Girls Weekend in Denver

2014 is off to quite an interesting start.  Started a brand new project at work, neck deep in Junior League adventures, 6 months to find a new apartment....it's a little overwhelming. Perfect time for a girls weekend away!

MLK weekend I headed to Denver for a mini-college reunion with some girlfriends. I'd never been to Denver (well outside of the airport) and honestly, I quite remember why it was chosen. It was great to see everyone and explore a new city...also I'd be lying if I didn't say I was excited to put my new, Christmas, cashmere to use! Lots of good food, vintage shopping, microbrews . absolutely gorgeous snow covered mountains in the back drop. Can't wait to go back!

Rocky Mountain Backdrop

Some of the girlies and I on the gondola up the mountain in Breckenridge

So not a skier on any level

Cashmere and Fur

12 carat sapphire in a vintage jewelry shop on Larimer Square

Whole Living

I spent the wonderful Christmas holiday back in the midwest for a week! It was beautiful, but freezing white Christmas. The only real complaints I had were a gross, flaky, dry face and no appropriate product to help  and all the heavy cream/egg/sugar/carb based foods that were consumed. I even spent 2 days sick on the couch from richness, and probably dairy overload.  In an effort to get back on track I did some investigating and  have decided to try the 2013 version of the Whole Living Action Plan to Kick off the year.

A few years ago I found the 2011(?) version on Pinterest.  Back then it required a juicer and I wasn't about to go out an buy one. It also had new recipes every day for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner. A single, working gal on a budget just cannot swing that much shopping and cooking. I tried doing it with smoothies and rotating recipes, but it was still expensive and time consuming.

They've updated and cut down their meal plans and really focused on making them user friendly/make-ahead-able. Per their website:

How This Cleanse Works
1. Go Step By StepWe built this plan around a simple base diet of lentils, fruits and vegetables, and nuts and seeds; these (plus oils and seasonings) are the only ingredients allowed for the first week. The subsequent weeks introduce variety, including fish and gluten-free grains in Week 2 and eggs in Week 3.  

2. Devise a StrategyWe realize that making all of the plan’s recipes is no easy feat. So we’ve streamlined things this year with weekly meal-by-meal plans. To ease prep, some recipes have a make-ahead component, and most recipes make big batches, so you’ll always have a selection of leftovers in the fridge. 

3. Make It Your OwnWhile there are 45 recipes in the cleanse, you can certainly improvise meals; simply follow the ingredient guidelines for each week. You can also carry over your favorite dishes as you enter a new week. Do keep in mind that while you should keep portions modest, counting calories is not part of the program. “This is not a calorie-restricted diet,” Blum says. “This is about food choices.” 

 I took a trip to Whole Foods (in an effort to go completely 'clean') and only spent $45 on everything for the first week! I couldn't believe it. I'm starting today so I'll keep you updated on how it's going and how I'm feeling a long the way.

This year I will....

.....travel more

.....worry less

.....budget better

.....find a new apartment

.....blog more

.....start a 5-year plan

.....own it!

2013 in Review

Um do I really need to say it? 2013 FLEW BY. Like. A. Speed. Train. It was filled with a lot of learning, loving, wine tasting apparently and embracing life. I guess if I had to pick 1 word to describe it would be LOVE.

I was gone the first half the year being  swept up by the heat of film production...and meeting a boy. We had a few ups and downs but it's hard to believe that it's almost a year since he came up to me at the bar I was at for my Birthday Party and asked if I wanted a drink. You might remember me mentioning how scared I was to host a birthday party out here, as most of the people I considered (mentally) my friends are still in the Midwest. As stupid as it sounds, I was completely surprised how many people actually showed up. So many people that, in the back of my mind I loved, also loved me back.

I also went to 4 weddings this year! Long time friends and short time friends there was a lot of celebrating the love of 2 people and each other.  2013 was one giant Love Fest in my head and this Flipagram is my ode to it!

Sniffle Season

Like clockwork, right around Christmas {usually during} I get a bad case of the sniffles. With temps in the high 20's out here this weekend, I think they were brought on early, with a raging sore throat. I've been trying to stay warm and hydrated with lots and lots of tea. I'm straight tea drinker. No sugar, cream or honey ever.  My favorites are Bigelow Constant Comment, Peets Masala Chai and Winter Solstice and Numi Rooibos Chai. All very citrus-y, spicey and Christmas-y.

There is something in cough medicine and drops that makes me really nauseated, so last night, when I needed to up my game with this sore throat business I decided to give the mysterious Hot Toddy a try. I think it comes up every winter at holiday parties and general, what is a Hot Toddy? I was chatting with a co-worker at a party recently who told me even when she was a kid her mom would make her Hot Toddies for when she had a cold. If a mom swears by it enough to give alcohol to her child it has to do something right?

 

1 oz brandy, whiskey, or rum
1 Tbsp honey
1/4 lemon
1 cup hot water
1 tea bag

 

Directions:

Coat the bottom of your coziest mug in Honey

Add the shot of your favorite liquor

Add Juice of 2 lemon Slices

Heat Warm Water and Soak Tea bag

Add Tea, Slice of Lemon and Cinnemon Stick to Mug

Enjoy

To google I went and found a whiskey based recipe {I just can't stomach rum much any more and I'm not old enough for Brandy}. A little honey, whiskey, lemon and Constant Comment tea in my mug and it was suprisingly soothing! I don't know if it was the whiskey or the honey, but one of these before bed does things Nyquil wish it could. Also, it's Christmas-y and I support all things Christmas.

Wednesday Wisdom

I saw this on Pinterest and it really hit home for me. It's something I've been working on and really helps when looking at the blessings in your life. I highly suggest taking this online quiz {and encouraging family, friends, co-workers, significant others etc} to as well. It really helps you understand each other better, and the was we express/receive love and appreciate best. Especially with the holiday's approaching and spending time with people you love, but don't always see eye-to-eye with!!

Thanksgiving Weekend {a.k.a Christmas Prep}

I chose to spend Thanksgiving in San Francisco again this year. The stress of 2 days of traveling for 2-3 days of Family and Friend chaos has just proven to be exhausting. Especially if I'm returning in a few weeks for Christmas.

Thanksgiving itself was pretty relaxed. The BF and I took a small hike through the Presidio, watched a little of the Cowboy's game {....I napped} and went to his former co-worker's house for the meal. His co-worker is Philipino so it was kind of fun to have some different food mixed in with the usual Thanksgiving fare.

The rest of the weekend was prepping for Christmas. With only 25 days to celebrate this year, I wanted to jump right in!

I got this gorgeous bay leaf wreath at Trader Joe's for only $10!  I 'fake' hung it with red grosgrain ribbon. I didn't trust the ribbon to hold it on it's own so I used a wreath hanger and then pulled the ribbon up from the top! I'm kind of obsessed with how perfectly it goes with our new Red Front Door!

I purchased gifts for my Grandma's a few months ago, and have since been looking for the perfect ribbon to go with my classic brown wrapping paper. I love how simple and elegant it looks! I ventured to Britex in Union Square {braving the crowds of out-of-towners}. I'd never been there before, but for having 3 stories filled with every button, ribbon, fabric, sequin you could ever want I of course found what I was looking for almost instantly. This dark evergreen ribbon, it's grosgrain with a little stretch for fitting around the packages.

Saturday night Emily and I went to Book of Mormon! First time seeing it and it was spectacular! Everything I hoped for and more. I'm going again Thursday with the BF and cannot wait. We tried to get a pic doing the exuberant jumping pose from the banner. Obviously #nailedit.