Sunday, August 2, 2015

house to home : August goals

August Goals

Personal...

  1. Read 2 books - last month on our vacation I got through 3 amazing books.  I am ready to keep this up!  This month, Still Alice & The Immortal Life of Henrietta Lacks.
  2. Work out 3 times a week, don't skip Mondays - I started a 5K trainer last month but stopped when we went on vacation.  Need to start again.  And take advantage of the last days of summer, swim long course at our YMCA.
  3. No phone during day - other than phone calls!

Around the house...

  1. Start on my fall and winter crafts for decorating.  I have already started adding Pins on Pinterest for my Halloween board.  For some reason I love spiders at Halloween and am really going to try to decorate our house exterior with larger than life spiders.
  2. Finish Maku's first year scrapbook - considering she is now 3 1/2, I should get moving on this before she starts preschool at the end of the month.
  3. Paint my thrift store campaign desk and upholster the coordinating chair for Maku.  I've heard that the best time to paint furniture is when it's hot outside, and right now it's hot outside.  
So that's it.  Whew.



Wednesday, June 4, 2014

mommyhood musings : whole30 challenge & preparing for the beach

 i've finally decided to bite the bullet and kick all of my nasty habits.  i eat like a college student.  i drink like one too.  i am living in my 24 year old body rather than my 34 year old.  i am a mother now, a wife, and most importantly, an adult.  taking responsibility is necessary.  

coincidentally, in 21 days, i'll be leaving for a beach vacation with our family. every year we go to hilton head, south carolina.  i want to use these 21 to reset my habits.  again, coincidentally the 30th day will be the 4th of july.  what better day to celebrate than the 4th of july?

The Whole30 Program
Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed.
More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.
  • Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.
  • Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
  • Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
  • Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
  • Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
  • Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.
  • Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.
  • Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!
One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale for the duration of your Whole30 program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus only on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic (and lifelong) benefits this plan has to offer. Give yourself a well-deserved, long overdue break from fixating on that number on the scale! Absolutely NO weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.


i am confident.  i am committed. 




The Whole30 Program, As Outlined

Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed.
More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.
  • Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.
  • Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
  • Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
  • Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
  • Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
  • Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.
  • Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.
  • Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!
One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale for the duration of your Whole30 program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus only on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic (and lifelong) benefits this plan has to offer. Give yourself a well-deserved, long overdue break from fixating on that number on the scale! Absolutely NO weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/2010/12/whole30-2011/#sthash.fRMxAjSw.dpuf

The Whole30 Program, As Outlined

Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed.
More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.
  • Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.
  • Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
  • Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
  • Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
  • Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
  • Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.
  • Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.
  • Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!
One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale for the duration of your Whole30 program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus only on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic (and lifelong) benefits this plan has to offer. Give yourself a well-deserved, long overdue break from fixating on that number on the scale! Absolutely NO weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/2010/12/whole30-2011/#sthash.fRMxAjSw.dpuf

The Whole30 Program, As Outlined

Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed.
More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.
  • Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.
  • Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
  • Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
  • Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
  • Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
  • Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.
  • Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.
  • Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!
One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale for the duration of your Whole30 program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus only on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic (and lifelong) benefits this plan has to offer. Give yourself a well-deserved, long overdue break from fixating on that number on the scale! Absolutely NO weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/2010/12/whole30-2011/#sthash.fRMxAjSw.dpuf

The Whole30 Program, As Outlined

Eat real food – meat, fish, eggs, tons of vegetables, some fruit, and plenty of good fats. Eat foods with very few ingredients, all pronounceable ingredients, or better yet, no ingredients listed at all because they’re natural and unprocessed.
More importantly, here’s what NOT to eat during the duration of your Whole30 program. Omitting all of these foods and beverages will help you regain your healthy metabolism, reduce systemic inflammation, and help you discover how these foods are truly impacting your health, fitness and quality of life.
  • Do not consume added sugar of any kind, real or artificial. No maple syrup, honey, agave nectar, Splenda, Equal, Nutrasweet, xylitol, stevia, etc. Read your labels, because companies sneak sugar into products in all kinds of ways.
  • Do not eat processed foods. This includes protein shakes, pre-packaged snacks/meals, protein bars, milk substitutes, etc.
  • Do not drink alcohol, in any form.
  • Do not eat grains. This includes (but is not limited to) wheat, rye, barley, millet, oats, corn, rice, sprouted grains and all of those gluten-free pseudo-grains like quinoa. (Yes, we said corn!) This also includes all the ways we add wheat, corn and rice into our foods in the form of bran, germ, starch and so on. Again, read your labels.
  • Do not eat legumes. This includes beans (black, kidney, lima, etc.), peas, lentils, and peanuts or peanut butter. This also includes all forms of soy – soy sauce, miso, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and all the ways we sneak soy into foods (like lecithin).
  • Do not eat dairy. This includes all cow, goat or sheep’s milk, cream, butter, cheese, yogurt, whey, ice cream, etc.
  • Do not eat white potatoes. It’s arbitrary, but they are carbohydrate-dense and nutrient poor, and also a nightshade.
  • Most importantly… do not try to shove your old, unhealthy diet into a shiny new Whole30 mold. This means no “Paleo-fying” less-than-healthy recipes – no “Paleo” pancakes, “Paleo” pizza, “Paleo” fudge or “Paleo” ice cream. Don’t mimic poor food choices during your Whole30 program!
One last and final rule. You are not allowed to step on the scale for the duration of your Whole30 program. This is about so much more than just weight loss, and to focus only on your body composition means you’ll miss out on the most dramatic (and lifelong) benefits this plan has to offer. Give yourself a well-deserved, long overdue break from fixating on that number on the scale! Absolutely NO weighing yourself or taking comparative measurements during your Whole30.
- See more at: http://whole30.com/2010/12/whole30-2011/#sthash.fRMxAjSw.dpuf

Thursday, May 22, 2014

mommyhood musings: wardrobe additions

sorry for the hiatus!

we just picked up my mother-in-law from Chicago last weekend, as she is visiting us from Kathmandu for the next 2 months!  everyone always asks me how that is, having you MIL visiting for 2 months, as a houseguest.  It's really quite simple, she is one of 7 sisters, and she is totally a woman's woman.  it's super easy. and super fun.

before we went to chicago, i got a day off to do some shopping and learned that i desperately needed a day of shopping and i also needed some wardrobe additions. j.crew was my tried and true hit, i scored some layering cardigans and two great pants.

we have a great tjmaxx here that has a Runway area, with tons of designer pieces.  they also have designer shoes.  i picked up two pairs of coach shoes, 1 sandal and 1 flat, as well as two tees.

Tuesday, April 22, 2014

house to home : painting

i've been thinking a lot about our palette in the house, and have a few areas i still want to change or that we never painted when we moved in.   our house is a 1920's house with beautiful pine floors, and white molding, open and airy.

on the first floor, we painted our living room, and stairwell to second floor hallway in this beautiful Martha Stewart Sea Anemone.
our dining room is Martha Stewart Spring Melt.

we just committed to Martha Stewart Heavy Goose for our beautiful kitchen remodel...
let's talk upstairs!
now that our closets are finally getting in, we have to paint the interiors. 
our master bedroom isn't that big of a decision, as we are sticking with the same original color we used when we moved in, Martha Stewart Whetstone Grey.
the study and maku's room are both this beautiful Martha Stewart Smoke Bush Rose.
now that i am fully in love with both of these room colors upstairs, i started looking for complimentary colors.  i found this palette and fell in love.  we tried gloaming in the master but felt it was too pink, but i am still wondering how it may work for the hallway?
ultimately, Gloaming is too pink and Orchid is too purple for my tastes but i have always gravitated towards the Magnolia Grandflora.  we decided to use that for our guest room.
but here is the color i am absolutely in love with from the palette...Peony.
i am thinking of using this in the bathroom, paired with the white beadboard and a black high gloss bathtub, i think will be perfect.

so basically light blues downstairs and pink tones upstairs...i love it.





Thursday, April 3, 2014

OBSESSED: Friday Finds

time for my friday finds...if only i had an allowance and a spare storage unit somewhere!  hey, a girl can dream, right?

pair of concrete foo dogs. $40.
brass bar cart.  $38.
brass camel. $20.
asian chest. $150.

mommy musings: spring outfits

spring is here and i have nothing to wear.  surprise, surprise. i am looking through my closet seeing a ton of sweet "pieces" but no classics.  i tend to gravitate toward the more showy items and neglect classic, timeless staples.  time for that to change.

staple #1 - white converse sneakers
i had a pair and wore the hell out of them a few years ago.  i would die for a new pair.
perfection with worn boyfriend jeans.
a classic spring trench, and skinny jeans.
bit more trendy floral denim and loose top. 
via whatiwore.  classic, versatile army jacket with neutrals.
classic cool.
loving the breton stripe shift dress silhouette.


staple #2 - white denim.

loving the flare and simplicity.

denim jacket perfection.
this is great for some of our chilly days.
sheridan french brilliance.  beautiful warm day outfit.
staple #3 - denim jacket
denim jacket perfection.