Letting My Light Shine

There's a cute song that starts: "This little light of mine.  I'm gonna let it shine."

That is EXACTLY how I felt today!

At work, I taught myself how to use Google Docs, which I have been wanting to do for some time because it would help me in so many aspects of my job, but have honestly been too busy/tired/lazy/burnt out to do it.  Well, I guess a 3 week vacation lit a fire under my butt!  Within 30 minutes I had it all figured out.  I also caught up on a lot of things I had kind of pushed to the side...I was a motivated employee today!

During my lunch hour, I did my grocery shopping for the next few days.  While I was picking out my eggplant I noticed a lady staring at me {not in a strange way, but in a way where she looked confused} so I started a conversation with her.  I guess she had never had eggplant before and was apprehensive about buying it.  So I told her a few of the ways I cook with eggplant.  Not only did she sounds interested, she bought TWO eggplant!  Then I had a similar situation with another woman regarding kale.

These interactions made me happy for two reasons:

1.  Because of me, these women may no longer be afraid of eggplant or kale {they may even be brave enough to try OTHER vegetables}.
2.  If you know me, I am NOT the type of person to start a conversation with someone in the grocery store.  Yes, I WILL tell someone at Costco to move their cart that is blocking the aisle because they are waiting for a sample, but to strike up a friendly conversation scares me.  Once I know someone, I rarely shut up and probably will talk your ear off, but not until I know you well enough...which is ironic since I am a blogger!

I also tried my sock bun method of curling for the first time since going back to work and it was a hit. I got tons of compliments, which always lift my spirits {you ladies know what I am talking about...don't deny it}!

Oh, I also stuck to my meal plan today, even eating LESS than what I had packed....NO bag of M&M's for me today.  But I DID treat myself to one of these heavenly bites:

I only had 1, I promise!

 But I did enjoy a lot of almonds and dates today...yummmm!!

After I came home from work, I found that my calendar I created on Mixbook.com had arrived.  I've never done a personalized calendar before...it's pretty awesome since I was able to add special days of my own {birthdays, anniversary's, the date I plan on winning the Lotto, etc}.

I finished the day with a delicious dinner - chicken and brussel sprouts.  I love brussel sprouts, but only have them a few times a year {probably because they are always expensive} so when I find a good deal, I cannot resist.

Days like this make me realize how I am constantly growing and changing.  Pushing myself at work to go above and beyond what is expected and to be outgoing in public are sometimes hard for me.  But I am striving to let my light shine more and more, and don't plan on stopping anytime soon!

Cauliflower "Rice"

10 days into the New Year and I feel like one of the "Celebrity Rehab" people on their 3rd day in.  While I know the changes I am making are good for me, my body feels like it is dying inside.  Not in a bad way, but in a "why are you not giving me fatty, greasy, sugary food?" kind of way.

I did cave a little today.  I MAY have eaten a few handfuls bag of M&M's by myself.  I say MAY because it all happened so quickly that when it was over, I was literally speechless {maybe because my mouth was full}.  But it did make my 24 hour headache go away.  Still - not the best way to deal with a craving.  Tomorrow I shall be better prepared for work.

Since that episode with the M&M's, I KNEW dinner had to be high on the health scale.  So I tried a recipe I have been interested in for awhile - Cauliflower "Rice."

WAIT  WAIT  WAIT  Don't close the screen and flip to Glee quite yet!

Yes, we will turn this:

Into THIS:

What you will need:

1 Medium Cauliflower

1 onion, diced

2 TB. minced Garlic

1 TB cooking oil (I used coconut oil)

Directions:

Heat oil in pan over medium/high heat.

Saute onion and garlic for 5-6 minutes.

While sauteing onions & garlic, rinse cauliflower and cut into about 8 sections.

Place half the cauliflower into your food processor (you can also just chop the cauliflower up with a knife, but it will take a little longer).

Pulse about 3 times. 

Add to pan.

Add second half of cauliflower to food processor and repeat.

Add some salt & pepper to your liking and saute for about 8-10 more minutes.

Serve!

It took Gary a few bites in to realize what I had done, and he was quite impressed, considering he is not a fan of cauliflower.  Score 1 for me!

The process in pictures:

****NEWSFLASH!!  I have joined Twitter nation.  Just getting the hang of it, so follow me!  My Twitter name {is that what you call it} is OrganicallyMo.  Do you guys Tweet?****

Back To Normal

So it ends...I have enjoyed 3 weeks off of work, which has given me plenty of time to clean house, catch up with family & friends and relax as much as possible!

I have spent the first part of today running to the store to pick up some last minute grocery items, doing laundry {does it ever end?} and prepping all my veggies for the week.  I have found that the easiest way to stick to my meal plan is to chop up all my vegetables on Sunday.  It makes it really hard to come home after a stressful day at work and not make my planned meal when half the work is already done.

I also tried a new breakfast recipe from a new Paleo cookbook I bought last week and will share that with you later this week.

Hope your weekend is great!  We are off for a walk to the park with Sasha.

Sock Bun Curls

I finally did it...out of the 234 pins I have on Pinterest {Follow me!} I actually tried one of them out!

I've been hearing about this Sock Bun phenomenon for quite awhile now, and since all the cool kids are doing it, I wanted to give it a try.

For the YouTube video on how to do this, click here.

Here are my steps:

1.  Making sure hair is 98% dry, make a high ponytail on your head using a regular hair tie.  Now use your sock to roll your hair into a bun at the top of your head. {self portraits are NOT my specialty}.

2. Go to sleep!

3.  Wake up {please wake up}

Messy, but still in place!

4. Unroll hair.

Straight out of the bun.

5. Using hair spray, spray gel or a wave enhancer {like I did}, put in your product then style your hair.

6.  Enjoy not having to spend time with a curling iron!

The final product!

About an hour later!

In a clip.

Overall, I really think this will be a great way to get some volume in my hair most days. I still need to work on my rolling technique...I think this is why my hair came out more wavy than curly.

**Have you ever rolled your hair into a sock bun?**

Liposuction Voucher To A 7-year Old??

I just read this article/video from Huffington Post and cannot believe what I read {and watched} is true!!

HOW IN THE WORLD can a mother think it is okay to give her 7-year old a voucher for liposuction as a Christmas gift?!?!

I work with teenage girls everyday and it already breaks my heart to hear the way they describe themselves: "too fat" "too short" "too tall"  But, at least I get it...I was once 16 and HATED that I had big hips, big thighs and {gawd} big boobs, while all my cute friends were skinnier.  Then a few years passed and I realized that: 1. It's okay to have a different body type than everyone else I knew, because 2: I can't change the way my body is.  Yes, I can keep it healthy by working out and feeding myself healthy foods, but no matter if I am in a "skinny" phase or a "fat" phase of life, my big hips, big thighs and big boobs are always there with me!

But for a MOTHER to give her 7-year old daughter this so-called gift is bull shit!  Please note that her last gift was a voucher for a boob job when she turns 18.  The dark humor side of me thinks "18??  Make it for when she is 30.  Trust me, I am 31...my boob were JUST fine at 18....now's when I could use a lift."

What is this mother telling her daughter?  To me, she is telling her that she will NEVER be good enough just the way she is.

Society already tells young girls that everyday when they turn on the TV or look in a magazine...now they are getting the same message from home??

PLEASE chime in on this one...I cannot be the only one who thinks this is ridiculous, sad, outrageous, etc!!

I Think I'm Ready For This Jelly

In July, I bought a Groupon for a specialty pedicure at Bliss, a local spa/salon.  Of course, I waited until a week before it expired to put it to use, but it was exactly what I needed right now.

There were a few options for me to pick from and one of them was a Jelly Pedicure.  I have NEVER heard of this before, so I was all for trying it.

Here is a video from the manufacturer explaining how to use it {only takes a minute}.

It's hard to explain how it felt, but it was kind of like soaking your feet in cream of wheat {not that I've ever done this}.  Trust me, you want to try this out next time you get a pedicure.

I enjoyed a long soak in the jelly, a warm paraffin dip and a relaxing foot/leg massage to end it {the massage could have been longer, but it was definitely nice}.

Now, I have purple sparkly piggies and can cross 1 pedicure off my to-do list for 2012...I will need another one before summer comes around.

Hello 2012!

How did I spend NYE?  At home, in my pajamas, with Gary & Sasha, watching movies.  I got my midnight smooch near the end of The Princess Bride {"as you wish"} and shortly after the movie, we went to bed.  That's what I call living it up!

Of course the new year means it's time for people to look over their lives with a fine-tooth comb and figure out how they can be a better them.

This year, I am keeping it simple.

My goals for 2012 are easy:

1. Take more time for me.  Whether it be a hot bath, or reading an extra chapter or 2 in my current novel, I need to make more time for the things that comfort my soul.  Yes, this may mean my house is a little more cluttered than normal, but that's okay {sometimes...I still have to battle my Type A- personality on this}.

2. Get back on track health wise - eating.  In 2011, I lost a much needed 30 pounds, only to gain about 7 of them back between October 31 and December 31.  I know what I need to do to lose those 7 pounds PLUS more.  My plan is to get back on my diet of high quality proteins and produce, cutting out most empty carbs {a girl needs a salted caramel mocha from Sbux once in awhile}.

3. Get back on track health wise - exercise. Gary & I have both committed to being better dog parents to Sasha by making sure she gets a good walk in every day and we've been doing this since a few days before Christmas.  I also found some good interval style exercises that I can do at home or at the park while we are walking Sasha.  This is a goal I will need to reevaluate as the months go by, making it more challenging.

4. GO ON VACATION!!  The last vacation Gary and I took {more than an overnight stay somewhere} was in July 2008.  Sadly, money has been too tight the past few years to go anywhere.  This year {knock on wood} things are a little different and we are already saving money toward a trip.  Where are we going to go?  We have a few ideas, but will know more once Spring rolls around.

So there you have it...my 2012 goals {I despise the word "resolution"}.

**What are YOUR goals for 2012?**