In some form or another, we have more options, we have more experience, we have more understanding....  But it's up to us. The years go fast and time doesn't wait until you're ready.    

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Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Freya Prints

I love this British artists sweet poems and prints.  We have the first one hanging in our bedroom and I just think her words are romantic, heartfelt and lovely.



(all images via her etsy site)

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Blockbuster!

Did you know 1) it still exists?  2) if you are feeling nostalgic it's a great place to go!   My husband has been going on and on about wanting to see an older movie.  We constantly searched for it On Demand, with no luck, and really didn't want to renew our Netflix just for one movie.  ....which brought me to Blockbuster.  Oddly enough, we still have one in our neighborhood.  Must be one of the few left!   Anyways, sure enough they had my movie - it was $0.99 (all movies over 1 year old are $0.99!) - and that was that.

It was actually kind of fun to search all of the DVD boxes and remember some names you hadn't thought of in years but are worth revisiting, especially for $1!   I know its days are numbered and one day we'll tell our kids we used to go to a "video store" and they had shelves and shelves of movies and they'll find it hard to grasp, but for now it was sort of fun to be back.

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Tuesday, April 17, 2012

26.2 - The Boston Marathon!

Yesterday we had the pleasure of cheering on two friends running the Boston Marathon.  It was a stifling and summer-like day in Boston, with temps in the high 80's, but the runners were unbelievable and our friends finished strong! 

Watching the runners suffer through the blazing heat and beating sun, dedicated to their goal of finishing the 26.2 miles, was inspiring to say the least.  There's no stopping what any of us can do with the right dedication and determination.   We are more capable than we can ever fathom....

Congrats Runners!
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Friday, April 13, 2012

ME Madrid

My favorite hotel, in my favorite city.   The ME Madrid.  Gorgeous architecture, curved windows and an unbeatable location.   Located in the heart of Madrid, Plaza Santa Ana, just minutes to the Latin Quarter, the markets, museums, and the rest of the fabulousness of Madrid.   It hasn't even been a year since I was there but I dream of the day I'm back....


 (images via the hotel website)

Thursday, April 12, 2012

Emotion and motion

Tony Robbins says the first way to change your emotions is through motion.  I agree.  I had been feeling a bit sluggish.  A bit ungrateful, stuck.  It's easy to come up with excuses why you can't exercise --- too busy, too tired but last night I forced myself to attend a Group Class that I take and it was exactly what I needed.  Breaking a sweat is good for the soul.  It shakes up those cobwebs that are telling you no, no, no and driving you down, down, down....

Sweat everyday.  It's not coincidence that levels of happiness are directly correlated to level of physical exercise.

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Wednesday, April 11, 2012

Ashley Judd Op Ed

You may have seen the Op Ed in which Ashley Judd defends her "puffy face" and criticizes the media for their incessant emphasis on the looks of women.  You can read the Ashely Judd's piece on the Daily Beast.

I do think she makes some points worth talking about - how much value do we as a culture put on attractiveness, weight, and sexual desirability?   I would be naive to think that I, as a woman, am not judged on my physical appearance.  That said, I make conscious choices every day to forgo that bowl of ice cream after dinner or drag myself to a grueling workout when I'd rather stay in bed on Saturday morning.  I make those choices, not only for my health, but also because the image I convey to people is important.  And whether it is fair or not, is almost a moot point, we are judged on our superficial physical appearance.

Where I think Ms. Judd misses the mark is by not acknowledging that her physical looks opened doors for her and gave her opportunities that she otherwise would not have had. It seems hypocritical to criticize the very hand that fed you. 

That said, I do appreciate her Op Ed piece and willingness to express herself.  It is fueling an important discussion on body image, women to women criticism, and the role of women in American society.  While I recognize the importance that my physical impression has on people, I have not used my physical appearance to accelerate my life nor do I depend on people's assessment of my looks to measure my self worth.   I measure my own worth and live up to standards that I create for myself.  I know my own limits as well as capabilities. I know when I am trying my hardest, giving my best, and replacing fear, envy, and criticism with love.  I work to do that more and the alternative less.   I respect my body for the vessel that it is and the life it allows me to live and I honor it by taking care of it the best way that I can.   

Thoughts?
(image via newsweek)

Monday, April 9, 2012

Quiet

I will be the first to admit, I seriously underestimated the work of a daily blogger.  Some days your mind is just quiet ---- coming up with interesting and relevant content day after day is not easy and many of these women have been doing it for years.   Impressive!   So to my favorite bloggers -

http://www.sweetfineday.com/
http://www.simplelovelyblog.com/
http://www.stephmodo.com/
http://www.thelittlestblog.com/

Thanks for always being there to greet me on workday mornings.  I can appreciate just what work it is!
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Thursday, April 5, 2012

Parmesan Frico Cups

I saw this fun idea watching an episode of Giada on Food Network.  She baked 1/4 cup of freshly grated Parmesan for 8-10 minutes at 375 degrees.  While warm, she put the mounds of golden cheese into cupcake tins and used a drinking glass to press them down to form a dish shape.  Let cool about 5 minutes.

Use the cups to serve a springtime spinach salad for Easter Brunch.

(image)

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Strategy, Story, State

I was lucky enough to attend Oprah's Lifeclass on Monday night featuring Tony Robbins.  It was a really special experience and completely lived up to my expectations.   Tony Robbins was incredible.  His presence, energy, stamina....but most importantly, his message is right on. 

Tony's goal is to awaken each one of us to our greatest potential.  I am the first to admit I do not live up to mine.  Whether that's out of fear, laziness, or desire to stay in a comfortable place --- I would never deny that I am not living to my fullest potential.   Without guilt or shame, I can say that and also say that I'm committed to giving a little more.  To pumping up my own volume....

Tony's advice on how to do so is as follows:
1. Strategy - you need a strategy for whatever your goal may be.  Often times the strategy is the easiest part of the puzzle.  People don't fail in weight loss because they don't know how to lose weight.  Most of us know what needs to be done, or at least how to get started, so that we can achieve whatever goals we have...

2. Story - similar to the message last week, the story has.to.stop.   We need to stop the voice in our head that says we can't.  We need to stop the replaying message that pigeon holes what we can/cannot do. Until you "divorce that story" you simply cannot achieve what you want to...
"When you don't cover up the world with words and labels, a sense of the miraculous returns to your life" - Eckert Tolle.




3. State - Last but not least, to achieve your goals you need to change your state - state of mind which is undoubtedly linked to physical state of being.  Tony reminded us that almost every accomplished athlete, musician, comedian... has a way of mentally preparing himself for a big event.  They have a way of putting themselves into an optimal state.  We all need to learn how to create that internal state so that we are mentally and physically able to give our best. 




Being part of the live Oprah experience was definitely a dream of mine.....and wishes come true.