Green Super Smoothie

(source)

Although I am traditionally not the kind of girl that likes to eat the same meals day in and day out, I’ve really been on a smoothie kick lately for breakfast.  Green smoothies are nothing new to the blogosphere, but I thought it would be fun to share my favorite mix:

Green Super Smoothie:

• 1 cup cold water
• 2 BIG handfuls of spinach
• 1 scoop Perfect Fit Protein
• 1 scoop Green Vibrance
• 1 TB chia seeds
• 1 banana
• 1 TB almond butter
• ice

I like to blend the spinach and water together first, and then add all the other ingredients and blend again.  I think it mixes better that way.  I really like the ingredients in both the Perfect Fit Protein and the Green Vibrance powder, but neither of them are that palatable on their own…this smoothie masks the taste and keeps me full all morning!

Let me know if you try this recipe!

13 in ’13: Photography at Longwood Gardens

Hi guys!  It’s been a while since I last updated you on my quest to complete 13 things in 2013 along with my friends.  Since then, we not only finished our winemaking adventure (I have 7 beautiful bottles of Pinot Grigio to show for it!), but we also had a great time learning about macro photography at Longwood Gardens.

Longwood Gardens is located in Kennett Square, PA, and is known as one of the greatest gardens in the world.  They have different exhibitions throughout the year (including a beautiful holiday display that I’d love to see this year), and the weekend we visited was right in the middle of their “Orchid Extravaganza.”  Orchids are some of my favorite flowers, so I was so excited to go there with my friends!

My friend Joanne is an amazing photographer, and she not only was patient enough to teach us how to use our cameras, but she also brought along some really nice lenses for us to try.  I am definitely not a natural when it comes to photography, but I thought I would share a few of my favorite shots from the day:

It was such a fun day with the girls, and being surrounded by all of those gorgeous flowers made me forget about the dismal PA weather for a little while 🙂

Stay tuned for a post on our next adventure:  a wine + painting class!  (are you sensing a theme here with the wine??)

Back to Center: Health & Fitness Updates

Hey friends!  Oh boy, how time does fly…

I’ve really missed blogging – the problem is, the more I put it off, the less I feel I have to blog about.  That being said, I gotta start somewhere with a new post, because I miss y’all, and I miss my little blog.  So here goes – my health and fitness update (with a little bit of spirit thrown in there for good measure).

I’ll start by saying that 2013 is turning into a year of self-realization for me – and we’re only 3 months into it 🙂

I’m not sure exactly when the turning point happened, but earlier this year, I realized that I haven’t really been living up to being my authentic self.  I’ve been reeeally good at acting like the girl that I imagine people think I should be.  I want to go further into this thought in another post, but for now, I’ll just say this:  I’m coming to realize that I don’t need to be anyone other than ME.  And I don’t need to do things just because I feel like others expect me to do them.  In fact, those perceived expectations are all just in my own head.

So, I’m making conscious choices to spend my time doing things that I truly enjoy and that nurture the real me; not because they are a chore, or a challenge, or because there’s some kind of prize waiting for me at the finish line.  This applies to my health and fitness choices too, as you can imagine.

That’s why I quit the gym.

What, what!?!  Well, technically I froze my membership.  And here’s why:

1. I love, love, love getting fresh air, walking my dog, and being outside (and dammit, it may be freezing outside here in PA, but spring will be here soon, I have faith!).  I want to start running and walking outside more as the weather gets nicer.
2. I’m trying to get myself back on track with my budget (that’s a whole ‘nother post) and I want to save a few bucks.
3. I really haven’t been inspired to hit the iron like I used to.  It just doesn’t seem like where my heart is right now.

Instead of the gym, I’ve been getting up really early in the morning and doing a short session of yoga before the sun comes up.  It feels glorious.

And, get this:  I’ve been meditating.  This is probably the most centering, enlightening thing to have happened in my life in years.  It’s amazing, seriously:  15 to 20 minutes a day of sitting in silence and quieting my mind has helped me to feel calm, centered, and confident for the rest of the day. The daily routine of meditation is allowing me to gain the clarity and focus that I’ve been craving.  It makes my spirit happy 🙂

*Note:  If you are interested in starting a meditation practice of your own, I highly suggest that you jump on the tail end of the free 21-Day Meditation Challenge for Perfect Health, hosted by Deepak Chopra and Oprah.  Amazing.  Trust me 🙂

Also on the fitness front, I’m excited to start TurboFire soon – I ordered the set a while back and am anxiously awaiting to get it in the mail!  I think it’s going to be a great way to get my booty moving and to lean out in time for summer.  The reviewers of TurboFire all say it is so fun  and I can believe it – Chalene Johnson is such a ball of energy!

*Another note:  Chalene wrote an amazing book called Push: 30 Days to Turbocharged Habits, a Bangin’ Body, and the Life You Deserve.  I love this book!  In fact, it was the inspiration for this blog!  It’s written with a health focus, but Chalene so clearly outlines how to set and achieve goals that I recommend it for anyone looking to achieve a sharper focus in that area.

And the final thing, that’s not so related to fitness but is related to health, is that I’m planning to go off the pill.  NO, WE ARE NOT TRYING TO GET PREGNANT!  However, I am ready to stop taking synthetic hormones, which have been in my system for the better part of half of my life.  Crazy, huh?  Again, this experience will probably deserve its own post or two, so if you’re interested in my journey as I get back to living as the authentic “me,” sans fake hormones, let me know 🙂

*Final note:  I’ve been reading a book called Taking Charge of Your Fertility, which is full of information and support for women wanting to take a natural approach to birth control (or getting pregnant).  

So…that’s where I am.  I guess I had a lot more to chat about than I thought I did 😉

To anyone who may still be reading this little blog, please let me know:  Have you ever entered a period of your life where you had a shift in perspective?  Where you realized you were neglecting your authentic self?  How did you get back to center?

xoxo (missed you)