"The scales always find a way to level out..."

As always, my theory of balance is on point. Discord is an essential part of life. As some things have fallen into place for me, other things have changed in a way that keep everything from being perfect. But that's what life is all about - learning to adapt and accepting the good and the bad for what it's worth. Given the highs and the lows, I can honestly say I feel very content.

The Good:

As I mentioned in my last post, which feels like forever ago, I started a new job and I am really liking it. The cherry on top is for the first time in almost three years, I am not on-call for crisis response 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. The feeling is liberating. I no longer panic when my phone rings! My commute is also next-to-nothing now. It's a little odd to work in your hometown and run into people that know me or my family at every school I visit...so Rhode Island.

Tuesday night I went for 1/2 price dinner at India. If you've been there, no explanation is needed for why this is ultra good. I can't help ordering the mixed grill vegetable platter with seasoned sweet potatoes and kale cucumber papaya salad. I also can't help inhaling my meal before snapping a picture to share it in all its wonder. Sorry, not sorry.

The Bad:

My debit card info was stolen, along with over $4000. I am still without a new card, cash, or reimbursement until the charges clear from my account. Karma will do its thing, though. 

I strained a muscle and have been out of yoga for a few weeks. It totally threw me out of my element. I also missed partner yoga and will have to wait until June for fun group poses. 

I caught some terrible cold or something within the past 24 hours. I woke up in the middle of the night feeling like I had been hit by a bus. Despite being awake since 7am, I was completely unable to get out of my bed until 11:15am. So unlike me. Luckily, I'm feeling a little better after several Motrins, lots of water, and choking down a protein shake and some mild-flavored carby foods to settle my stomach. A little dose of Ron Swanson later should further ease my suffering.

Why is he so hilarious?

The Weird:

This picture succeeds in both making me giggle and instilling a feeling of discomfort that I can't shake every time I look at it.

Is it weird that I actually really want this sweatshirt? Perhaps.

A pile of snakes that I nearly stepped on whilst walking down Hope Street on Tuesday. There were actually three more snakes that slithered away from the pile before I could snap a picture. Maddddd creepy. April Fools?

A quick and somewhat vague update

I've fallen off the blogging bandwagon. My bad. Between work, covering trivia nights, yoga, and some new projects (more on that to come soon, I promise!), sitting down and typing away at my computer just hasn't appealed to me. In the midst of the chaos, I've been making more time for friends and fun activities to keep me extra happy and motivated, feelings which have become the norm for me lately. It finally feels like things are falling into place. No, it's not perfect, but life would be boring if it were.

A few high points of the last week or so:

• Jared Leto's performance in Dallas Buyer's Club. My past encounters with Jared Leto left me with a bad taste in my mouth, albeit some funny stories, but he really earned my respect back with this role. Kudos, Jared. Props to him for his inspiring acceptance speech at the Oscar's. Yes, he deserved that award.

Photo cred: US magazine

• The Oscars in general. Ellen was a fantastically entertaining host, and almost everyone looked flawless. Good job, Hollywood.

• This Buzzfeed article on what people looked like at the Oscars...

Poor Leo

• Finally hitting up the brunch buffet at India on Hope Street this past Sunday. I consumed at least 7 full plates of food, and finally got to try some new dishes that I never would have ordered...simply because I always, always order the same thing: Mixed Grilled Vegetable Platter. Something about that grilled pineapple and Indian spices, I can't say no. I would have taken a picture of all the deliciousness, but I was ravenous (clearly, given my aforementioned massive food consumption) after two hours of weights and yoga. Visualize, if you can, fresh-baked Spicy Chili Cilantro, Hot & Spicy Vindaloo, and Garlic naan bread, spinach and lentil soup, mango chutney, lemon cilantro chutney (my favorite!), tamarind chutney, chickpea salad, kale cucumber papaya salad, mango chicken curry, shrimp biryana, tandoori chicken, chana masala, fresh fruit with mango cream, and rice pudding. Then picture me eating it all. NOM.

• A relaxing night in with a friend, who arrived at my house toting a giant container of her dad's split pea soup. Unexpectedly delicious, and totally random.

• Big changes on the horizon, finally set in stone and put into action!

• The return of regularly scheduled TV programs. Oh, how I've missed New Girl and Nashville.

• Confirming that I am TB-free! I had to put some sort of positive spin on making a doctor's appointment and getting a shot, two things I abhor. Haha.

Again, I'm kind of running on overdrive right now. I've been entirely uncreative in the aspects of my life that don't require my immediate attention right now, but I'll be back on track at some point once I settle into a new routine.

MIMM: Looking forward to the week ahead

I don't know if it's the time of year, but I've been so busy lately. I've had to cancel plans with certain people several times because I've essentially double-booked myself. It's a welcome change for the winter since I typically hibernate at home due to my hatred/intolerance for the cold. Can you believe I'll be out almost every night this week with several inches of snow and ice on the ground from Saturday and this forecast?

Yeah, me either. Fingers crossed for no snow on Tuesday.

Tonight I'm attending a holiday party for wedding companies at the Providence Biltmore in lieu of my normal Monday routine of vinyasa and hot yoga. Free food and an excuse to dress fancy? Hell yeah. Funny how I get invited to this when I've literally assisted in DJing one wedding. My friend and I have plans to hit up Trinity Brewhouse for wings afterwards, too. Should be a fun night!

I have Tuesday off work (so I hope) and plan to squeeze in lots of yoga to make up for my lack of regular class attendance. I also find myself craving sushi something awful and am considering taking advantage of a sushi lunch special somewhere after AM yoga classes. It has been far too long since sashimi and seaweed salad have been on my agenda, or my plate.

I was scheduled to cover trivia on Wednesday night, but my godfather AKA my favorite man in my life/father figure invited me to Transiberian Orchestra. With one Providence performance each year, the stories I've heard about the show, and the opportunity to hang with Uncle Mark, I couldn't turn down the offer . Thank god my boss was understanding and found coverage.

Back to work Thursday with post-work plans for an unofficial office Christmas party at the Thirsty Beaver. Who knows what Friday holds.

Linking up to Katie's Marvelous in my Monday as per usual. I'm having trouble posting links and pictures on my iPad since I'm still learning, so bear with me! Also, this post is going up late. Oops!

Three Things Tuesday

Just popping in to share a few links that can give you a sneak peek into my inner thoughts since my Tuesdays are non-stop busy between dragging my feet to get ready for work, actually going to work, and then heading to host trivia immediately from work.

Onto some linkage!

This Huffington Post article on 5 Things Every Yogi Needs to Know is so significant to my life as of late, and totally validates my addiction...but that's just my opinion. I'm not exactly sure which is influencing which, but I've noticed a huge difference both on and off the mat in the past few months. As I'm working on being more flexible in my everyday life by letting go of stupid "eating rules"and forcing myself to be more social, I'm seeing an increase in my physical flexibility in my yoga practice. I have to say, it feels pretty amazing.

I love partner yoga. And how cute/creative is Paula? Best instructor ever!
Check out Shanti Yoga & Fitness!

Can you believe Christmas is less than a month away? IT hasn't felt the same since my Dad passed away. He LOVED Christmas, like a little kid who still believes in Santa. It just doesn't seem as special without him here. The last three years, I've wanted nothing for gifts, but this year I actually really want to buy myself an iPad mini.

All I want for Christmas...ipad mini with a keyboard attachment.

An iPad mini would make my life so much easier. I wouldn't have to retype all those notes and waste paper on printouts for reference. Plus, I could totally browse instagram when meetings are a snoozefest.

My mom suggested buying it for me, but I really can't let her. I'd rather see her put that money toward my sisters. I'll let her buy me a case or something.

And to further justify my long-standing disdain for The Little Mermaid, a hilariously accurate Buzzfeed article ranking Disney Princesses on their intelligence. Or lack thereof.

Yes, I may be bitter and blame The Little Mermaid for my Bloody Monday incident at age 4, but that's neither here nor there. She is the reason so many girls are relationship-dependent skanks today (Sorry, not sorry). Think about it: all she aspired to be was a voiceless, naked woman to impress some dude she didn't even know. I love how this list points out that she never thought to WRITE A NOTE to Eric. DUH. 

P.S. - the rest of the list is just as amusing and spot-on. I love Buzzfeed.
Until next time.

MIMM: Slacking, but for all the right reasons

Sorry for the lack of posts lately. I've basically fallen out of all typical routines this month. 2014 appears to be the year of change, which I desperately needed in more areas than one. I don't want to elaborate because a lot of things are indefinite and I don't want to jinx anything. I'm superstitious like that.

Just know that for now - anticipatory anxiety aside - things are marvelous.

I've had a few enviable adventures this last week, if I do say so myself. Thursday night I finally made it to Raffa Yoga in Cranston, RI for antigravity yoga. I wasn't sure what it would be like or if I'd be able to catch on, but it was SO much fun.

The harnesses are these giant white sheets that you wrap yourself up and they can apparently hold up to 3000lbs. We had the opportunity to try some pretty advanced poses and inversions like Vampire.

Photo credit. Obviously this isn't me.

I really loved it. The instructor actually approached me after the class and asked if I had done antigravity yoga before because I was so good at it and fearless about the inversions. Go figure. It wasn't so much of a workout to me, but it was definitely relaxing and a stress reliever. Ideally, I'd love to get to a class once a month. Well worth the $16 drop-in fee.

From new experiences to familiar settings, my friends suggested we go out to Toby Keith's I Love This Bar in Foxboro. I had gone twice with my co-workers when I was a caseworker at Key, well before I developed a taste for country music, and I had a blast back then so I had high expectations going back. I have to say, it makes a huge difference when you can sing along to the cover band. 

More marvelous tidbits include a return visit to Justine's for a late-night mid-week drink and an announcement from my yoga instructor that there will be a second hot yoga class added into the rotation in the Spring! (Screw you, Punxsutawney Phil and your stupid Groundhog inner circle for "seeing your shadow" and cursing us with 6 more weeks of winter).

Linking up to the wonderful Healthy Diva for some more positivity and marvelousness. Thanks, as always, Katie!

MIMM: Too much marvelous for one post

Life is funny in the way that it ebbs and flows. Bad things and good things alike seem to come in waves, and right now it's high tide happiness. It's been a long time coming, and I'm planning on embracing it while it's here. I won't even get into the details because everything is so feelings-based, for lack of a better description.

Marvelous is...

Finding a new and unique hidden gem. Justine's in Providence. The location is kind of hush-hush with a lingerie shop display in a sketchy neighborhood, but once you get past the curtain, it's a gorgeous intimate bar setting with amazing $5 cocktails and a great bar staff. Check out the awesome menu:

I ordered a manhattan (my recent drink of choice), but sampled my friend's Brandy Alexander, Ward 8, and Charlie Chaplin. I was happiest with my choice, but the Brandy Alexander was incredible...just too rich to drink the whole thing. And in classic fashion, I started up awkward interactions with a slew of people at the bar. I do it because I can. It makes for some interesting memories. 

Marvelous is...

Returning to yoga after almost an entire week's (unintentional) hiatus and unrolling my brand new Jade yoga mat!

Extra long teal Harmony mat ♥  

Marvelous is...

Finally achieving a yoga pose I've been working on for months. I don't know if my body just needed a rest to reset, or if it was all the positive energy emanating from my beautiful new mat. Whatever it was, I'm so excited to have finally held one-legged crow! And I know it wasn't a fluke because I've done it about five times since then. Brief holds, mind you, but holds nonetheless.

Thanks, Katie, for hosting another Marvelous in my Monday!

What I'm reading on a Wednesday

No work for me today. The office is closed, but I was (again) expected to drive to one of the group homes to work for the day or take a forced vacation day. Considering it takes 30 minutes to get to the nearest house on a normal day, I didn't feel like finding out how long it would have taken today. When precipitation falls, New Englanders forget how to operate a vehicle. Clearly, I took today off. It's not even the end of January, and I've already wasted two vacation days to snow. And I just found out they are predicting more snow for next week. Not to mention it feels like -9°F with the windchill today in RI. Come on, winter! Enough already!

Since I didn't have to get up for any particular reason today, I actually slept in until 9:15am, which is unheard of for me. I'm such an insomniac, but my body and mind apparently needed a rest. It felt awesome.

My day today has really consisted of playing Candy Crush on my iPad, an hour of shoveling, a makeshift kettlebell workout at home, and marathoning episodes of Portlandia and Best Ink. Nothing exciting, so I thought I'd share some articles that caught my attention over the last week.

How to Make Sweet Potato Caramel via Bon Appetit

Who knew that healthy, refined sugar-free caramel was awaiting me right on my countertop at almost all times? I definitely need to give this a shot. Worst case scenario, I've cooked some sweet potatoes.

4 Natural Sweeteners That Are Actually Healthy via eatlocalgrown

I sometimes engage in an internal battle about my daily use of stevia in my coffee, tea, or food. Realistically, I use at least two servings of stevia a day, some days more than that. I know it's not as bad as Splenda, but I really feel like I should try to cut it out completely. It's nice to read some positive potential side effects of stevia. I still want to cut back, but maybe there are definitely worse things I could be putting into my body. Like heroin.

10 Benefits of Yoga via yoganonymous

Just more justification for my yoga obsession. I seriously cannot say enough about how much my body and mind has changed for the better since I traded in running and kickboxing for yoga. Miracle exercise, I tell you.

A Horrifying Picture of What Sleep Loss Will Do To You via Huffington Post

Okay, this article freaks me out. I need to start getting more sleep ASAP.

A new approach on eating to gain muscle & a chipotle pumpkin chicken stew

I'm not changing out of yoga pants today, and I don't feel guilty at all about that. Sundays are made for being lazy. Plus, my weekend was entirely overstimulating and chock-full of awkward situations, far too little sleep, and new-to-me people and places. But I'm saving that for tomorrow's Marvelous in my Monday post, so you'll just have to wait for the details.

One thing that I have accomplished this week was doing a little research on putting some structure into my eating routine to gain weight and build muscle. I really struggle with knowing how much food is enough, especially when it comes to carbs. The problem is that I basically cut out most non-vegetable and non-fruit carbs for a while when I revamped my lifestyle in college. My body and tastebuds just stopped craving them. Now, after years of trying to gain back some of that weight, I finally started to become more comfortable with increasing my carb intake and have found some foods I really enjoy. The problem remains that I just don't know how much my body actually needs to repair and build muscle, so I tend to severely overeat at night when I look back on my daily intake and realize I haven't really consumed any whole grains. This usually appears in the form of me eating an entire bag's worth of chips or several bowls of cereal without even necessarily feeling hungry, but eating because I'm panicking that my body didn't get enough fuel and I'll lose the precious little muscle I have been able to build. Kind of a ridiculous notion, I know.

The point of my mini-rant is that I really need to implement some more structure into my eating routine in order to retrain my brain and body to know what it needs. After reading several articles about the benefits of carb-cycling, I've determined that this is probably a good dietary guideline for me to follow. I've found this article on FitnessRX to be very informational.

Basically, there are several ways to structure carb-cycling, including high carb, moderate carb, and low carb days based on my workout schedule, with fat intake in contrast to carbs and high protein intake on all days.

My rough weekly plan is:

Sunday - 9am Total Fitness, 10am yoga; high carb day
Monday - 6pm Vinyasa yoga, 7:15pm hot yoga; moderate carb day
Tuesday - 6:30pm Yoga Fusion; high carb day
Wednesday - 7pm Tone & Crunch (kettlebells and TRX); high carb day
Thursday - off; low-moderate carb day
Friday - off; low carb day
Saturday - 8:30am yoga fusion, 9:45am vinyasa yoga; high carb day

So I'll follow a high carb, lower fat diet on the days I'm lifting weights. I found this meal plan example helpful in giving me an idea of what a day's intake should look like on both low and high carb days, though I'd aim to consume closer to 2000 calories daily rather than 1400. This week I am going to come up with a meal plan for myself to follow and ideally I'll start carb-cycling next week officially. We'll see if I can stick to it.

For dinner tonight, my lazy self was motivated enough to throw some pantry ingredients into a crockpot and call it cooking a meal. I loosely followed this recipe from A Teaspoon of Happiness, tweaking here and there based on what I had for ingredients and quantities.

Crockpot Chipotle Pumpkin & Chicken Stew

Ingredients:

1 15-oz can pumpkin puree
1 15-oz can black beans, undrained
2 or 3 medium sized boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tsp minced garlic
3 stalks celery, chopped
1 medium zucchini, chopped
1 medium onion, chopped
4-5 large handfuls of kale (I used about 1/2 the bag pictured)
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
3 chipotle peppers in adobo sauce, diced
2 tsp adobo sauce (from the can of peppers)
cilantro
cumin
salt & pepper

Dump all the ingredients into a crock pot over the chicken breasts, adding spices to suit your tastes (I used a lot of cumin and cilantro, but very little salt). Cook on high for 4 hours. Remove the chicken, shred with a fork, and return to crockpot to cook on low for at least 2 hours. Serve with shredded cheese, if you're into that.

Super easy, super filling, and super delicious. #supersoupsunday haha

MIMM: On patience and things well-deserved

Another wonderfully uneventful weekend gone by and it's Monday again. And marvelous it is! My yoga instructor and owner of Shanti Yoga & Fitness in Rehobeth, MA, Paula Paluch, found out yesterday that she was accepted as a brand ambassador for Jade Yoga! Congratulations, Paula!

I can't say enough about Paula. This past week has been a great one for her, and she certainly deserves it! Last year she was brave enough to relocate her yoga studio and quit her job to dedicate her life to what she loves. Undoubtedly,  this wasn't easy for her and life threw her some curveballs, but she was persistent and positive throughout it all. Now all of her hard work is truly paying off in tangible ways: a slew of new yogis have been popping into the studio, she had a wall-to-wall full class on Thursday, and now she is a brand ambassador for her go-to yoga mat company! I'm so proud and inspired by her.

Now onto a quick weekend recap: After a week of sheer insanity and a packed schedule, I was ready to do absolutely nothing come Friday. The crappy weather was a great excuse for me to stay home and lounge about on Friday and Saturday. My sister convinced me to go to the movies to see The Lone Survivor on Saturday afternoon, though she failed to convince me to change out of my yoga attire.

Photo cred

I just can't turn down an opportunity to gaze at the beauty that is Mark Wahlberg. Will I be watching Wahlburgers on A&E when it premieres next week? You bet your ass I will.

Lone Survivor was disturbingly intense. I have to say it was an amazing story of strength and courage, and the acting was superb, but I was a ball of anxiety for the entire 121 minutes.

By Sunday, I was itching to at least pretend to be productive. During yoga, Sue asked for some help with a facebook issue, giving me a excuse to take a walk in the unseasonably nice weather and spend some time at The Good Seed Market in Seekonk, MA.

Check them out on Facebook

I just love browsing around this store. They have an awesome variety of natural and organic products at really reasonable prices, and the owners and employees are so welcoming and helpful. I'm really happy to have met the owners. Like Paula, they are just doing what they love and their passion creates success. If you live in the RI/MA area, you should definitely stop in and check it out! FYI, they're running an awesome special on chia seeds. I made sure to create a post to advertise it on their facebook page while I was there.

Who doesn't love chia seed pudding?

I had a really encouraging conversation while I was there, and I left feeling more positive than I had been about my current situation and the future in general. Hearing Paula's news later that evening only reinforced my feelings. I just have to continue to pursue my passion, be patient, and eventually it will pay off. Maybe not in the way I expect or as soon as I hope, but it will happen.

As always, I'm linking up with Katie for some Marvelous in My Monday action :)

MIMM: Marvelousness thus far in 2014

Well, it's the end of another weekend and the return to five day work weeks from now until May (!!!) I am definitely in need of some positive vibes here, so I'm happily linking up to Katie's Marvelous in my Monday.

This week, I'm focusing on the progression of marvelousness so far in the new year:

I kicked off 2014 by MCing a bowling alley New Year's Eve event. At first it was awkward and I had no idea what I was supposed to do, but I just went with it and created my own agenda. It ended up being a blast. The more people drank, the funnier it got...although I was concerned about potential injuries from intoxicated bowling accidents. Fear not, no such mishaps occurred on my watch. Definitely an atypical New Year's Eve.

New Year's Day was spent doing not much of anything other than venturing to the nearest theater to see Anchorman 2 with my family. As a huge fan of the original Anchorman and Will Ferrel in general, I was very hesitant of this sequel. I just didn't think it could/should be done, but those promos convinced me otherwise. And the movie itself did not disappoint in terms of hilarity. Originality was lacking since it was essentially the same exact movie as Anchorman, but I can't even care. There were so many ridiculous quotable lines. This Cinema Blend article sums up some of the best lines. Well done, Will Ferrel and crew.

I caught up on all the episodes of Once Upon a Time in Wonderland (sadly) and had just enough time with the snowstorm to start a few new Netflix marathons before the return of regular programming after the holiday hiatus.

I'd seen a smattering of episodes of Portlandia, but I marathonned season 3 over this weekend. This show is essentially a higher budget Tim & Eric Awesome Show with a female main cast member. If you like awkward humor, please watch this now.

I also randomly started watching Parks and Recreation and find myself hooked. I didn't like it when I first attempted to get into this show, but I guess I was just in the right mindset today and have officially been sucked in.

On a final note, this Sunday marked the long-awaited return of Downtown Abbey! Why do I love this show? I have no idea. But I'm glad it's back, with all it's random drama and British accents. What can I say, I'm easily entertained.

Other marvelousness in my Monday includes hot yoga (my favorite) and the warmest day of the week according to the extended forecast. Let's pretend it's not raining, or that tomorrow's anticipated high is 17 °F :)

It's a snow day!

Winter storm Hercules left me working from home. Woo hoo! I was so happy to not have to drive 20 miles to the office, plus driving around to the houses and another 20 miles back home.

The major downside to a snow day is shoveling...especially when it's single digit temperatures with a wind chill of -10. 

As you can tell, I didn't want to venture outside...

It wasn't so terrible when I was actually outside because I was powering through shoveling, but once the cold hit me, it was bad. Like really bad. 

After an hour of nonstop shoveling, I gave up and went inside. That's when the torture started. You know when you lose feeling in your hands and all you want is for the sensation to come back because the awkward numb fumbling is just too much to handle? Yeah, we'll this time I would have preferred to remain in that state than endure the aftermath. The pain of the feeling returning to my hands and fingers was unbearable.

The agony eventually subsided, thankfully. But wait, dear readers, that is not the end of my painful saga. After working up an appetite from hauling snow, I decided to cut up some red cabbage to sauté with leftover pulled pork. Bad idea. I sliced the very tip of my index finger off. Talk about a bloody mess. Why weren't my fingers numb when I actually needed them to be?! 

To make myself feel better, I baked some corn muffins from a box. 

Baking is therapeutic. 

Then, I got a phone call from one of the guys on my caseload at 3:30 saying he was in a rotten mood because he was bored and wasn't getting picked up until 4pm and wanted to go out for coffee. Believe it or not, these are real daily problems in my position that can lead to a more serious issue. What is my life?

I'm posting a picture of cats doing yoga because it makes me laugh and I need that.

I had plans more a more detailed post today, but as you can tell, today's happenings weren't exactly in my favor. Not a bad day by any means, just a day where I'm clearly off my A-game.

See ya, 2013. It's been real.

As 2013 comes to an end, the most prominent thought in my mind is not how great of a year it's been or how much I'm looking forward to the new year. Instead I find myself thinking about how long it will take me to get used to writing 2014 rather than 2013. I'm giving it until at least March. And I'm being generous.

Just kidding, sort of.

2013 was a great year overall. It had its rough patches, but compared to the tragedies and hardships from 2010-2012, I'll take it. 2013 was the year of yoga,

coming to terms with myself, hard work towards personal goals and my job (the latter is not necessarily by choice), crazy happenstances, and stepping out of my comfort zone.

I met new people (some of which my life would have been better without, but that is all a part of my theory of balance), made some personal changes, became addicted to Candy Crush,

Why?!?!! Fucking Candy Crush.

and took chances I never imagined myself taking five years ago. Like randomly sending out an email to a trivia company and getting hired. This is the same girl that wore black sweatshirts regardless of weather and hid behind her hair in high school, didn't party in college, and is still to this day the most chronic mumbler on the planet. And I love my late nights, starting random conversations with whoever seems interesting, and talking loud and clear - so I hope - into a microphone. Go figure.

I've considered making a few New Year's resolutions for 2014, but all that comes to mind are the typical exercise more, eat healthier, and drink less that all American women seem to begrudgingly vow to adhere to every January. Honestly, I don't think it's healthy for me to make a solid resolution because of my tendency to become obsessed with these little goals, viewing them as challenges and taking them too far. If I'm trying to make progress with gaining weight, reducing anxiety, and learning to go with the flow of things, my 2014 resolutions will need to reflect that.

My 2014 Resolutions:

1. Live in the moment and appreciate it for what it is.

2. Yoga, on and off the mat. Yes, that may sound cryptic, but it makes sense to me. Yoga is not just a form of exercise, it is a state of mind.

3. Embrace social opportunities.

4. Write. Whether it's blogging, creative writing for my personal enjoyment, or finally getting a job that allows me to use this skill (fingers crossed).

5. Do what makes me happy. I've found that I'm a much more pleasant person now that I eat more, care less about my appearance, and enjoy a drink or two regularly for either social reasons or to unwind before bed with a small glass of wine. I really debated "cleaning up" my diet, cutting out stevia and packaged foods that I enjoy, and giving up alcohol, but is it really worth it? No. I'd lose weight and be cranky. Plus, I'm 24. I need to embrace my youth while I can.

Now I'm off to MC some bowling event, give out prizes, and countdown to the New Year. I expect to be highly entertained. I hope everyone has a happy and safe New Years' Eve! Peace out, 2013!

MIMM: Sometimes you just need a reminder

As a favor to myself, I'm taking the time to link up to Katie's Marvelous in my Monday.
Marvelous is... The beautiful Christmas gift my yoga instructor made for me. It's so adorable and thoughtful!

Marvelous is... Nights out with old friends and staging Instagram photos to capture dumb moments. 

Of course this wine has fruit notes and the aroma of red grapes. Kevin is a true sommelier. I had to pay homage. Marvelous is... Lunch plans with old friends to introduce them to new places. 

After seeing that picture, I don't think I need to explain myself for knowing his mind will be blown. Check out all that falafel/tabouli/grilled vegetable action. Nom nom nom. Marvelous is... Hot yoga, followed by drinks and appetizers with fellow yogis. 

You know I'm going for that shrimp cocktail and jumbo sangria. Marvelous is... Another short work week. I won't focus on the fact that it's the last one until late spring. 

Christmas may be over, but the holiday craziness persists

Finding the time to sit down and write a blog post has been damn near impossible this month between all the holiday preparation, social events, the insanity of work, and lingering exhaustion from the combination of it all. I don't even quite have the energy nor the inspiration to write a post tonight. I've been at a family party for the past few hours and it took all my energy to pretend to be happy to be there. I promise I'll be better at this when things calm down and my winter hibernation begins. I also just ordered an iPad mini case and keyboard. Woo!

On my agenda for the rest of the night:

+

Once Upon a Time in Wonderland

I have a stomachache, probably from consuming far too much of the only vegetables available at aforementioned family function, carrots and Sabra hummus (not my favorite, but I was STARVING). The popcorn I ate upon arriving home didn't settle my tummy troubles as expected, so I'm really banking on this gingerbread tea to ease my pain. It doesn't help that my chest is also radiating pain lingering from a far-too-tight embrace/attempt to crack my back on Friday night. Pretty sure my chestplate has some bruising. I can't really take Motrin when I'm feeling nauseous. Not feeling acid reflux.

I just started watching Once Upon a Time in Wonderland when I have the chance, and I have to say it's a pretty solid spinoff of Once Upon a Time. The cast and characters are great, however, there just isn't anyone as attractive as Captain Hook. WHY IS ONCE UPON A TIME ON HIATUS UNTIL SPRING?!!?!

I'm planning to meet with my friend for some fantastic falafel (alliteration!) and Middle Eastern cuisine at Sonya's Near East Deli in Cranston in the late afternoon tomorrow. FYI: If you live in RI and have the chance to stop by Sonya's Near East, I highly recommend it. Prices are very reasonable, service is awesome, and the menu is amazing. I have to be honest, I like it better than East Side Pockets. So sue me. Mondays also mean vinyasa yoga and hot yoga. Namaste!

MIMM: Tis the season to swap gifts, bake cookies, and reminisce

Hello, Monday. I'll get back to you after I recap the weekend.

My friends hosted a $10-limit Yankee Swap at their apartment on Saturday night. I nommed on some chips and salsa, chai almonds, and homemade red sangria, played some Scattergories, and caught up with a few friends I haven't seen in a while. It was a pretty lax gathering with a small crowd, but I totally appreciate the fact that all in attendance share the same awkward sense of humor. Yankee swap gifts were prime.

I almost ended up with this bad boy:

Lil' Raskull. Christian rapper extraordinaire, straight from the dirty south.

Alas (or not), I ended up with my own gift:

Puppy calendar, desk calendar, and planner pack.

Am I disappointed? Hell no. Other gifts in the mix included a pooping reindeer, massaging pillow, Robsessed (a DVD all about the wonder that is Rob Pattinson), a bottle of pomegranate Burnett's (hello, college), a cookie skillet kit, and scratch tickets ($3 of winnings were had, FYI.)

I dedicated my entire Sunday to baking Christmas cookies. Isn't it odd how I'm the one assigned the task of making cookies when I don't eat them? Of course, I recruit the help of indulgers to keep things fair. My mom was none too happy to be given the job of crushing candy canes for peppermint meltaway cookies. I also coerced my sister and her boyfriend into rolling the cookie dough for red velvet cookies. I'm not particularly fond of the sticky batter and lingering red tint that results from baking those cookies. Refer to the picture of Ryan's tainted fingers (bottom right, below).

Red velvet cookies, peppermint meltaways, and egg biscuits

I made the batter for gingersnaps and set it in the fridge to bake on Christmas Eve when I have more time. I also decided to experiment with a sugar-free cookie for myself to indulge in...I have to do something with that stevia I won in a giveaway after all.

Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cookies!

Not the most appetizing-looking photo of the finished product, but I find all dark brown baked goods are difficult to make pretty. I swear these taste like Nutella brownie cookies. Recipe at the end of the post.

I've definitely noticed myself thinking about my dad a lot and finding myself in conversations that lead to him. For the first year since he died, I'm not feeling that overwhelming sadness when I think about Christmas without him despite his continuous presence in my mind. It's bittersweet. I feel like I am finally coming to terms with the holidays without him, learning to accept the fact that he isn't here and finding comfort in the memories of him. He and my Uncle Bob have been making consistent cameo appearances in my dreams, so they kind of are here celebrating Christmas with me. 

Last night, I took the time to reread a short story I wrote about my dad's death. I hadn't looked at it since I last revised it and read it the first Christmas after he died. It was hard to look at, the wounds were too fresh. I really want to try to submit it for publication in a literary journal soon. I just have to find the right one and write a really good cover letter to go along with it. It's crazy how difficult it is to get things published though, so I'll have to revisit this after New Years.

One last marvelous side note - after a week of overindulgence and lack of physical activity, I was so happy for two hours of yoga on Saturday and Sunday morning. I thought I'd struggle more than I did with balance or lifting weights, but I managed. My mom was the one who really had an awesome weekend breakthrough. The real success of this weekend is how far she's come with her flexibility. I'm so proud of her! Check out how low she is in that split! 

Linking up to Katie's MIMM!

As promised, I'll end this post with the recipe for Chocolate Hazelnut Butter Cookies.

Sugar-free Nut Butter Cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup natural nut butter of choice (I used Justin's Chocolate Hazelnut Butter, yum!)
• 1/4 cup egg whites, or 1 egg
• 1/2 granulated stevia (or the equivalent of 1 cup of sugar*)
• 1 Tablespoon coconut flour 

Directions

Mix all ingredients in a medium sized bowl until well combined. Refrigerate dough for at least 30 minutes. 

Preheat oven to 350° F
Roll into 1-inch balls and place about an inch apart on a non-stick baking sheet. Bake for 8-10 minutes, removing from the oven when they are still slightly soft to the touch*.
Cool on wire racks, and enjoy!

* These cookies can be made using 1 cup of sugar or splenda, depending on your preference, if stevia isn't your thing.

* If you like crunchy cookies, bake for 10-12 minutes, but watch carefully for burning.

Nights of lights upon lights

I will preface this blog post by saying that I have had en extremely eventful week. Do I feel guilty about all the eating, late nights, and lack of exercise? Yes, but I'm really trying not to. And I'm actually finding it easy to push those thoughts to the back of my mind and hope for more weeks like this in the future.   

I am so thankful to my Uncle Mark for thinking to invite me to Trans Suberian Orchestra on Wednesday night. I've always wanted to go, but it seems to sell out every year. Now I know why.

Holy lights, lasers, and long-haired men.

Last night I had no plans to go out. All I really wanted to do was chill at home on my couch doing next to nothing, however, when my sister actually wants me to do something with her, I jump at the opportunity. I have to say our relationship has been so much better than in the past recently, which really makes me happy. 

Anyway, my mom, sister, and I headed to LaSalette Shrine to meet up with her boyfriend's family and a couple of her friends. I haven't been to LaSalette since before my dad passed away and it has definitely changed.

They added thousands of LED lights this year and it is absolutely gorgeous.

I've always loved the indoor display of the hand-crafted nativity scenes. There were far too many to get pictures of, but I thought this big display was pretty cool.

We also lit a candle in memory of my dad. 

I just wish the prayer steps hadn't been closed due to ice. Not like I pray, but I had done the stairs with my dad when I was a kid and it would have been nice to do that again.

Overall, a solid week. Today I return to yoga after my brief-yet-far-too-lengthy hiatus. Definitely going to struggle there ha.