What goes around, comes around. Always keep that in mind. :)

Good morning!

I hope you've all had a great week. Friday!!!! And it would appear the heat is on! It was a HOT one yesterday. That's the thing about the Northeast. It goes from Winter to Summer pretty fast! haha! I think there is about a week of Spring. :) It's good though. I will feel warm!! 

My son is making me laugh because he brought up a video on his Nintendo D.S. and is lip syncing to the song and putting on a performance. Hahaha! He's awesome. My kids are just hilarious. I'm watching him and he says "Don't watch me!" lol OK. When does the air guitar start?? haha! My brother was great at that. 

Yesterday morning I had a great smoothie. I put a ton of spinach in too. It tasted like a slightly green banana smoothie. What a way to start the day. :) It was delicious. Had an interesting color with the frozen blueberries too! lol! My "To go" thingie I got with my Ninja is nice too. I sipped it on my way to work. Niiice, especially in this heat wave. 

I had an interesting day yesterday. There are some people in our lives that only know how to bully and lie. That's the only way they can accomplish anything. Big, mean bullies! Is having things your way 24/7 really that big of a deal? Breathe! Let go of the control!! :) I am living a peaceful life filled with love and hope. I work very hard, focus on my boys spend time with great friends and write this blog hoping to inspire and help. I now know this person will always try to cause problems for me. It's just in his nature. Rise above the nonsense, I shall. He can wallow in his own nasty misery. I am sharing because I know there are many people dealing with difficult people and constant issues. And you can remain calm, happy, healthy and peaceful despite these headaches in our lives. 

There are better ways to go about getting what you want. You don't have to be a big meanie and lie about everything to accomplish that. Meanies have far too much time on their hands it would seem. I just don't have time to think in such a vindictive nature. 

First of all, take care of yourself. You are not going to be much good to anyone if you don't. Eat right, move your body, stimulate your mind and body. 

Also, work hard. You aren't going to get anywhere if you don't. Figure out a way to get things done that works within your life. We parents have to figure out a way to incorporate certain things in without disrupting our children's lives. Without them having to sacrifice. It's tricky but it can be done with patience and time. 

Be nice to people. This is a biggie. It's difficult some days but being nice to everyone will bring karma back around in a great way. I'm a firm believer in karma and that it will take care of things. It's all about energy and truth. Being nice to those who can't do a thing for you is especially powerful. It will fulfill you and you will feel more connected. 

Trust your instincts. Intuition is a powerful tool! By turning your brain off and allowing your gut to guide you, you will end up down a path that is right for you. I have mentioned my gut instinct before. It always leads me right. 

Have patience! This is a toughie, I know. We all want things to happen at a certain time but sometimes things take time. Patience can lead to things happening the way they should. A better way perhaps. Especially if you have your priorities in order then karma will help things fall into place as they should. 

Also, surround yourself with a great support group. Those that want to see you succeed. No, not enable. None of us need that! Especially the mean bullies. ;) But support. Be there for you. Come over at a moments notice. 

Time to get up and around. I work 11-7 today. Shout out to my awesome friends today!! Adrienne, Katie, Shellie, Jessie! Love you guys! There will always be those that want nothing more than to see you fail and do what they can to help. Silly people. They should be focusing their energy on more positive, productive things. 

This is for you!! I get by with a little help from my friends! :)  

"This above all, to thine own self be true" - William Shakespeare 

xoxoxo
Tam

Ninja Antioxidants!

Happy Thursday!

Today's post is dedicated to my son J.T. who lost another tooth. It happened at about 3am. He woke up and said "Mommyyyy!! Mommmy!!!"....Me "Wh what?? What's going on??"....J.T. "I lost another tooth!!" Me "Ohh yayyy, give it to me. Now lets go back to sleep!!" haha!  He also got a haircut yesterday and I can see his handsome face better. I heart thee!! :) 

I have coffee again. And all is right with the world :p Yesterday was so nice and hot! Today is supposed to be in the 90s. And it's not super humid yet. I love it! I think some put A/C on immediately. I just enjoy feeling warm for once. Haha! A/C is on at work a lot (as with most offices)and it feels like The Arctic! I do have a ceiling fan right above my bed and that's enough for me to sleep well in heat. Humidity is another thing altogether. When I first came out from Oregon at 18 and stepped out of the airport in June, my naturally curly hair instantly frizzed and I couldn't breathe and said "What is this??????? How do I make it stop???" Not good at all! Humidity is like kryptonite for curly haired girls. So is the mullet my mother gave me in the 7th grade. A mullet on a chubby girl with curly hair is NOT good. I would have to say that was my most awkward time in life! lol! And pictures will never surface!!! I'm sure your imagination can summon up enough! :) 

Most of you are almost done with your short work week in the U.S. Just keep going!! I am back to work for three days after having yesterday off. It's cool. Ready to go. As I've mentioned before I think work is good for us.

I made the tart cherry smoothie last night. I substituted unsweetened almond milk for the soy and used some frozen raspberries instead of ice cubes to add some "cold slush". Plus extra goodness from the raspberries can never hurt things. The tart cherries have the highest antioxidant potency of any fruit and once consumed is followed by an uptake of antioxidants into the body to fight off tissue destruction (or oxidative stress) that can cause aging and disease. The scientists at the USDA give each food an ORAC level or "Oxygen radical absorption capacity". And tart cherry juice concentrate has the highest levels at 12,000 followed by dried tart cherries at 6,800, prunes at 5770, blueberries at 2400, blackberries at 2036, frozen tart cherries at 2033, canned water-pack tart cherries at 1700, strawberries at 1540, raspberries at 1220, plums at 949, oranges at 750 and red grapes at 739. 

Look at that, 12,000 ORAC value in the tart cherry juice! It's like Ninja antioxidants! I really liked the taste of it too. It wasn't too tart either. Easier to drink than cranberry juice. Kind of tasted like a tart grape juice to me. Check it out. It's a thing to behold. Gorgeous color! :) 

I am trying the non-dairy versions of milk though I am not convinced a little skim or 1% milk is bad necessarily. I don't forgo it completely. Though dairy is one of the foods consuming in moderation is a great idea therefore I may keep it for my cereal and ice cream and use the almond milk for smoothies. Balance, yo! 

I really like the idea of incorporating more smoothies into my diet. I don't think having them replace every single meal is a great idea however I tend to not want to eat a lot in the Summer. Humidity just makes me lose my appetite and with my work hours by the time I get home, I just don't want a huge meal all the time. So making a smoothie chock full of goodness to nourish my body is sweeeeet!! And they fill me up! 

For this morning's smoothie, I may use the almond milk (I got the Blue Diamond unsweetened that has 45 calories per cup), or green tea. I am going to throw in banana, kiwi, two big handfuls of spinach and frozen blueberries. YUMMMM right?? Spinach does not tend to be the dominant flavor when thrown into a smoothie so it's a very easy way to get a ton of badass nutrients first thing in the morning without even thinking about it. And as I've said before, starting the day off in such a healthy way will set the tone and make you want to continue the nourishment of mind, body and soul throughout the day. I need some protein too. Hmm, might put a bit of Greek yogurt in. I need to experiment a bit. 

I hope you all have a great day. Eat a lot of fruit and veggies. They are magic. There are no quick fixes for things but the Earth provides an abundance of food to aid in our quest to look and feel healthy. Don't waste them. :)

One of my favorite Queen songs. I love them so much!!! Listen to this and be in a bad mood. I dare you!! lol! It's impossible.

Peace out!
xoxoxoxo
Tam

The Right Ingredients.

Hi there!

I ran out of coffee and forgot to buy it yesterday before I came home. So I am starting the day with green tea. I have pondered the idea of giving up coffee (hahahahaha!). I guess we'll see how that works out. Again the disclaimer of writing sans coffee should be inserted here. :) 

I have the day off. There is no doctor or patients at the one location I work at today so I took the day to spend with my boys. Sammy especially has been having a hard time with me working full-time so taking a day like this once in awhile is good. He will hold onto me and say "No work, stay with me fowevvaa". And has been crying hysterically. It breaks my heart! 

What's on my mind today?  Condiments! BBQ sauce!! Now is the time for it. I love it. I have been a huge fan of Sweet Baby Ray's for a long time. Unfortunately I am not a huge fan of the ingredient list. It's a sad day when I look longingly at it at the grocery store. I used to use the chicken as the vessel in which to bring the sauce to my lips! The good news is I did find a homemade recipe that looks worth trying. 

It's from a website called SkinnyMs. And the ingredient list is gooood! 
1 tablespoon canola or olive oil
1 sweet onion, finely diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 (8oz) can tomato sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar (or white balsamic for gluten free)
2 teaspoons Djion mustard
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less to taste
2 teaspoons chili powder
Kosher or sea salt to taste

Looks good doesn't it?? The ingredients are making my mouth water. Get all over my chicken!

Here is a link to a spice rub from Skinny Ms. Looks great too. http://skinnyms.com/skinny-ms-spice-rub/ She has a lot of great recipes on her site that I am looking forward to try. The slow cooker hot chocolate steel cut oats. What?? So good! http://skinnyms.com/slow-cooker-hot-chocolate-steel-cut-oatmeal/ My friend Shellie makes oatmeal ahead of time too. Such a great idea to do it in the crockpot! 

Another condiment I love is Spicy Peanut Vinaigrette. Any kind of peanut sauce really. Trader Joe's currently has a bottled version in their refrigerated section that is to die for. It flies off the shelves too. I am looking for a homemade version that is comparable though. I found this one. Not quite the same. The TJ's has cilantro, jalapeno, etc. So very good! I find stuff to put it on. 

Serves 6
1 heaping tablespoon peanut butter
1 teaspoon honey
1/2 teaspoon dijion mustard (or Chinese hot mustard if you have it)
1-2 cloves of garlic
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup rice vinegar
1 teaspoon hot chili oil 
1/8 cup sesame oil
1/8 cup vegetable oil 

Mix some greens or broccoli slaw, veggies (carrots, pea pods, jicama, broccoli, etc), maybe some chicken, peanuts, etc. and drizzle the dressing on it. Yummmmm. 

Hmm, need to make something delicious for dinner today. So many ideas running around in my head now. Who said eating healthy and clean had to be boring? So good for you! And you feel so much better eating that way rather than fried and processed food 24/7. 

I heard this on my way home from work yesterday on the radio. Changed the station and it came on again! My theme song perhaps?? ;) Eye of the Tiger! Wow, they know how to walk down the street. Like a boss!! :p 

Enjoy the day! Incorporate the right ingredients into your life. Let the bad seeds flock together. 

xoxoxo

Tam

Defeat Utterly

First of all, my blog title might seem strange. I had looked up the definition of "pulverize" which is apt to the blog when you read further..and "Defeat Utterly" was one of the definitions. I love the sound of that!! :) 

Good morning!! I hope those in U.S. had a great Memorial Day Weekend. This is always the "unofficial" start of Summer. Let the BBQ'ing and fun with family and friends in the sun begin! 

I had planned to be outside all day yesterday but I took the boys to the parade at 10am here in Fairfield. We got there early to get a good spot and by the time it was over they were a little tired and needed a break. I said "Lets go to the park now"...and I got "Nehhh, I want to go home". Mmmkayyy! :)

A couple of photos from yesterday. My sweeties!! He had his flag, a beach ball they were giving out and his Lego Star Wars t-shirt. Can't get much more American!! hahaha! 

 It was pretty nice to see the sun! Blinding as it was! 

 These whites were blinding in the sun! Beautiful! :) My dad was a Navy man! 

I have mentioned a website called My Fitness Pal before. I have been on there for years and a testimonial on the login to the site. I am always getting emails from people on there asking for help. And I love it. That's why I created this blog in the first place. People on there kept telling me to write something all the time and that it would help inspire them. I love hearing that! And I do hope it's helping. 

This is an excerpt from an email I got on MFP this morning. It means so much to me to hear things like this. It inspires ME as well. Thank you so much for that! 

"You and I have been "friends" on MFP for years and you have been such an inspiration for me and SO many other during that time. I haven't really been on MFP very faithfully in a while and in that time I have gained everything back (and then some), but after seeing a picture of myself from this weekend I said "That's it. I can't keep doing this to myself." I have decided that I really need to commit to losing the weight for good. I logged in today and was so excited to see your post about your blog!! I have been reading through your posts and can truly say that with your gift of words (and your obvious success) you will undoubtedly inspire a LOT of people to do what they have been wanting to do for a long time."

I took advantage of the Memorial Day Sale and got a kick-ass Ninja blender. It's so much more affordable than the Vitamix. I'd still love a Vitamix one day but it's not feasible at this time. But I am so excited to pulverize stuff! I have been checking out smoothie recipes and can't wait to try them. I plan on making many green smoothies, especially after my experience the other day having that green juice during lunch. I really have not felt that kind of energy upon getting off work for a very long time. My plan is to drink them mainly in the morning and possibly the evening. There are green tea smoothies I want to try as well. I am always talking about green tea and I can imagine the amazing nourishment your body gets having green tea plus greens and berries. 

On top of the green smoothies I am going to try the tart cherry smoothie that has been promoted. Apparently tart cherries are super high in antioxidants, help to rev up your metabolism at night and also helps you to fall asleep so it's best to drink it later, preferably with dinner.
The ingredients are:

1 cup tart cherry juice

1/2 a banana

1/2 a cup of soy milk 

5 ice cubes

1/4 tsp pure vanilla extract 

Directions??
Pulverize it all in a blender!! :)

Alright time for me to get myself and my boys around for the day. My day starts early today. I will be at work at 8:30. The awesome thing is I'm off by 4:30! This time of year with the days being longer, that gives me a ton of time before bed. I love it!! 

Have a great day everyone! Keep it positive and do your thing! :) 

"Don't take anything personally. Nothing others do is because of you. What others say and do is a projection of their own reality, their own dream. When you are immune to the opinions and actions of others, you won't be the victim of needless suffering" - Don Miguel Ruiz. 

My song selection today is U2. I think this is one of my favorite intros of any song. I just love the soft, subtle start. Gorgeous!

xoxoxo

Tam

Happy Memorial Day!! Much love to those who have served!! :)

Good morning! Happy Memorial Day!

I have my boys today and am very happy about it. I've been working so much and they are both in "I missed you so much mommy!" mode and need some extra mommy snuggles. Not sure exactly what we are doing but at least it's nice finally! Sunny and mild. There is a parade in town we will probably go to and hit the park. Picnic.

I want to take them into NYC to the Intrepid Museum. But the space shuttle exhibit is currently closed due to the hurricane so I will probably wait until that reopens. I do want them to have a respect and appreciation for the military though. I was raised that way.

Today is for remembering those who have served. I have a huge amount of respect. It might be due to coming from a large military family.  But while we are bbq'ing and having fun at the beach we need to keep in mind what the day is about.

Just keeping it short and sweet today. I have lots of snuggling to do with my boys. Enjoy the day. Indulge and have fun. Be kind to each other.

This is a clipping of my grandfather and his brothers who were all in WW2. My grandpa is in the lower right corner. Donald Jahns. He and I were very close until his death when I was 14. My childhood would not be the same without him. I was the only grand-daughter (It was all boys!) for a very long time and he spoiled me rotten. My grandmother would often ask me to ask him to go places she wanted to go because she knew he couldn't say no to me! haha!!  My last memory is a week before his death. We were visiting them and when everyone was busy he whispered "Tami, come over here" (he was by the stove)...and I walked over and he flipped his wrist..and gave me $10 saying "In case you see something you like".  Tears come to my eyes thinking about it now. This is the man who fought in The Battle of the Bulge and was in the 3rd wave at Normandy. And he was a complete softie when it came to me. Ahhhh, I have an awesome family!! :)

Have a lovely day! And remember to appreciate why you're able to enjoy that cookout! :)

xoxoxoxo
Tam

You are what you eat!

Hi there! 

I hope you're having a great weekend so far. Mine just started! Work yesterday was fine. Smooth. And the day went by fairly fast. I met up with some friends and their kids with my boys after work for some dinner and fun at the mall. The weather is so crappy here right now what else can you do?? One friend has a boy and two girls, another friend has two boys and I have two boys. We were a mob! And all the boys were the cheering section as one of the girls got her ears pierced. What a right of passage for her! :) 

My boys picked out a little something. I say "something small". And of course both of them go into the Lego aisle. *slaps forehead*  Even the smallest thing practically requires a bank loan! lol! If you haven't bought stock in Lego, you should. haha! 

Today's agenda. Gym this morning, then cleaning and a couple of errands. Yuck. But I must get it done. My oldest also needs a haircut. I hope to do something fun with them today though that might have to wait for tomorrow. Maybe a trip to the bookstore at least. Possibly a movie. Maybe the weather will let is go outside for at least a little while!! 

It's so funny what happens when I indulge a bit. I feel like such crap after.  I had a margarita and quesadilla with dinner last night. I am so used to the food I eat giving me energy and making me feel awesome that the need to drink a gallon of water due to the salt intake is not fun. Earlier my food choices were awesome and I had a ton of energy. Breakfast was my Fage 0% yogurt with peanut butter, a banana and my green tea and sunflower seeds at work. Lunch I had to run from one office to another to drop off/pick something up so I stopped at this awesome juice bar for a juice on the way back and they have this great chicken salad. It's just chicken, almond yogurt, raisins, grapes and walnuts. I had so much energy when I got off work because the foods and liquids (fresh pressed juice, green tea and water only) were revving me up! Then after the not so healthy dinner I was ready for bed almost immediately. It just sapped my energy. No bueno! 

The juice I got was called the Skin Tonic. It was simply apple, celery, spinach, kale and aloe vera. It might sound weird to some but it's pretty tasty. To me it tastes like celery with a little sweet via the apple but the ingredients are kick ass! You see them juice it right in front of you. It's great! I don't go often because it's on the expensive side which is why I want to get my own juicer and do it myself. It really is so good for you. 

Some of you may be surprised at consuming aloe vera. I grew up mainly using it as a salve on my sunburns. My mom always had a plant around the house. There are some health  experts that call it the most impressive herb of them all. Among other benefits, studies show it halts the growth of cancer tumors, lowers cholesterol, cures ulcers and other digestive issues, reduces high blood pressure, halts colon cancer, ends constipation, eases inflammation and soothes arthritis and stabilizes blood sugar. And as it's added to the "Skin Tonic" juice, it's obviously great for the skin. Besides the healing benefits on burns it's also a natural astringent, emollient and increases elasticity and helps supply oxygen to the skin cells. Isn't it awesome? Buy an aloe vera plant and next time you're juicing, cut a piece off and filet it and add it to the juice and feel amazing knowing you're nourishing your body. 

Have a lovely day. Nourish your mind and body. You can start with this. Ahhh, talk about tranquility. This is one of my favorite classical pieces. It just has this immediate calming effect. 

This is a photo from a few days ago. Don't mind my eyes. They were super itchy! Stinkin allergies! But I'm curious if you see any difference in my skin after using the vitamin-c serum for a week. I will post another picture after more time to see if there is any difference. And no, I don't mean my pale, freckly arms. This is why I am super careful with the sun among other reasons! :D

"My religion is simple. My religion is kindness" - The Dalai Lama

xoxoxoxo
Tam

Strong to the finish cause' I eats me spinach.

Good morning! I hope you all had a great Thursday. It's Friday and Memorial Day weekend! I am sure there are a few BBQ's on the horizon. I love a good BBQ! I do indulge once in awhile. 

Yesterday. Food. For breakfast I had Fage 0% greek yogurt and dumped some peanut butter in there (tons of protein!!)  and had a banana. Of course I had coffee too. At work I had green tea and tons of water as always. I had one called "Zen Tazo" which has lemongrass and spearmint in it. Lovely. I also munched on almonds. For lunch, I had spring mix salad as I've been doing spinach a lot. I went meatless for it and used chick peas and kidney beans for my protein. Covered in bell pepper, cucs and shredded carrots as always and the sesame/ginger dressing. So good!! So satisfying and gives me great energy and no crashing later. 

I munched on almonds for most of the afternoon at work. I am somewhat addicted to the different flavored ones. I do the raw, unsalted as well especially for almond butter but I do like the spices too for a change. The Habanero BBQ ones are to die for!!!! And the Jalapeno. Honey Dijon is good too! But by the time I got home I wasn't hungry for dinner, which is fine. I drank a lot of water all day and getting off at 6, home about 7.....it's OK to not eat a huge dinner. :) 

For a simple "recipe" for health/fitness/happy success....try to eat more vegetables, drink more water and green tea, get more sleep and try to work out for 30-45 minutes a day. And keep a positive attitude. If you do this, I imagine you'll feel a hell of a lot better pretty fast. There are more things you can do obviously but sometimes just starting out, the simpler you keep it the better. Who needs things complicated?? 

If eating processed food, especially fast food wasn't already disturbing enough...read this. Food for thought! ;) http://www.theonion.com/articles/man-eating-mcchicken-sandwich-can-tell-mcdonalds-s,32553/?utm_source=Facebook&utm_medium=SocialMarketing&utm_campaign=standard-post%3Aheadline%3Adefault

Instead of eating that, go make a huge salad full of dark leafy greens. Look at this. Badass spinach!!! Get your Chloraphyll!! If you do this for lunch every day with various toppings and dressings, think of the good you're doing. Such simple changes to make a huge difference in your health and how you feel. If you pile on the chick peas and kidney beans you get protein and great fiber. This will satisfy you for so long. 

That's all she wrote today. Have a lovely Friday everyone!! 

Enjoy some Led Zep on your way out da door! :D I know I feel great after listening to it! Wooweeee! ;)

xoxoxoxo
Tam

Spicy and Sassy. The way to be!

Howdy! 

I wake up with such a scratchy voice these days. Must be allergy related. Apparently allergies plus sleep turns me into Kathleen Turner. Interesting! ;) 

I kinda fibbed yesterday. I mentioned it was my 69th post. I forgot there was a post I had that I never published that I hadn't deleted. Sooo, yesterday was technically the 68th post. That makes today....*drum roll*......69! Rawr! ;) 

Yesterday, I attended Sammy's little end of year performance in the morning and then worked later. It was cool. Unfortunately Sammy took one look at me and all the parents watching the performance and got stage fright! He's so cute that it doesn't matter. And all the teachers gush about how smart he is. My oldest J.T. has always been super sociable and would talk to people and perform without a problem. Hence why I call him "The Mayor". Sammy on the other hand is just a different kid. He is sweet and laid-back, smart as whip but there is a reason my nickname for him is Marlon Brando. He can have that "brooding" thing going on. They both rock though!! 

I keep reading about turmeric. Like Kale it seems to be getting trendy! But there is a legit reason for it. I  always say I think most of what we need to be healthy is already out there in nature. Turmeric has an abundance of benefits and if you can find a way to incorporate the spice into your diet, then do. If that isn't very easy then you can take supplements. This spice is a very strong anti-inflammatory and has fewer side effects than the pain relievers that are normally used. It has been prescribed in some parts of the world to help with muscle sprains, arthritis, swelling and pain caused by injury or surgery related and even muscle soreness after a great workout. 

Turmeric aids in liver detoxification as well so all the yucky stuff out there in the environment is removed from the body in a safe way. I have talked about anti-aging a lot and this spice will jump start our body's own gene that produces antioxidants. And maybe the biggest benefit of all is that lab studies have shown that it helps slow the growth of cancer cells. 

Plus if you're a foodie, you've been consuming it already. It is one of the ingredients in making curry and is also what is used to give yellow mustard that bright color. Google this kick-ass spice and read about it. Pure awesomeness!!! This is a great link. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=foodspice&dbid=78

You can buy turmeric tea in some stores but you can easily make your own. Boil 4 cups of water. Add 1 teaspoon of ground Turmeric and reduce to a simmer for 10 minutes. Strain through a fine sieve into a cup and add honey and/or lemon to taste. Ground is fine as it is very convenient but if you can get the fresh Turmeric and grate it, the flavor is only enhanced. I love grated, fresh Ginger as well and you can add a bit of that to the tea if you like. Be spicy!! Yeah baby! 

I have to get up and around to take my boys to school and get to work. Have a luvverly day!! 

Again, my song selection doesn't have any relevance to the post. I am just random at times. Teehee! 

My favorite Pearl Jam song. Ahhhh. Good stuff! I do love some Eddie Vedder too! ;) 

I'm posting this one too. Love it as well!! 

Have a lovely day!!

xoxoxox
Tam

Tami Nation Army! :P

Mornin! :) 

This is my 69th post! My my my! I know, I have a dirty mind! ;) 

Why are my eyes feeling so assy this morning? Stinkin allergies! I thought the rain is supposed to help it but right now I want to scratch them out of my head they itch so bad. Sigh!! 

Ahh well, not going to let it ruin the day. I am going to Sammy's little end of year program at school this morning and heading to work late. My babies are getting so big! He did call me from his father's last night crying desperately telling me how much he misses me and just wants to be with me forever. It tears my heart out hearing that. And J.T. told me on Monday that he misses me all the time at his father's and school and he said "I just think about you and want to be near you and it makes me sad". In his little 6 1/2 year old matter of fact voice. Ugh,  I know they will be OK but as the mama bear I just want to make it better. Divorce is never easy on anyone. In this situation it was the best decision but I really hate when my boys are so upset like this. 

I wanted to share my meals yesterday. I know there are some that want ideas of my daily habits. At least those on My Fitness Pal! :) I don't do anything special really or follow a specific plan. I do pay attention to my body and how it responds to food. And eating certain things just makes me feel a lot better and gives me more energy. 

Breakfast was hurried. I had a Chobani Blood Orange yogurt on the way to work. And at work I munched on dry roasted sunflower seeds. So good! Like nuts they do contain calories and fat but they are high in the essential fatty acids our bodies need. Great source of protein, folic acid and vitamin E among others as well as minerals like calcium, iron, magnesium, zinc, manganese and selenium. I also drink green tea and tons of water at work. 

Lunch, I went to Stop n Shop and made a salad. My usual spinach with grilled chicken, carrots, cucumbers, bell pepper and a delicious sesame ginger dressing. Later I had an apricot and munched on some nuts. And more water. 

Dinner I had a lentil salad and mesclun greens with goat cheese, cranberries and pecans. I did have a small piece of veggie pizza. I love bell pepper on pizza! 

If there is a food you can incorporate into your diet to help you feel full it's lentils! They are magic. One cup contains 63% of your daily fiber requirements and a hefty 28% of protein! I ate a few bites of that first and I felt full pretty fast. I couldn't finish the rest of my dinner. 

A few other choices to include if you feel hungry a lot and find it hard to eat less. Split peas are pretty much neck and neck with lentils when it comes to fiber. Of course we all know about beans as well. All of them are good. I add chick peas or kidney beans to my salad in lieu of chicken when they have it. Going meatless some days is very good for you! Broccoli is another good filler! Besides containing 8 g of fiber per cup, it's also a strong detoxifier. And you cannot overeat broccoli. And again berries, especially raspberries and blackberries. They both contain 8g of fiber per cup. I have talked about berries frequently. Don't make me go there again! haha!! 

Fiber and protein are what you should focus you diet on. I never go carb free completely but I eat the good carbs when I can. And protein and fiber will keep you feeling satisfied and not grumpy. If you don't have some sort of protein at pretty much every meal, you will turn into Oscar the Grouch! 

Aiight, time to get around for my day. Have a great one, my friends! Keep it positive, eat well, drink water and listen to music! I am leaving you with some White Stripes again...just cause I can and I love them! This song...makes it physically impossible for me to hold still! 

Haha! Had to share this too. So funny! I do the advice thing but I do have a dry, sarcastic sense of humor at times too! :) 

"As you live deeper in the heart, the mirror gets cleaner and cleaner" - Rumi

xoxoxoxo
Tam

Keep Calm and Carry On!

Good morning everyone! I hope you had a lovely weekend and the week has started off well for you. 

My heart and prayers are with everyone in the path of those tornadoes in Oklahoma. So horrible! The updates seem to be making things worse every time I hear it. 

My Sunday was not what I had expected it to be due to the nonstop rain. NYC is not a very fun place in the rain! But as always Jessie and I laughed at it all. Our plans changed a bit but that's OK! As we were walking towards The Met in the misty rain and our feet were soaked in our shoes (she had ballet flats and I had sandals), we almost got splashed several times by cars, we used the bathroom at Bergdorf Goodman's and dried our feet on the carpet of a bookstore, then looked at each other and said "This is nuts. We can come in another day!!"  so we headed home early. And we were laughing. Only the best for us!! hehe! We pee at Bergdorf's!! :p Since we call each other Lucy and Ethel it did seem a fitting day for us. And honestly, you just have to laugh at it all. 

We did try though. We didn't let it rain on our parade completely. And apparently when trying to keep slippery sandals on your feet in the rain and through puddles walking around NYC, you use certain muscles in your legs that are not used much because I am sore. It's great! Getting home and taking a hot bath and having a cozy evening felt ten times better than it normally would have. We were both exhausted! 

Life seems to constantly give us challenges. People and circumstances to sort of test our strength and character. How do you respond to it? Do you run to the safety of your comfort zone? Or do you face it head on and use the challenges to grow and evolve? I have gone through some toughies for sure. Clearly deciding to separate and divorce at 6 months pregnant with my family across the country was not exactly the best of circumstances. It just seemed so clear to me what had to be done. And really there is never an ideal time for it. I knew it would be hard for awhile but I am given almost daily confirmation that it was the right choice. That's not exactly a fun thing but at least I've never had any doubts about the decision. 

Sometimes I think about the first few weeks/month with my little guy. It's kind of a blur which it tends to be in any circumstance. I had my oldest too. I had a c-section, nobody to help at night and I was nursing. And I had someone making things difficult all the time too. Not what you call an easy time for sure. But I persevered. What do you do in those circumstances? You just keep on, keepin' on! What choice did I have? You just have to get it done. I think of waking up at 2am to nurse. I would turn the TV on for a little bit of light and something to help me stay awake. What else is on at that time of night but TV Land? So it was re-runs of Threes Company. That is burned into my brain and I laugh thinking about it. But I kept things calm and peaceful. Nothing was chaotic. And I just nursed and adored my sweetie pie. Those moments bond you for sure. You feel like you're the only two beings in the world at that moment. Sammy is a very easy-going kid most of the time too. Laid back. Happy. Chilled. I feel like maybe that goes back to those first few moments of life. He met life that was a bit chaotic but we kept things calm and loving and happy where it mattered. I always say I feel like if he could have talked at that time, he'd give me a fist bump and say "I've got your back, mom!" My boys and I are a team. The Three Musketeers! :)

So how exactly do you keep calm and carry on? I think that's my motto these days! :)  First of all, you have to stop over-thinking things so much. We sometimes make things so much worse by letting our imagination dredge up the worst possible scenario when in reality it's not even close to that serious. I have learned to just breathe, live in the moment and try not to think and think. 

Which leads to the next point. Take control of your emotions. You can only control yourself. Everyone else is responsible for their thoughts and behavior. Just take the power back when people or circumstances try to affect your life negatively. Don't give away that power especially to petty, nasty people who will always try to be difficult in some way. It's just not worth it. And living peacefully despite their efforts means you win! 

I have talked before about staying positive. I do live my life in a positive way. Mind over matter some days of course. I do have bad days but when you see others going through so much worse than you it does put a lot into perspective and make you see that your life is pretty damn great in comparison. My boys and I are strong and healthy. At the end of the day that is the important thing. 

Exercise is probably one the best things you can do for yourself, mentally and physically. Nothing calms you better than a good sweat! Even just a fast walk during lunch. Something. Anything is better than sitting there wallowing. 

And try to be compassionate and kind. We will be sharing this planet with other beings the rest of our lives. By choosing to understand them and realize everyone is dealing with their own issues and battles and just being nice you will find yourself enjoying the day a lot more. Some people might mistake the "nice" part of me as being a "Sucker". In reality I'm just choosing to rise above and live my life in a positive, kind way on average. I refuse to let the petty things of life bring me down. Nope, not going to happen!! 

This was a long read again! Sorry! lol! I get to writing and sometimes I need to remind myself to stop. I hope it's helpful though. I truly do! I know sometimes we all need little reminders. If I can help with that at all then it's worth it! 

I hope you all have a great day. Today is the start of my work week. I will make it a good one! I hope you do too! It does appear that Spring/Summer have arrived! 

I love these guys! I listen to them a lot. I grew up with it and hearing it gives me a peaceful, nostalgic feeling. Plus they are just awesome! My mom had all the LP's. Enjoy! 

A photo from last night. I look tired. Because I was. I had a big 1500 calorie burn at the gym earlier and was feeling the fatigue!! I crashed by 9:45 last night. That's after a busy weekend too! :) Sometimes you just have to wave the white flag and go to bed! 

"We do not heal the past by living there; we heal the past by living fully in the present" - Marianne Williamson

xoxoxoxo

Tam

She killed it with kisses. (Great lyrics!)

Good morning!! I am in the midst of my weekend. I was very ready for it. The allergies/sinuses left me completely exhausted. I have slept very hard and deep the last few nights. My body has just needed it. I must be fighting off something. The sinus issue was on the verge of being bad but I fought it! Yesssuhhhh! Being healthy has it's perks for sure. And I'm sure I just jinxed myself. ;)

I am so excited for today. I get to hang out with my bud Jessie! The Lucy to my Ethel. We just have a great time when we hang out. No drama, no weirdness, no rudeness. And we have the same sense of humor and both complete goofballs. We will get a workout from walking all over NYC and belly laughing as we always do when we hang out! We're going to The Metropolitan Museum of Art to see the annual fashion exhibit. She's one of my fashion friends in "the biz" and I saw them promoting the exhibit a couple of weeks ago and thought "I need to go see that with Jess!" so we said "Hell yes!" and put it on our calender. It's a reason to hang out more than anything. Get in the city and spend the day.....and will be fun! Life is so busy and we don't get to hang out as much as we'd like so this will be perfect. Taking the 9:39 train! We have to go from the train at a station a couple of towns over in South Norwalk because I live in the same town as that commuter train collision! So scary! And they are not running here at this time. I told her I didn't care if we had to crawl, we were going to get in and do our thing today! haha!

And then later my boys come home after being gone all weekend. I can't wait to snuggle them!

I have to admit that I have found a new place I want to indulge at. This is a reward after a long workout and eating healthy week. But check it out. In NYC. The Baconery!! http://baconery.com/  I don't eat that kind of thing often but wow...can you imagine?? My eye was drawn to the chocolate bacon with bacon. Seriously?? Where have you been all my life?!

I have been trying to "cute up" my feet for the Spring/Summer. I did get a pedicure which helped. But I like them to be soft and supple. I just found a homemade foot scrub I think I'm going to try. Rosemary and Peppermint! Has to smell amazing. It's 1/4 cup of kosher salt, 1 tbsp table salt, 1 tsp coconut oil, 2 tbsp olive oil, 3 drops peppermint oil and 1/2 tsp rosemary. You could really add whatever oils and herbs you like but I love this combo and can't wait to try it.

I also found a recipe for a homemade vitamin c mask I think I'm going to try. If you have very sensitive skin then you might want to be careful with this. And in general if you feel a burning sensation rinse it off immediately. Vitamin C is very potent but that is why it has long been used for anti-aging.
Mix 1 tbsp of powdered Vitamin C, 2 Vitamin-E liquid gel pills and a few drops of water. Mix together and apply to damp skin. Massage in a circular motion around the face avoiding the eye area. Let sit for 5-10 minutes and then rinse with lukewarm water.

Have a great day everyone. Enjoy your Sunday. I know I will! I have an idea for the next blog. I'm always thinking of different things to share. Sometimes it's hard to limit it to just a couple of things for each blog to avoid it being a book. I know some of them are long!!

I saw the movie Eat, Pray, Love with Jess..and this song is the one they used. So it will be our song for the day. :) Florence and the Machine are great! Again, quirky and different.

Let me leave you with this. Ahhh, sometimes you don't need to go very far for inspiration. 

xoxoxoxo

Tam

Kick some toxin butt!

Good morning! Happy Friday!

It's been a good week. Steady and smooth. I truly hope I didn't just jinx myself. Still feeling a little sinus crap but definitely better. I am currently drinking my 24 ounces of water and brewing my coffee. So I am beginning this blog post without coffee. Perhaps I should post a disclaimer about what I will write before coffee enters my body! :D .........Eh, not doing too shabby I guess. Annnnd I just took a sip of coffee. Ahh love it. I am addicted to it. Sigh! :)

Quick shout out to my cousin Jeremy. I have a large family on my dad's side. My dad is the oldest. Then there is uncle Bill, Uncle Pat, Uncle Mike, Uncle Jon, Aunt Mary and Aunt Barb. And I have cousins from all of them. Jeremy is my Uncle Pat's second son. Did you follow that?? haha!......anyway he does movie reviews on Youtube and has been for a few years and is getting quite the following. Apparently he was in L.A. and met actors Nathan Fillion and Clark Gregg. They recognized him from Youtube. Haha! hilarious. So he then got to interview them. Good for him!! Here is a photo from that chance encounter. :)

If you want to check out his movie reviews, you can find them here. He's pretty funny! This one happens to be The Great Gatsby but he has them for pretty much every movie out and he has reviewed older movies too. We are a bunch of Star Wars nerds so they are in there too! :) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=46Z4V1dNyVM&list=PLAYVa_DOzj13EPAFRJHH2t8uQzpHlAY7c


I really want to get a Vitamix blender. It's like the badass Lamborghini of blenders. But it is very expensive. From what I understand you don't need a juicer and blender as it does the job of both but still. Cha-ching for a blender. Look at this sucker. I would totally pulverize the hell out of everything. I love to cook and puree and want a juicer too. But again, cha-ching! :/

Sometimes I just feel a need to detox myself. When you feel rundown and lack energy and just blah, a detox of some sort can help! It doesn't have to last forever..even a couple of days for a true "cleanse". However if you want to detox in normal, everyday ways..try to incorporate a few simple things into your routine. We all indulge in less than healthy things. Wine, beer, desserts, etc. And including these detox measures can counteract those indulgences as well as environmental factors.

First, drink a cold-pressed juice first thing in the morning on an empty stomach. Your body will absorb the good stuff better. A juice made with ton of greens is especially good. Also, buy a detox tea. Sip on ginger, dandelion root and licorice root a few times a day. Get raw, unfiltered and organic apple cider vinegar. Adding a small amount to a glass of water has amazing benefits including alkalizing the body and detoxifying the liver. And the daily lemon water as I have talked about a few times is a great way to detox. Add a dash of cayenne pepper for some extra "oomph".

Try to eat clean when you can too. Incorporate a lot of fiber and limit the processed stuff and refined sugars and the high mercury fish. That is a hard one for me because I love tuna salad! Ah well, there are other things I love just as much! A good rule of thumb is that larger fish generally have higher levels of mercury. There are certain foods that when eaten regularly provide a continuous cleanse of the kidneys and liver. These include parsley, cilantro (YUM! one of my favs!), cayenne turmeric, red pepper, garlic, lemon, lime, grapefruit, artichokes, beets and cruciferous veggies like broccoli, cauliflower and cabbage.

Sweating every day through exercise is a great way to detox daily! And I take a detox bath regularly. It's kind of a fun experiment. There are reports that if you have a night out and indulge in a lot of alcohol..and take a detox bath, you can smell the alcohol coming out. Interesting eh?? The reason for this is what the bath contains. Epsom salts draw toxins out through the pores and baking soda is naturally alkalizing and helps eliminate the toxins. Add some essential oils for more benefits depending on what you use.

Do this and feel a lot better and have more energy!!

I hope you all have a great weekend. Mine is super busy but a lot of fun things planned. I do work today and tomorrow but that's OK! :)

I will catch you on the flip side!!

I love this song. She's cool and quirky!

xoxoxoxo

Tam

A Hodgepodge Post!

Good morning! Happy Wednesday. 

I hope you had a good night. I did. I went to grab a bite with a group after work. I joined a couple of Meetup groups. They are just for getting out and doing various things. Hiking, etc. I have Tues free (custody wise) and my friends are not always able to get out that night so I joined one for local foodies to try various places. Pretty cool! Had some Italian Tapas and a glass of wine. The shrimp and creamy polenta and scallops were amazing. I did splurge on a scoop of Nutella Gelato too. Nutella is probably one of my favorite indulgences ever. But overall it was a light meal and I didn't feel stuffed. If you live in CT, try this place in Norwalk. http://barsugo.com/ Apparently their meatballs were great. It was very cozy too. 

The Vitamin-C serum I bought seems great! I don't want to give a true review until at least two weeks using it but I am happy with the results so far. I can have sensitive skin and it hasn't done anything yet and it just feels so smooth and soft. The brand is The Mad Hippie. You gotta love that name! And I found it much better priced on Drugstore.com. They have a whole line too. Check it out here. http://www.madhippie.com/ . It's all natural which I love. Vitamin C has been proven to be effective in anti-aging. Check out the ingredient list here and what each item does. http://www.madhippie.com/shop/vitamin-c-serum/

As with any vitamin-C serum, apply it and wait a good 20 minutes before applying any other moisturizer. Give it a good chance to soak into your skin. It takes very little so it will last a long time and it's probably a quarter of the price of most of vitamin-c serums out there. You can read the various reviews on their website and on Drugstore.com as well. And men, this can work for you too! :) 

I like to check out ideas for quick morning workouts. I can't get to the gym every day but I like to do something every day. As I've said before I will do calf raises at work sometimes when standing for awhile. I'm such a goof!! But they work. 

I just read this for a quick idea to burn 100 calories. 
March in place for 1 minute
Jog in place for 1 minute
Jumping Jacks for 1 minute
Long Jumps for 1 minute
Jog Lightly for 1 minute
Jumping Jacks for 1 minute
Squat and kick, Alternating Legs for 1 minute
Jog lightly for 1 minute
Long Jumps for 1 minute 

Most of that seems simple and easy enough. I'd like to test the calorie burn with a heart rate monitor to see. Long jumps though?! I'm not sure that would be great on my back!! With my clumsiness I just don't see that ending well. :p The rest are easy enough. Jumping jacks are great. If you want to get your heart rate up and it's hard to do anything else, do those! 

Here is another idea. The absence of long jumps seems safer for me!! lol! 
15 push ups
20 sit ups
25 squats
20 alternating lunges
80 jumping jacks
60 second wall sit
Repeat 3 times. 

As I type this, they just said on the news that the average woman's handbag contains more bacteria than the average toilet seat. And leather bags are the worst. Now that is disgusting!!! Thanks for such a lovely way to think during the day! hehehe! Now every woman is going to go disinfect her bag. :p

I have thought of doing this in the Fall. It's fun. I did the red ombre..but the red fades really fast. This would be subtle but fun. And temporary. I would only have it on the ends as the ombre style is. But this color is pretty and not too flashy. Hmm, we'll see!! I just luuurrrve purple. Not quite sure it needs to be on my hair yet though. It's badass in a mature way. 

This was one of my favorite songs for a long time when it came out. I was a whippersnapper...but it remains a favorite. I appear to have always been pretty eclectic with music. I come by it honestly as my parents are the same. I love Aimee Mann! She's been around a long time too! :) 

Yet another photo. It's a hodgepodge day here! I am so random. I hope all y'all don't mind! :D My mom, brother and myself. Proof that I've always been a goofy cheeseball! :) And hey my brothers socks match my shirt. That is not fashion that is easily copied! :p

"Beauty is not in the face; beauty is a light in the heart" - Kahil Gibran

Have a great day!! 
xoxoxo
Tam