Thrifty Thursday: Doll Dresses

I love baby doll dresses - they are feminine, comfy and versatile. You can wear them casually, to work or even a dinner date!

I recently purchased two baby doll dresses from Forever21 - one was even $6.99! Check out Forever21, Charlotteruse, Modcloth and Target for inexpensive dresses.

Tasty Tuesday: Order-In

Last night we were being lazy and wanted to food-to-go. So, Bahia Don Bravo it was! Located on Grand Ave in an unassuming strip mall, this small, authentic Mexican food restaurant has promised to serve some of the best burritos and tacos in town. Definitely a place to check out!

Motivation Monday: Body Language

It's my daily morning routine to review Huffington Post on my phone - for inspiration, curiosity, entertainment and procrastination. Over the weekend, I watched a Ted Talk from Amy Cuddy, an American social psychologist known for her research on stereotyping and discrimination, emotions, power, nonverbal behavior, and the effects of social stimuli on hormone levels [source: Wikipedia].

Despite the obvious content, I still felt the message was positive and a good reminder to showcase the best version of yourself...even if you are faking it to make it (or "become it" as Amy Cuddy suggests).

Check it out!

What's New Wednesday

What's new?! The P2K shooting range! Check it out - it's great for beginners as the employees provide you a lot of support both during the check-in process and in the indoor range. It was a ton of fun - both challenging, and adventurous. I'm excited to go back and try the clay range.

Here's a video recap of my shooting experience.

Tasty Tuesday: Healthy Lunches

In effort to feel better and have more energy, I'm making my lunches, employing some of the yummy recipes I've pinned. Instead of nuking a "healthy" microwaveable meal, I'm going to substitute with wraps and salads. Check out my first day!

Humus + Cucumber + Bell Pepper Wrap

Motivation Monday: Self-love

As I get older, I am becoming more comfortable in my skin. But it's a journey. I must admit begrudgingly that I still have moments, days, weeks or even months that I feel insecure, ugly, unsuccessful, socially awkward and/or petty. 

Just today, for example, my hubby surprised me with a trip to the shooting range - something I have been itching to do for years to relive my "army" days. But I found myself feeling upset by the the reflection in the mirror, my nervousness in handling a weapon again and my inability to hit the target. That kind of negative feeling was clouding my fun, and that's just plain stupid. 

So, I thought I would focus today's post on ways to strike a comfort level with oneself. Here are some tips found from a couple trusted sources: tiny Buddha and source of light.

1. Become the real you. Being authentic is your ticket to joy, success, energy, and manifesting your dreams. And you’re not doing this to better serve the world; you’re doing it to better serve you. 
2. Practice self-love. Money, love, health, and romance hinges on your level of self-love. The circumstances of your life provide you an accurate measure of how much you love yourself and what you believe you deserve. 
3. Trust yourself. Stop trying to justify and rationalize your most heartfelt desires. Your desires are the clearest indicator of who you are. Denying them is denying you. No one needs to understand why you want what you want. You don’t even need to understand it yourself. Just trust it, trust yourself, and manifest it. 
4. Take ownership. Taking full responsibility for the life you’ve created for yourself is empowering. But it requires honesty, reflection and openness.
5. Shift your thinking. Most of us, at some level, harbor the same fears, the same tragic self-doubts, and the same profound longings to be liberated from our self-made prisons. If you aren’t living the life you crave, take the steps to discover which of your beliefs are keeping you from it and what you can do about that. 
6. Dream and live. Stop limiting yourself according to what seems practical. Practical goals do not inspire passion to propel you forward. Hurl yourself recklessly to live your dreams.

Happy Valentine's Day Weekend

 

This weekend marked 10 years of Valentine's Days spent with my valentine, and I feel very lucky. Has it always been easy? Heck no! But it has always been worth it...and goofy! Love you, Nick!

In order to celebrate our decade of love, we had a big weekend - well, big for us. We tend to be homebodies; so, going out two nights in a row is an accomplishment. =) We kicked off our celebration Friday night with dinner, a drink at Maloney's and the Brian Regan show at the historic Balboa Theatre. The next day, we hung out with one of my closest friends from college, Megan and her boyfriend, Andrew in Old Town, San Diego at Cafe Coyote and then the Old Town Saloon. Sunday? Dinner at Blazin' Grill and games at The Bar Key. And then capped our weekend at a shooting range, P2K Range. Such an exciting - yet exhausting - weekend!

Thrifty Thursday: Valentine's Day

Any excuse to dress up, I'm there! And with tomorrow being our 10th Valentine's Day together, I'm excited to celebrate with my husband!

Check out some ideas for a thrifty, yet sweet Valentine's Day outfit:

Charlotte Ruse ($12.99)

Modcloth ($24.99)

Modcloth ($32.99)

Target ($10)

What's New Wednesday

Circa 2006? Forgot to take a photo last night! WHOOPS!

Last night, I met up with some dear friends from my Red Cross days - Christine and Shabnam. We were celebrating Christine's new role within the Red Cross in Sacramento - go Christine!! To send her off right, we went to happy hour at Christopher's On Congress in Old Town. You must check it out! It has a great wine and beer selection and awesome appetizers. I plan to go back very soon!

Tasty Tuesday: Ropa Vieja

Lately our Saturdays consist of errands, chores, workouts, movies and big dinners. This Saturday, my husband introduced a Cuban recipe: Ropa Vieja, which actually translates into "old clothes"...hmm. Regardless of the unfortunate translation, it was delicious! Check it out!

Ingredients
3 pounds flank steak
3/4 cup seasoning (Nick's secret!!)
2 bottles of Red Stripe (ya 'mon)
Red, green and yellow bell pepper strips
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Directions
Cut the flank steak into large pieces and place them in a large bowl. In a small bowl, combine the ingredients to make a paste. Rub the paste into the meat, add the beer, and let marinate for 15 minutes in the refrigerator. Grilled for 7 minutes on each side.

Transfer the meat, as well as the marinade to a crock pot and bring to a boil over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer until the meat is tender, about 3 hours.

Remove the meat from the pot and reserve the cooking liquid. Using 2 forks, shred the meat and set it aside. Serve with rice.
Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ingrid-hoffmann/shredded-steak-with-peppers-onions-and-tomatoes-ropa-vieja-recipe.html?oc=linkback

Motivation Monday: Energy

Lately I have been exhausted, barely able to stay up past 8/9pm (old lady alert!). While I have recently caught up on years of sleep deprivation, I feel like I'm not able to function socially! So, I need to find ways to gain more energy to enjoy time with my hubby and friends.

Here are some tips to re-energize throughout the day - whether at work or on the weekend. Most of these tips are suggested via zenhabits.com.

1. Enjoy an afternoon power snack. A healthy snack that is low in sugar and high in protein and/or fiber (e.g., mixed nuts, nonfat yogurt, apple with peanut butter, trail mix or a granola bar) will replenish your energy and help you finish off the day strong.
   
   • Incorporate eggs into your diet. Protein makes you feel fuller without feeling stuffed, and they provide a steady stream of energy for your body.  
   • Eat yogurt. Yogurt with live cultures keep your digestive system clean, which helps your body absorb all the nutrients from food. That makes you healthier and more energetic. Yogurt is also a good low-fat snack.
2. Take a power nap. But do it in your chair. Don’t lie down on the sofa or you won’t get back up. Keep it short: 5-10 minutes max. Any longer and it will be counterproductive
   
   • Wake up at the same time everyday. Including weekends. This sets your body clock. The key is to go to bed at the same time every night. If you need to reset your sleep cycle in one day, stop eating for the 16 hours before the time you want to wake up.
3. Use caffeine wisely. Coffee can boost your alertness, but be careful about letting it be a habitual crutch.
   
   • Enjoy a cup of tea. In a recent study, University College London researchers noted that drinking a cup of tea 4-6 time a day reduces stress hormone levels in your body. The study’s results suggest “drinking black tea may speed up our recovery from the daily stresses in life.”
   • Drink lots of water. Dehydration is a definitely a cause of fatigue. Try to drink a 32 oz (1 quart, 4 cups) water bottle twice a day.
4. Get on your toes. Roll up and down on your toes. This stimulates your circulatory system, which will deliver much-needed oxygen and fuel throughout your body. You’ll be more energized and sharper. 
   
   • Stand up, stretch and take a couple of deep breaths. Stretch your arms, back, legs, and neck. Take a deep breath through your nose, hold it, and let it out slowly and forcefully. Repeat several times. This will take 30 seconds and will be an instant fix. When you sit back down, you’ll have the clear head and fresh feeling needed to power through the tough/boring task in front of you.
   • Take a walk outside. Getting outside for some fresh air, a change of scenery, and a quick walk to get your blood going will do wonders for your mood and motivation. Seeing the sun is a signal to your body that it’s not bedtime yet.
5. Get your world organized. When your world is organized, you don’t have to expend mental energy keeping track of a million things.
6. Look on the bright side. A generally upbeat and optimistic outlook on life will keep your energy level up. Yes, the worst thing that can happen might actually happen, but giving it too much worry will only drain you. Look for the positive in every situation and you won’t be so tired.
7. Take a mini-vacation. Take one day and just do whatever you want. No work, no chores, no errands. Enjoy your one full day of vacation, then come back to work more motivated and energetic.
8. Shed a few pounds. The things you do to lose weight — exercise, drink water, avoid simple sugars — are actions that also have a positive effect on your energy level. Even better, the actual loss of excess fat provides an energy boost of its own.
9. Listen to tunes while you work. Throwing on the headphones and listening to any music you like while working will give you a productivity boost.
10. Dress up. Feeling better about yourself has a magical way of giving you more energy. Put just a tad more effort into looking your best for work, and you’ll get compliments from coworkers that will make you feel better — and make you a perkier, more energetic worker bee.
11. Have a laugh. Laughter is great medicine for exhaustion. Make sure you laugh regularly to keep your mood up.
12. Socialize. Turn off the computer, put down your Kindle, set aside your iPhone and  socialize with friends. Humans are social animals, and we need regular socializing to keep ourselves in peak health and energy.

Tasty Tuesday: Artichoke Dip

For the Superbowl (oh, sorry big game...or rather Seahawks' blowout...or a very bad day for Manning), my hubby whipped up a delicious batch of spinach artichoke dip. While I'm not allowed to disclose his secret weapon, I have permission to list the main ingredients.

Ingredients

1 (10-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach
2 (13 3/4-ounce) cans artichoke hearts
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/2 cup sour cream

2 tbsp minced garlic
1 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1 cup shredded Italian cheeses mix

1 tbsp salt 

1/4 bag of pearl onions

Directions

Pre-heat the spinach and pearl onions in pan on stove and then add to crock pot on low heat. Drain the artichoke hearts and add to crock pot.

Combine all the ingredients except the cheese in a large bowl. Stir well. Scrape into crock pot and sprinkle the cheese on top. Keep on low for 2-hours minutes. Serve with bagel chips, Frito chips, crackers or tortilla chips.

Motivation Monday: Difficult Convos

Today I have to make two uncomfortable phone calls for work - without getting into the specifics, I have to admit I'm nervous about saying the "right" thing in order to not offend the persons on the receiving end. In my research in mitigating any further issues, I stumbled upon these tools in dealing with a difficult conversation. Read below - this advice is helpful for both your professional and personal life.

1. Open the lines of communication and ask for input; this will greatly reduce defensiveness.
2. Acknowledge your counterparts willingness to talk. Thank them for having the conversation with you - it will make the discussion a team effort. It will also make having the next difficult conversation easier.
3. Set a time limit. If you need to continue the conversation, make an appointment to do so, that way things aren't left hanging.
4. Paraphrase each others' comments - recapping what you heard will help eliminate any miscommunication.
5. Work out a compromise. Relationships - professional or personally - are about compromise.
6. Make a list of your questions as well as comments beforehand. It always makes it easier to remember and stay on topic if you have something in writing. It also helps you make certain you address the issue.
7. Be okay with being wrong. Difficult conversations don't always end the way you anticipate. Sometimes an apology or a change of mind is appropriate.
8. Respect expert advice. If you go to a therapist or read something that defends or rebuts your opinions, take the time to consider it. No one knows everything.
9. Understand the emotional component. Discuss your feelings and ask for theirs. Using "I" statements when sharing your feelings will minimize any feelings of guilt or anger.

Wish me luck! =)