Everyday Paleo Workshop Recap
As some of you know from my Facebook page, I attended Jason Seib and Sarah Fragoso’s Everyday Paleo workshop this past Saturday. It was my second time attending, but this time it was at Jason’s gym, Clackamas Physical Conditioning, about 25 minutes from my house. Last time, I drove four hours to attend their workshop in Grant’s Pass, Oregon and it was well worth it. Anyway, there were about 100 or so people in attendance, including Cain Credicott of Paleo Magazine, Tammy Credicott of The Healthy GF Life and author of Paleo Indulgences, Ute of Grokette’s Primal Musings and FastPaleo.com, the founders of Fatworks and more! It was such a great crowd! I was humbled to have a few people come up to me and ask if I was Paleo in PDX, and then proceed to introduce themselves. It was kind of strange, but neat at the same time.
Great crowd! (Photo credit: Everyday Paleo).
The infamous, Deb Hunter, helping Sarah. (Photo credit: Grokette’s Primal Musings).
You know what really made me feel special though? Being invited to the cool kids party after the workshop. Jason invited me over to his house for dinner that evening to hang with him, his family, the Fragoso’s, Tammy and Cain, and possibly some others. I had to about pinch myself thinking about the awesome offer. Holy sh*t, I felt honored and like a really flippin’ cool lady. Sadly, I could not attend because Jesse and I had plans at 4 p.m. to meet our friend who’s officiating our wedding, and I really didn’t want to cancel with the wedding only 4-ish weeks away (and considering the fact that we hadn’t even discussed anything with him yet). If I would’ve known beforehand and not the day of (thanks, Jason), I could have planned for it, but it was too short notice. So, it’ll have to happen another time and I’m confident that something of the sorts will. Still though, isn’t that pretty rad?!
Preach it, Jason! (Photo credit: Grokette’s Primal Musings).
Anyway, back to the actual workshop. It was so engaging, even a second time around. I learned new things and took completely different notes than I did before. The questions and discussion always change, of course, based on the audience. This particular audience asked a lot of questions! Jason was as science-y, thorough and funny as ever, and Sarah was down to earth, vibrant and spoke from the heart. They really complement one another well and make a great team. Here are some of my takeaways this time around:
- When you intervene on original diets, disease interferes. We changed the rules with the introduction of agriculture and processed foods, which is why we have the pronounced rise of modern illness today.
- In a study with over 5,000 Swedish men (I believe it was just men), 74% had undiagnosed celiac disease. Just get it out of your diet, people! Don’t even bother with a test that may or may not even tell you that you have it!
- People are not stuck with autoimmune conditions the rest of their lives (unless a rare, chronic issue), despite what they think or are told. The question that needs to be asked is, “what caused it?” It comes back to systemic inflammation, leaky gut syndrome and celiac disease. There was even a woman in attendance who had been diagnosed with MS and was bound to a WHEELCHAIR! Well, guess what? She switched to a paleo lifestyle and is no longer debilitated, and can walk and move freely! Chill-worthy, right? The proof is in the pudding, folks. This is not the first instance of this I’ve heard either. There is another prime example in Jason’s wonderful book, The Paleo Coach, which I recommend buying if you haven’t already.
- Jason shared a quote from Nora Gedgaudas that is so spot on, “Science isn’t the last word, it’s the latest word.”
- 50 percent or more of people that die of heart disease have LOW cholesterol.
- There is a strong correlation between calcium supplementation and heart attack.
- Eliminating vegetable oils (canola, safflower, sunflower, corn, cottonseed, etc.) from your diet makes it HARDER to get skin cancer.
I see my head! I’m the blonde hair on the far left. (Photo credit: The Healthy GF Life).
- Chia seeds should be treated like grain. (Lucky for me, I already avoid these puppies. They’re SCD-illegal. Isn’t it basically bird seed anyway?).
- A few years ago, an Iowa State professor was fired for saying that cows eat grass! Corn is the answer they were looking for since Iowa grows tons of it.
- If and when you do indulge in booze, drink earlier, so it’s out of your bloodstream before you go to bed.
- There is not a single study showing that people who are on statins live any longer than those not on statins. And, in people who have had a heart attack or have advanced heart disease, studies show that they might live 13 days longer than they would have otherwise. 13 days longer…is it worth all the terrible health risks? Did you know that people at Jason’s gym are not even allowed to be on statins to workout there because of all the risks? You actually have to sign off that you’re not on statins.
- When you yo yo diet, you lose WEIGHT and gain FAT. You don’t want to lose weight, folks because that includes precious muscle mass.
- “Paleo treats,” as a staple are like candy cigarettes.
- STOP doing lots of cardio! Six 20-second row sprint intervals have the same EPOC (Excess Post Oxygen Consumption) as 30-minutes of steady state cardio at 80% VO2max, but without the cortisol and prolonged stress. Do you know what excess cortisol and stress equals? Increased fat storage! (This is not new to me, but I like the study Jason mentioned, especially since I understand the terminology, thanks to exercise science).
- “This isn’t a diet, it’s a perspective and perspective will set you free.” – Jason Seib
**Read about my first time attending Sarah and Jason’s workshop here and here.**
If the Ring Fits…
Not the ring I chose, but it was a close second — another 1920s filigree design. This one had an old European cut diamond. I only got a top view, so wasn’t able to capture the filigree detail on the sides. This picture was actually taken through the magnifying glass with my iPhone. This was from a different antique shop than I got my ring (not Gilt) and actually, I need to be careful sharing this picture because I was told that antique jewelry is heavily regulated. In fact, the guy almost didn’t let me take a photo. Thus, I won’t reveal the jewelry shop name.
Well, Saturday was the big ring shopping day and boy, was it eventful. I’m kind of sad to say it’s over, but the memory is very fond. This truly is such a fun and special time in our lives.
Jesse and I started the day with breakfast out at Besaw’s, my favorite place to go for breakfast in Portland. We had to wait a bit for a table, but expected to do so and weren’t in a huge rush anyway since the first jewelry shop I wanted to go to didn’t open until 11:30.
My favorite breakfast at Besaw’s: 2 over-easy eggs, fresh sauteed veggies, honey-sweetened bacon and a side of avocado.
Anyway, after breakfast, the day unfolded into three jewelry shops, many beautiful rings (I even tried on one that cost about $10,000…a bit over our budget!), clothes and a bow tie for Jesse (very Portland appropriate, if I do say so myself), celebratory wine and Thai food for dinner since we were too exhausted to go grocery shopping and cook afterward. We were gone from about 9:45 am – 7 pm!
Jesse trying some duds on at Lizard Lounge and no, we did not buy this shirt and tie combo. We went with a lightweight white shirt with thin dark blue stripes and a maroonish bow-tie. Bow-ties are a big thing in Portland and Jesse said he wanted one. Now, he just needs to learn how to tie it! My friend, Brooke, did a great job helping us pick stuff out and repeatedly tried to tie the bow tie that none of us could figure out! Oh, and we didn’t buy pants here, but did find a nice pair at the Prana store for Jesse.
Thai food to end our great day. This is my red curry with chicken.
With some hot unsweetened Thai tea, of course.
I tried on so many rings and repeated the words, “it’s beautiful,” and “Jesse, look at this one,” more than I could begin to count. With all the rings I liked, I could have had one for every finger…and then some. I knew though, right away, when I found “the one.” What’s funny, is that I found it at the first jewelry store too and knew it was the going to be the one I’d pick. Still though, I had to go elsewhere and reassure myself. I went to two antique/vintage jewelry stores and one modern jewelry store, all of which were in NW Portland.
I actually decided on two rings, even though I thought I’d only pick one, so I have both a band and an engagement ring. The band is a 1930s white gold ring with a stream of little diamonds on top and the engagement ring is a 1920s white gold filigree design with an old mine cut diamond (diamond estimated to be from the 1890s). I can’t share pictures because they’re being re-sized and won’t be ready for 7-10 days. I’ll share a picture on Facebook of my engagement ring when I get it back, but will wait on the other until it’s official. Oh, and Jesse picked a simple white gold band from the same shop where I got mine. It’s a modern estate band, but the time period is unknown. Overall, we’re very happy and excited about our choices. I can’t wait to get my engagement ring back and wear it!
Celebratory chardonnay at Cafe Nell after a long, but successful day!
Cause for Excitement
Wow, it’s been one heck of a week in terms of school and activity, and my body has felt the brunt of it. Thankfully, the school week is over and I now have room to think more about the things I’m excited about. Here’s what I’m especially stoked about right now:
- Ring shopping this weekend: Do I need to say any more here? Oh my goodness, I can’t wait! Jesse and I are going out to breakfast on Saturday and then starting from there. We’re going to Gilt Vintage & Artisan Jewelry to look at some antique pieces (I love the idea of having a ring with a background story!) and will scope out a couple other recommended places as well (Alchemy and Judith Arnell Jewelers). We’re also going ceremony outfit shopping for Jesse. We’re keeping our little ceremony a bit more casual (but nice, of course) and Jesse is really not a suit guy, so we’re going an alternate route. I think it’ll be better this way and why not pay money for something that can be worn again? Jesse and I are practical people, so this makes the most sense for us. I’ll recap about all this after the weekend!
Gilt’s selections are beautiful and always changing. Look at this pretty jem. (Photo credit: Gilt Facebook page).
- US Wellness Meats: Yep, my friend, Macala and I are in the process of placing another US Wellness Meats order. I get super giddy putting an order together. Seriously, it’s like being a kid in a candy store. We go in on orders together every few months. We don’t go hog wild, but get some good staples to keep handy in the freezer. This is where I get all my sugar-free beef bacon too. I even ordered our kitties some special pet food, which is a mixture of raw grass-fed beef, beef liver and beef heart. I know they’ll love it because we already feed them some raw food that is a combo of raw turkey, turkey liver and turkey heart and they go crazy over it. They eat this as a supplement to their dry, grain-free cat food. We take good care of our furry friends!
- Primal Recess class: I had to miss this class on Tuesday due to school and exhaustion, so I’m happy to go today. This class, at Recreate, is always a bit more intimate and Jesse has us do lots of playful stuff. I’m usually the only girl and have fun playing with the boys.
Having fun with the boys in Primal Recess class last Thursday. (Photo credit: Recreatefitness.com).
- Getting a real senior client: For my special populations pro-act class, which is a follow-up from my fitness and aging class, we’re learning how to test and program for the senior population. Last week, we visited an amazing senior retirement center that literally had everything you could dream of (shops, fitness center & pool, bank, clinic, post office, hair salon, etc.)! We were fortunate to not only get a full tour, but also take part in a chair aerobics class. We let all the seniors find their chairs first because they all have their favorite spots and God forbid someone take it! They were adorable, funny and oh-so precious. It was so enjoyable and heart-warming. In terms of the class, I was quite surprised how challenging a chair aerobics class actually is! Don’t get me wrong, it wasn’t intense or difficult for me, but it was harder than I anticipated. The equipment included a chair, obviously, a ball and light dumbbells. Anyway, we’ll be going back in a couple weeks to be introduced to a real client, in which we’ll consult with and administer senior fitness tests to (i.e. 8-foot get-up and go, back scratch, sit-to-stand, etc.). Then, we’ll develop a program for our client and go back again and show them the exercises. I think it’s going to be a lot of fun and even though I’m a touch nervous, I’m excited more than anything. It’s really touching to spend time with seniors because it reminds me of being with my grandparents and other senior relatives. It feels good and is actually a bit comforting.
(Photo credit: yezzzer.blogspot.com)
- Continuing to purge: With all the new stuff I got for my wedding shower and items I picked out myself with shower money, Jesse and I have cleared space and gotten rid of a lot of stuff. It feels so refreshing to get rid of bagfuls of old things and replace it with nice, new and fresh stuff. We live in such a small place though, that we really didn’t have a choice, but to purge. We’ll be making another trip to goodwill soon because we just got a shiny new Oneida silverware set and need to get rid of our mismatched cheap pieces. I’m sure I can find more items (again) to ditch with the silverware. It feels SO good!
My pretty new silverware set.
Love and Prayers for Boston
Taking a time out today to honor those involved in the Boston Marathon tragedy yesterday. These events always break my heart and make me sad for humankind, but it was especially scary this time around because I actually knew two people involved. Both my school instructors were there running the marathon and one of them finished only 10 minutes before the first bomb went off. Thankfully, they are both okay, but very shook up, and rightfully so.
What I want to know is when this is all going to stop. Tragedies like this are becoming far too frequent. Meanwhile, please send your love, strength and prayers to Boston.
(Photo credit: weheartit.com)
I Bow My Head in Gratitude
(Photo credit: Wikipedia)
I am taking a break from food today to say express my gratitude. I just have to get it off my chest, and nearly want to shout it from the rooftops!
I am thankful, every single day, for this life and what I’m creating for myself. Up until 10 months ago, I never knew life could be this satisfying and amazing. I was at a job that made me unhappy and stressed (stressed because I felt like I could never do anything good enough and I often felt like I was walking on eggshells), and I was not pursuing my passions or using my energy to its greatest capacity. I’ve said this before, but getting laid off from that job was the best thing that could have happened to me. Since that time, I’ve changed my attitude and perspective, surrounded myself with positive people and finally started pursuing things that mattered to me. And guess what? Opportunities fell into my lap effortlessly, and all the jobs I have now I did not apply for, but rather, they were offered to me: coaching at Recreate Fitness, making treats at Cultured Caveman, freelance writing for a former co-worker’s side business and now, doing some PR work for Jason Seib, my mentor and author of the fantastic new book, The Paleo Coach. Having people who believe in me and want ME is an awesome feeling. I am so blessed and I know it might sound sappy, but sometimes, all I can do is cry because I’m so happy. I also am a bit of a softy and show emotion easily. But, do you see how important it is to be pursuing the things that matter to you? Don’t settle for less…it’s not worth it and life is too short.
What are you creating for yourself? Are you pursuing the things that are near and dear to your heart? If not, what’s stopping you?
Don’t mind the grammatical error on here, but please know, I did not create this! It should read: Optimism, it’s the best way to see life.
Weekend Highlights
Wow, what a great weekend! Saturday, in particular, was outstanding. Before I get rolling about that, I just want to say that a Monday – Wednesday school schedule is SO much better than going through Thursday. One less day of school during the week really makes a big difference. If you’re curious, my classes this term include exercise science, fitness assessment II, and professional activities: special populations (fitness programming for older adults).
My post-workout Saturday morning breakfast: pastured eggs scrambled in grass-fed butter with leftover US Wellness Meats Easter ham, kale, avocado and raw sauerkraut. There’s a splash of full-fat coconut milk in the scramble too. Yum! (Taken on iPhone).
Anyway, Saturday started with another great workout at Recreate. Then, it was breakfast at home and a little downtime before heading to Whole Foods for a healthy fats presentation by my friend, Ashley, also the blogger behind Craving4more, in case you didn’t remember. The event was actually titled, “Fat is NOT the F-word!” Ashley had a great spread laid out, as usual and we had the opportunity to sample the delicious food. I tried the macadamia-crusted halibut, a fig olive walnut tapenade, roasted watermelon radishes (roasted in coconut oil), and lemon pound cake bites (grain-free and similar to a larabar). She also had an avocado chocolate mousse with port berries and spiced pecans, but I needed to opt out. I brought some home for Jesse though, and he said it was delicious. Ashley also had some freshly made grass-fed tallow and grass-fed ghee on display for participants to see.
Ashley’s spread (Taken on iPhone).
Freshly rendered grass-fed beef tallow (Taken on iPhone).
Ashley gave a great overview of the types of fat, which to cook with, which not to cook with (finishing oils), which to avoid, omega-3 vs. omega-6, myths and overall benefits. I knew most everything already, but it was neat to see others learn about it that did not know all these details. It was fun and I was happy to be there to support Ashley, and taste the delicious food too! Be sure to keep an eye on Ashely’s blog this week because I know she’ll be posting some of the recipes.
The macadamia-crusted halibut and roasted watermelon radishes were my favorite! I plan to make the halibut for dinner tonight, actually and probably the radishes too (Taken on iPhone).
Then, when leaving Whole Foods, I randomly ran into two different friends, one of which I hadn’t seen in a long time (also a former lululemon co-worker). The other was one of my special yoga buddies. I love them both and was happy to see and chat with them, even if it was only for a few minutes.
Fast forward a little later in the day and I remembered that Nora Gedgaudas, author of Primal Body, Primal Mind, was giving a talk at a local bookstore about 5-10 minutes away from my house. I called to make sure there was still spots available, and lucky for me, there was, but I wasn’t sure if I’d make it in time or not. I had dinner going and realized I’d have to eat quickly and bolt, and I really detest rushing! I knew I’d regret missing it though, so I made it work.
Here’s the description of Nora’s presentation, as stated by New Renaissance Bookshop:
“Dietary fat has been treated like a villain for the better part of the last century by medical authorities, the USDA and other mainstream nutritional authorities. Instead, dietary carbohydrates have been lauded as foundational to human dietary needs largely without question and now makes up the majority of mainstream dietary intake. Dietary fat is demonstrably central to our most basic energy, metabolic, neurological and physiologic needs and by restricting its intake we foster a much less healthy and unnatural dependence upon dietary sources of sugar and starch. Nora Gedgaudas is the author of the critically acclaimed international best-selling book, Primal Body, Primal Mind. She maintains a private practice in Portland, Oregon as both a Board-Certified nutritional consultant and a Board-Certified clinical Neurofeedback Specialist.”
At the event, I had the opportunity to meet a couple other Portland paleo bloggers and it was awesome to finally put a face with the name in person! I’m referring, specifically, to Holly over at The Paleo Blog of Yay and Jennifer over at Paleo Dieting. Jason Seib, my mentor and author of the book, The Paleo Coach, was also there. I grabbed a seat and Jason told me to save the seat next to him. I still feel so fortunate to have him as a friend and mentor.
Nora’s talk was 90 minutes long and I was engaged every second of it. I took notes and could have taken a lot more, but was so enthralled by her at times, that all I could do is sit and listen. She is a wealth of knowledge, as well as a fantastic speaker and presenter. I am SO glad I went.
After the talk, I chit-chatted with some others and was able to meet Nora and have her sign my book, which was such a pleasure. I didn’t get a picture with Nora, but did take one of Jason and Nora together on my phone.
Nora and Jason. I actually borrowed Jason’s picture because the lighting was better in his than in mine. Still a phone picture none the less.
Here are a few highlights from Nora’s presentation that I wrote down (note, this is not everything I wrote down):
- Taking statins for high cholesterol levels is the equivalent to shooting the fireman at the fire.
- Cholesterol is an indicator, not a disease marker. To know what’s really going on, you have to look under the hood.
- The more we depend on fat, the longer we live.
- Cell membranes require 50% saturated fat for functioning and other parts of the body, including the heart, need it to function properly as well (she listed how other parts of the body use saturated fat, but this is the one I was able to jot down in time).
- Cholesterol functions as an antioxidant and acts as duct tape in our arteries.
- Cholesterol — not diamonds — is a girl’s best friend.
- Using ketones for fuel creates more ATP.
- The brain uses >20% of the body’s total energy demands.
- For human longevity, it’s best to keep protein around 25 grams per meal. (Note: this varies for some people with specific goals or needs, such as athletes or those trying to gain muscle).
- Special note: go watch Allan Savory’s TED talk titled, “How to green the desert and reverse climate change.” Jason made sure I wrote this down.
On a completely different note and just because I want to share, Jesse and I get married exactly two months from today!
Saturday Sauerkraut Tasting
Firefly Kitchens kraut varieties. (Photo credit: Craving4more.com).
Alright, time to backtrack a few days to my Saturday, which I said I’d recap about today. It was a fantastic day and started with a great workout at Recreate in the morning, part of which was outdoors in the sunny weather. Afterward, I picked up a few things at Food Front Co-op, then came home and made a late breakfast, which I ate outside on the patio. Perfection.
Then, I got cleaned up and went to the sauerkraut tasting at Whole Foods that my friend, Ashley was hosting. Ashley is the healthy foods specialist at the Whole Foods store in the Pearl District in Portland and also the blogger behind Craving4more. She writes beautiful and inspiring posts, and definitely has a way with words. Sometimes, she shares fabulous looking recipes too.
Ashley and her wonderful spread at Whole Foods. (Taken on iPhone)
The tasting incorporated a variety of raw, unpasteurized sauerkraut, many of which were from Firefly Kitchens. There was also different dishes to sample that included sauerkraut as an ingredient. I didn’t know there was going to be so much, and was still full from my late breakfast, but managed to sample a little bit. I sampled some Firefly kraut on its own (varieties included Yin Yang Carrots, Cortido, Caraway, and Ruby Red). They were all wonderful and so different, and they ferment for three months! I especially loved the Yin Yang Carrots, which is fermented carrots with ginger. Lucky for me, Ashley gave me a little bit to take home. The other flavors were delicious as well. I got to take home the remaining jar of Caraway too, as well as another brand of raw kraut that had beets, carrots and cabbage in it! Yum, yum.
Look at all that different kraut! (Taken on iPhone)
As for the recipes, I sampled the pecan pate, ruby red beet and kraut atop of mixed greens (I liked eating this with the pate), roasted butternut squash with an almond butter/kimchi sauce and secret brownies, which incorporated sauerkraut into the recipe. These were raw, of course, so the benefits of the sauerkraut were not lost. These were also surprisingly good and you really don’t notice the kraut. My favorite, by far, was the roasted squash. The sauce was just to die for and not only that, but I am a sucker for squash! There was also a smoothie that had kraut in it, but I didn’t taste it since it was made with store-bought almond milk. I only drink homemade almond milk because it doesn’t have things like guar gum, carrageenan, etc., which I need to stay away from. It got a lot of rave reviews from the other attendees though.
My plate with various kraut samples, pecan pate, ruby red beet and kraut atop of greens, butternut squash with almond butter/kimchi sauce, and a raw secret brownie. (Taken on iPhone)
Ashley has done a couple posts this week about the kraut tasting and recipes, so if you’re interested, please go check out her blog. Specifically, check out this post and this post, and also check back again tomorrow, because it looks like she is going to post more of the recipes.
Additionally, Ashley gave some great ideas for eating kraut. For example, use it on tacos, mix with tuna for a jazzed up tuna salad (egg salad too), roll up into a slice of deli meat, use atop of deviled eggs, mix in smoothies, add to salad, etc. The ideas are really endless, just don’t heat it, so as to not kill the live cultures.
Thanks, Ashley for putting on a great event!
Wedding Shower Recap
My nephew, Brady, got to attend my shower (lucky boy!) and was my little helper.
Hello, I’m back! Thank you for your patience and support, and allowing me to take a mini two-day blogging break. It was much needed and felt so good to rest, spend time with family and spend little-to-no time on the computer each day. I can’t tell you how refreshing that felt, and I am so grateful for it. If you ever have the opportunity to take a technology break, even if it’s a mini one, I highly recommend it. It’s funny, I didn’t even plan on taking that break, but once I got home, I deemed it necessary. I’m happy I made that decision.
Gift table at my shower.
My family did a wonderful job with my shower, which was held at The Yacht Club in Alpena, Michigan. I was more than impressed, and there was plenty of delicious food options for me. My mom made a noodle-less chicken soup and a fruited cabbage slaw, and my sister kindly made a big batch of my almond flour biscuits, which people raved about. There was even Kerrygold pasture butter to spread on the biscuits! Additionally, there was tons of beautiful, fresh fruit on platters that my soon-to-be sister in-law put together. There was lots of other food too, including other homemade soups and salads, and cake balls that Jesse’s aunt made (she tried making some with almond flour, but it didn’t work out the way she hoped). The decorations were tasteful and pretty, in the “modern bride” colors, light yellow and gray (who knew?). I didn’t get a picture of the tabletops, but each table had an antique teapot filled with a plant and was surrounded by dishrag “cupcakes” that my mom knit and assembled with my mother in-law. These consisted of a hand-knit, colorful dishrag twisted up to look like a cupcake and placed inside a cupcake liner. It was topped with a dark chocolate kiss and wrapped in cellophane with a ribbon. It was really cute, and everyone got to take one home.
The main food table. I forgot to take the photo before people had eaten, so some things are a little picked over! My mom made the decorative gray and yellow fans on the wall.
I got a lot of nice gifts, in addition to what was already sent to my door. I even got a couple gag gifts, thanks to my mom and sisters. I forgot about the bride thong that we got my oldest sister several years ago at her wedding shower, and she wrapped it up and gifted this “family heirloom” to me. My sister wore it over her pants at her bachelorette party, but other than that it’s never been worn. This is valid because the tags are still on it! Regardless, my mom said she washed the train. Also, Jesse got a gift from my mom and sister that I opened on his behalf. I had no idea what to expect after reading the card, but proceeded to pull a jar of dark chocolate body paint with a brush out of a bag! I had a good laugh over this too, and definitely didn’t see it coming. Both my mom and sister claimed that it was really good dark chocolate from a nice chocolate shop in the Novi, Michigan area, and said to make sure Jesse eats it (and no, it doesn’t have to be off of me!). Yesterday, my mom told me not to tuck it away in the bathroom cupboard and forget about it. I laughed and asked her why I would put it in the bathroom in the first place! Gotta love my family.
The special bride thong, train and all. My sisters and mom deemed it as a “something blue family heirloom.” My other sister or soon-to-be sister in-law get it next!
Laughing at Jesse’s dark chocolate body paint.
I love these candlesticks that I got from one of Jesse’s aunts and uncles. I didn’t register for candlesticks because I couldn’t find any that I liked, but these were just what I was looking for!
Oh, and I broke two bows when opening gifts at my shower. Supposedly that means Jesse and I will have two children. Did anyone else know about this old wives tale?
My lovely mother and me. Not the best picture of me…not sure what happened to my hair.
I don’t care for this picture of me, again, but I’m seen here with my soon-to-be sister and mother in-law.
Funny Confessions
I deemed it time for more funny confessions. I had a lot of fun with this last time and hopefully, learning a bit more about me and my quirks is entertaining for you too. Enjoy and happy Thursday!
- I double-dip all the time. This is specific to things like coconut or almond butter. Sometimes, if I’m trying to not double-dip for whatever reason, I’ll use the other end of my utensil to scoop up some more. I know, it’s kinda silly and at some point, I end up double-dipping anyway. I guess I’m courteous to a point, but then I don’t care. Jesse never knows anyway, but I know he does it too!
- When I was really young, I wanted to be a dental hygienist. Then, from about 4th grade on, I wanted to be an interior designer. I studied interior design my first 1-1/2 years of college, but ended up changing my major. I did not like drafting or CAD at all! I switched to communication/public relations and transferred schools. During my senior year, I became interested in kinesiology and physical therapy, but never said or did anything about it. It already took me an extra year to get my BA because of changing my major once, and I was anxious to be done. Sometimes, I still wonder though, but I don’t dwell.
- The other day, I was told not to be intimidated by the product, Muscle Milk. I was helping coach class at the gym and two Muscle Milk reps walked in, at the most inopportune time. The two gals approached me and asked if we wanted some samples for the gym. I immediately said no, and they both looked shocked. That’s when one of them told me not to be intimidated by the name, Muscle Milk and said that it’s just a protein drink. Trying not to laugh, I told her I knew what it was, but did NOT want any (I think the disgusted look on my face said it all). Seriously, nobody should be drinking that stuff…it’s a chemical sh*tstorm! I mean it, go look up the ingredient label. It’s horrendous. Unfortunately, they ended up leaving a few because a gym member wanted some. I told Jason Seib this story when I was out at his gym yesterday, and he told me I should’ve flexed for the girl when she told me not to be intimidated by Muscle Milk!
- I cooked and ate a fresh artichoke for the first time yesterday. We received two in our CSA box this week, but normally, I wouldn’t buy them. I had no clue how to prepare them, but luckily my friend, Laura filled me in. If it hadn’t been her, it would’ve been my friend, Google. Anyway, the edible parts tasted good, but it seemed like a whole lot of fuss for a tiny bit of artichoke. About 95% of the darn thing isn’t even edible! To me, it just seems like an excuse for people to eat butter, but who needs an excuse? I love me some butter!
- I am terrible at sports. I move well and have good coordination, but for some reason, am not proficient at sports. I danced for 12 years, and dabbled in some occasional tennis lessons and t-ball (which I quit at age 4 because I didn’t like the coach), but have never been good at sports. I think it’s a lack of confidence, some fear, and not having a very competitive drive. I actually played adult kickball when I first moved to Portland, about 5 years ago and it was nothing but embarrassment. I thought I’d be fine because I remembered liking kickball as a kid and figured, heck, all I have to do is kick a big red ball. Oh boy, was I wrong. People took this stuff seriously and well, I did not. I dawdled when in the outfield and prayed that the ball wouldn’t come my way. I tried to kick the ball successfully, but the pitchers used different techniques, making it hard to kick. When I did kick it, the ball usually got caught right away. Needless to say, I did not sign up again. Getting pats on the back and, “nice try” comments wasn’t enough for me. On the plus side, Jesse and I got to see our friends every week and go out after the games. That was the only part I liked.
Surprise Date Night
This performance was phenomenal, just like everything else I’ve seen from this company. They always mix in funny videos during costume changes. (Taken on iPhone)
I love date nights, but sadly, they don’t happen very often. Jesse and I tend to be homebodies on the weekends since the weekdays are so busy. I feel lucky though, because I got to have two date night weekends in a row! Last Saturday, we went out for my birthday and this past Saturday we went out for dinner and a dance performance. I almost felt like it was my birthday all over again! Jesse surprised me at the last minute with tickets to see BodyVox-2 at BodyVox, and a couple hours beforehand, asked me if I wanted to eat at Dick’s Kitchen prior to the show. Um, yes…I love the naked grass-fed burgers at Dick’s Kitchen. They do it right!
Naked grass-fed beef patty with bacon, house-made pickles and roasted cauliflower with shallots. (Taken on iPhone)
Anyway, it was really sweet of Jesse to set up this date night for us, and we both had a great time. Granted, we had to eat quickly without much time for conversation once our food came…the detriments of leaving the house a tad too late and the lack of parking spaces in NW Portland. I didn’t even get to finish my wine and as you may know, having wine is a special occasion for me, so I was bummed I didn’t get to finish it. I mean, okay, I could’ve chugged it, but I just don’t like doing that. I want to enjoy it and sip it, and have conversations over it.
After dinner, we whipped over to the theater and found our seats, which were front row! Jesse sure picked us some good ones. It also helps that he gets a discount on tickets since he’s a current student at BodyVox. He takes weekly ballet classes there, and I love that he does this. It was weird being right in the front row because the stage isn’t raised, so you’re at the same level as the dancers. You can see the sweat pouring off of them, hear their breathing and clearly witness their expressions. It made it that much more real. We’ve seen other performances here before, but have never sat in the front row, so it was a new experience.
Also, I couldn’t resist taking the picture below of the man sitting next to me. Talk about keeping things classy! Not only that, but he had God-awful breath. We never had a conversation or anything, but I could smell it just sitting next to him. Breath shouldn’t smell like his did and shouldn’t really smell at all, unless you just ate garlic or onion or something. Anyway, enough about that.
Did you have a nice weekend? What did you do?
Socks and sandals…it just doesn’t work. (Taken on iPhone)
