Today we went to Dave Moore Trail in Lotus, California. A beautiful nature walk led us to the river. It's so nice to get outside and be fully submersed in nature. 10/10 would recommend.
Take Her Down to the River . . .
Desk and Stool post.
Hi there.
Robbin and I have been looking for a desk for a while now, and we found a gorgeous mahoganny one at a local consignment store (pictures to come soon!), along with an adorable floral-vintage stool. We saw them over a month ago, and luckily they were still there when we went back to look at them this past weekend. After some bargaining with the sale’s lady, we talked the price of the desk down to $160.00, and the stool down to $65.00. It ended up being a total of $45 off- I was so excited. I think we got a great deal, and am really in love with the pair together.
After we brought these two home, I saw this gold-rimmed mirror at the Salvation Army Furniture Store, and I think it would be a great addition above the desk. The paint is a bit worn off, so I am going to look into painting it after we move. We are moving to another apartment in our complex that has a nice big patio to paint on. I can’t wait!
Yoga- for Flexibility AND Strength; Part 1.
I just started a “9-to-5” job, which isn’t too bad...except that I’m left physically
aching after a full days work! My shoulders ache, my neck mucles are sore, and I struggle to wind down at the end of the day.
What I usually turn to for pain relief includes a heating pad (I like to call them “bed buddies”), different yoga poses, and ever-so-sweetly asking my boyfriend to rub my back. These things tend to provide some temporary relief, yet- I’m frustrated that I’m relying on ways to stop hurting every night. If only I could prevent myself from being sore in the first place, I wouldn’t have to do these things...
Enter personal revelation here!!!*
Among a few other things, I rely on yoga poses throughout the day to aid my muscles in feeling better. But what if I’m neglecting that OTHER important, often-neglected-by-me-facet of practicing yoga; doing yoga for strength? Hmmmm... So I began to wonder:
“If I do yoga for flexibility AND strength, can I get through a long days’ work and at the end of it be happy and pain-free?”
Following this thought from earlier today, I got inspired to add new challenging poses to my yoga practice. In tonight’s flow, I incorporated long and powerful leg lifts, an invigorating warrior series, and a few extra chair-poses for good measure (who doesn’t love a good burn?). When all was said and done, I felt energized, strong, and encouraged to make this integrated practice more of a regular thing.
I have a feeling, that soon, I will strongly and confidently make it through the entire day; not just my 9-to-5
*Technically, my boyfriend suggested this. But it makes sense... and at one point, I swear I had made this realization myself (;
The Power in Positivity
Positivity is a decision that is made, despite the circumstance, to see the good in that situation.
I used to think positivity was genetically determined; there is a positivity gene, and I was certainly not born with it. But as of today, my view on that has changed. Because something magical happened when I chose to see situations differently. Instead of being frustrated, I became grateful. Instead of feeling stuck, I felt inspired. And then I noticed: Although it was a conscious effort to think of the different situations in my life, both big and small, in another way; for the first time in a long time, I felt free. I felt empowered. I felt motivated. From changing my view on how I felt about my lower back pain, to changing how I felt about my tendency to procrastinate in school- each decision to think differently caused amazing things to happen to my outlook on life. I no longer felt burdened by what used to seem like obstacles. And as someone who tends to worry a lot, I felt my anxiety drop and fear disappear.
We have all heard it before: "Stop thinking negatively." "See the good in every situation." "Stay positive." But I have doubted the practicality of these sayings. I thought being positive meant painting a smile on my face and pretending to like everything and everyone around me. I thought it meant being fake. But today, after forcing myself just once to switch my thinking from negative to positive, I became overwhelmed with the power in positivity. I set the positive-thinking wheels in motion, and boy... am I glad I did. For a person not "born with it," I sure feel like a positive person (;
Earlier, I read this quote on the internet, and think it might be relevant.
(+1 for Tumblr.)
So my advice to you? Decide right now that you are going to see things differently. Embrace who you are, and find happiness in everyday, starting now.
Right, now.
Also I saw this. I think it's pretty (:
(:
Beginning Again.
I don't really have a goal with my blogging. I started blogging in 2012, but stopped for a little over a year. That's because I was waiting. I was waiting for my life to become perfect, because I thought if it were perfect, then it would be interesting enough to share with you. I was waiting for my self to become perfect, so that I would be worthy for extra attention. BUT, thankfully, on the imperfect day that is today, I have decided to let go of all that crap, because imperfection really is beautiful. Hooray for today!! I'm nervous and feel awkward about sharing my thoughts and experiences with you- I'm pretty critical of my writing, but I'm also excited and really looking forward to this. I'll try to turn down the self-criticism a notch so I can turn out posts.
Can I be honest with you? If yes, please keep reading.
Can I be honest with you? If yes, please keep reading.
Go Slow Kale Stir-Fry
At first I was annoyed by this characteristic too, my friend. But I still wanted to eat it, because I knew it was good for my body (as it aids in detox, has loads of Vitamin A, C, and K, and one serving at just 36 calories contains 20% of the RDA of dietary fiber), yet I felt like I straight up did not have enough time to sit down and eat it. I tried an alternate route, and tossed some kale in a blender with other fruits, veggies, and almond milk. The drink took care of my chewing dilemma, but for some reason it only appeased my hunger temporarily, and I was not satisfied from just one smoothie. Drinking my food left me feeling disconnected from my meal, and I yearned for something more. “So, what,” you’re thinking, “First you complain about the chewing, but you’re not happy with drinking kale, either? What’s the deal!”
Well since then I’ve changed my thinking about kale. I was recently eating my Kale Stir-Fry, and realized something. As I was enjoying my bowl of veggies, I thought, “Wow, this is nice.” How often do we take the time to A. Sit down and eat at a table, or B. Think about the food we are eating, and nothing else? Eating kale forced me to sit down, pick up my fork, and mindfully chew my food. There is something about the chewing of steamed, cooked, and especially raw food that is so satisfying and grounding, that I’ve actually come to appreciate kale’s texture. It reminds me that I should be taking this time to nurture my body, because I totally deserve it.
So, in tribute to this realization, I am sharing my newly named Go Slow Kale Stir-fry recipe with you. Because you, my friend, deserve it.
Go Slow Kale Stir-Fry
Serves 2
1 bunch, or about 6-7 leaves kale
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
2 cloves crushed garlic
1.5 teaspoons paprika
1/2 cup slice red onion
1/4 cups leeks (or more onion of any kind)
5 sliced buttons mushrooms
3/4 cup snap peas
2 tablespoons soy sauce, to taste
1 teaspoon peanut butter
splash soy creamer
salt & pepper to taste
Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chopped garlic, both onions, and paprika to the oil. Cook and occasionally stir, about 5 minutes or until the red onions are nearly transparent. Add the sliced mushroom, and cook another 5 minutes, or until the mushrooms are cooked to your liking. Add the kale, soy sauce, and 1-2 tablespoons water. When the kale begins to darken after a few minutes, add the snap peas (we want these to stay crunchy!) If the mixture looks too dry, add another tablespoons of water. When the veggies look done, yet still bright and colorful (3-4 more minutes) add the peanut butter and soy creamer and let the sauce thicken for a minute. When most of the water has evaporated and the vegetables look coated, add some salt and pepper and you’re done!
Cook time: roughly 20 minutes
- Nom. Nom.
- Couldn't wait to slow down and eat this (:
Be Grateful overnight oats
Message for the day:
Often I forget this simple life message. If someone interrupts my day to day routine- from a friend that drops by unexpectedly to a phone call from my mom- I get annoyed and feel as if they are inconveniencing me in some major way. I occasionally, and embarrassingly, mimic a steamroller, and squash other people's emotions because I am too obsessed and concerned with what it is that I am doing at that particular time. When I remind myself that others, like myself, need to be loved, appreciated, and given the time of day, it reminds me to slow-my-roll and of the joy having friends and family brings to my life.
As I am feeling grateful for my parents, friends, and family, I want to share a recipe that I adapted from Oh She Glows. This is one kick ass recipe. I never thought to make oats in this fashion. Preparing them the night before saves time in the morning, and also requires no cooking! Yay! Below is the recipe that I have adapted (I left out the salt, and changed from almond milk to hemp milk).
Be Grateful Overnight Oats
Ingredients:
about 1/3 cup oats (I used rolled)
1 cup hemp milk
about 1 tablespoon carob powder
a couple tablespoons walnuts (optional!)
1 ripe banana
2 tablespoons chia seeds
a little vanilla
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon (optional!)
Mix all the dry ingredients in a bowl. This includes the oats, carob powder, chia seeds, and walnuts (if using).
Now, add all the other ingredients! Don't forget to either chop up or mash the banana in. I chopped mine, but I have mashed it before. Here is a picture of it right before I mixed in the banana:
Put your tupperware in the fridge, and wait anywhere from one hour to overnight. And might I remind you... you can wake-up and eat these: no assembly required! (:
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