One Month Milestone: Time to Kick it up a Notch

Today marks the one month anniversary of my workout regime. As a motivation I try to do two things. First, I reward myself on every monthly anniversary with a nice pedicure for the hard work my feet have done (whether it’s running, Pilates, workout DVDs or Yoga they’ve kicked it up a notch.) The second? Well it’s to share what I’ve done, where I’m going, etc. with whomever reads this blog. Why? Because personal accountability is why people work out with friends or trainers.

My issue is I like my ‘me time’ when I work out. I like going to classes by myself, heading down to the workout area by myself, etc. I don’t want to socialize when it comes down to it. Classmates will socialize beforehand but rarely interrupt the actual workout (hence I am friendly with fellow classmates) and the same thing cannot be said of friends attending classes together. I need my independence, my ability to work at my own pace without judgement, and an escape from the daily grind without worrying about offending a friend if I advance at a faster or slower pace. I am there to improve myself, and in the end I need to worry about me. I know this sounds incredibly selfish but maybe we all need to be a bit more selfish when it comes to our health.

So today when I hit my one month anniversary I am not going to get a pedicure (that will be tomorrow) but kicking my workout up a notch and adding Jillian Michaels’ 30 Day Shred back into my routine. When I started running I immediately started Pilates. I’m glad I did as the core workout will hopefully help me with Jillian. The reason I am adding a bit more strength training/cardio into my routine is to not only switch it up but also to build more muscle to burn more fat. The arms are the most noticeable area where you can tell if someone uses weights or not. Based on experienced trainers’ opinions, the addition of weights will kick up my metabolism, add muscle, burn fat and help change it up to keep me interested. In other words, get me one step closer to hitting my goals before my 27th birthday this August.

My Food Revolution: Broccoli Chicken Pasta

When I was younger my Dad was told he had to either give up beer or change his entire diet to avoid Type II Diabetes. Being the beer lover that he is, my father kicked up his exercise and made the whole family change their diet. I feel like most people would pick the same thing if given the choice, so I try not to begrudge him for making me eat more whole grains. One of the dishes my Dad loved to make was an easy summer pasta, it was delicious and paired with a cucumber salad it just hit the spot on summer days. So here's my take on their dish, there are two types of chicken I used, and I've linked both.

Broccoli Chicken Pasta
Frozen Broccoli (Green Giant Steamers is probably the best, no need to dirty a pot to cook the broccoli in water.)
1 box of noodles
5 pieces of pan cooked chicken (not chicken breast, chicken thigh is about the right size)
2 pieces of oven baked garlic pepper chicken (not chicken breast, chicken thigh is about the right size)

Parmesan cheese
2 Shallots
3 Garlic Cloves
Garlic salt and Garlic pepper
Extra Virgin Olive Oil

I tried two different chicken recipes as I wanted to see which one I liked best. Turns out I liked the pan cooked chicken for this recipe better than my tried and true oven baked chicken. Cook noodles, bake and pan cook chicken with garlic and shallots, microwave broccoli. Mix all together and drizzle more Extra Virgin Olive Oil on top. Grate some fresh Parmesan on top of finished dish.

*For even better results do what my parents did and get whole grain cracked pepper noodles. They're typically longer and look like Fettucine noodles. That would eliminate the need to make two different types of chicken and allow you to only use the pan cooked.

My Food Revolution: Pan Cooked Garlic Chicken

I saw this recipe on Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution tv show. He was showing the kids of a single Dad how to cook a meal in under 40 minutes. The way they made the chicken looked easy enough and I decided I would try it out just for fun. I made mine a little more salty, because I have an addition to garlic salt, but season as you wish.

Pan Cooked Garlic Chicken
Chicken thighes (I use grass fed, free range)
Extra Virgin Olive Oil
Garlic Salt
Shallots
Garlic Cloves

Drizzle EVOO, add chicken, chopped shallots and garlic cloves. Cook until done. I add garlic salt at the beginning, just lightly for a little extra taste as I didn't use a sauce in the pasta dish I used this for. While still cooking I also pulled the chicken into smaller pieces. For more taste, add more shallots and garlic cloves.

My Food Revolution: Light, Crisp Salad

Taken from another former roommate's mother who had us over for dinner and supplemented a filling dinner with this light, fresh salad that was devoured. What I love about this salad is it's another great alternative to eating creamy salad dressing (filled with salt, fat and sugar.) Every salad you can get away from the Ranch or Bleu Cheese is good for you.

Light, Crisp Salad:


Hearts of Romaine lettuce
Salt and Pepper to taste
Either 6 drops of lemon juice or a slice of lemon squeezed
Extra Virgin Olive Oil to taste
Add favorite vegetables (Cherub Tomatoes, Baby Corn, Onions, Olives, etc.)

My Food Revolution: Sweet Potato Fries

There are a few things that are as satisfying as a burger and fries. Pair that grass fed, free range beef OR bison burger with a whole grain bun from Great Harvest and you're on the right track. But the fries can make or break the meal, so here's three different ways to make sweet potato fries.

Extra Sweet, Sweet Potato Fries
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the potato(es) and then slice in half.
Cut the halves into smaller rectangles, I try to make them 1 cm on each side (the smaller the crunchier)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the fries (I also then take my Misto and spray the potatoes with more Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Sprinkle 1/4 Cup of Light Brown Sugar over the fries.
Cook for 20 minutes before turning the fries over. Cook until desire crispiness.
Season with salt and pepper before serving.
Sweet Potato Fries
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the potato(es) and then slice in half.
Cut the halves into smaller rectangles, I try to make them 1 cm on each side (the smaller the crunchier)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the fries (I also then take my Misto and spray the potatoes with more Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Season with Cracked Black Pepper (not regular dinner table pepper, you want this to have a kick - you'll use less salt this way) and a teensy bit of salt. More pepper than salt.
Cook for 20 minutes before turning the fries over. Cook until desired crispiness.

Kick You in the Pants Sweet Potato Fries
Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees.
Peel the potato(es) and then slice in half.
Cut the halves into smaller rectangles, I try to make them 1 cm on each side (the smaller the crunchier)
Drizzle Extra Virgin Olive Oil over the fries (I also then take my Misto and spray the potatoes with more Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
Season with Red Chili Flakes, Paprika, Chili Powder, Cracked Black Pepper (not regular dinner table pepper, you want this to have a kick - you'll use less salt this way) and a teensy bit of salt.
Cook for 20 minutes before turning the fries over. Cook until desired crispiness.

Pilates: The Real Deal

When I started Pilates three weeks ago (just going on Sundays) I knew it would be a different experience and a good workout but I never expected this. This being the transformation my body has begun, the complete difference in how I feel, stand, workout and increase in understanding my body. Cheesy? Probably. True? You better believe it. For anyone who wants to trim their fat, tone their body you should check out Pilates.

We've all heard that Pilates is a great workout and that it 'strengthen and elongates muscles' but I figured it would take weeks, months, maybe even years to really see/feel the results. Boy was I wrong. The first Sunday in June I attended my first Pilates class at Align Pilates. To say it was anything short of spectacular would be to commit libel. I was sore for two days afterwards, considering it worked muscles I usually didn't attend to the fact that running that Tuesday helped was a minor miracle. On Monday I was sitting at my office and sneezed. I usually sneeze in threes, and they're not quiet. I sneezed loudly and then whimpered in pain. My boss was in his office and asked me if i was okay, that's how much pain I was in. No, I didn't pull or strain any muscles I just never worked them that hard before either.

In three weeks my waist has lost inches. I've only lost two pounds but my pants aren't fitting due to excessive bagginess and the flab on my tummy is slowly disappearing. I have done a million different workout regimes, this is the only one that has had these results. I'm definitely a believer in Pilates, I plan on practicing the rest of my life and one day even becoming a certified instructor.

This past Sunday was my third class and it was easier than my first or second class. I was slowly building up my core muscles. I should mention, it was easier it was NOT easy. I've found myself looking forward to Sunday every week. It's an hour of 'me time'. I spend that hour focusing on my health, doing an activity I enjoy that is exercise at a studio I love. Isn't that what exercise should be like?

My Food Revolution: San Antonio Style Guacamole

While visiting San Antonio for a wedding a few years back we went to every Mexican restaurant there was. Most had awful guacamole, you could find better stuff at Chipotle. But one spot, Bordeau's had great guacamole they made at your table. Here's the recipe in case you're looking for a great little treat. Experts recommend eating one half of an avocado a day due to its healthy nature. But beware of the food we typically add it to (tortilla chips and pre-packaged tortillas.) My sister makes her scrambled eggs with a little milk, salt and pepper and then adds either sliced avocado on top or sometimes a bit of rough guacamole. This would be the perfect guacamole recipe to use!

Bordeau's San Antonio Guacamole
1 Avocado - if ripe you should be able to take the pit out with the knife.
1/4 of a Orange - squeeze in the juice
1/2 of a Lime - squeeze in the juice
1 Tablespoon of chopped red onions (orange 'juice' lessens its sourness)
1 Teaspoon Kosher Sea Salt
2 Tablespoons of stewed tomatos (theirs had been marinated a certain way)

My Food Revolution: Summer Strawberry Salad

There's nothing better than the sun shining down while eating on the back porch with good friends and family. Nothing. BBQs are likely to be in full force by now and if you're looking for a great salad to hopefully cut down on the kids' (and let's be honest, you too) intake of the potatos chips this salad is so delicious you'll be reaching for seconds or thirds.

Summer Strawberry Salad:

Spinach leaves
Sliced Strawberries
Feta Cheese
Semi-crushed Pralines (or sugared walnuts)
Raspberry Vinaigrette
Option 1: Put each ingredient in separate bowl and allow guests to mix together.
Option 2: Two bags of spinach leaves, 3/4 of a container of sliced strawberries, 20 crushed Pralines, half a package of Feta Cheese.

Punch Pizza: Coca Cola for a Quarter

My favorite pizza place has another deal going on this week for those who were unable to partake in their wine deal. Perfect timing too, my good friend from CWGAP Ally is coming in from Atlanta. You know a Georgia Peach can't drink Pepsi products!

This Punch Pizza coupon is good from June 20th - June 26th.

My Food Revolution: Almond and Mandarin Orange Salad

Salad that tastes good enough to pass as dessert? Yes please! This recipe was taken after eating at a former roommate's parents' house. They brought this salad out and you can believe that it was gone before the end of the meal. It's tasty and a nice little treat. The dressing is available at Macy's, in the Cities it's available at the Ridgedale Macy's.

Oriental Salad:


Spinach Leaves & Romaine Lettuce mix
Mandarin Orange slices
Sliced Almonds
Warmed Sesame Dressing from Macy’s

Punch Pizza: Wine a la Napoli

The good people of Punch Pizza have fun promotions every once in awhile, and it would be idiotic not to indulge when they're sent out. Seeing as I'm not big on beer or wine, I will pass on this one but plan on taking good friend Ally there when she comes into town for the NHL Draft. So here's me sending along something that hopefully you will all be able to enjoy.

Workout Playlist: Interval Training on the Treadmill

There are few things in every day life where music matters more than while working out, if there are any. Yes, picking the perfect wedding song and music to walk down the aisle to are important and there should be a great deal of thought behind the song selection. However, nothing breaks your momentum more than working out and the wrong song comes on. You think you know what you're picking, you know the song needs to be semi-fast to work and that you have to like it, unfortunately that's not enough for most music.

It's taken me months, no actually it's taken me years to find the perfect playlist for a workout. One that I can listen to from start to fnish wthout pressing 'skip'. If you have songs you think are worthy of listening to while running send them my way. For now, here's my list, remember there is a warm up and cooldown included.

Courtney's Running List:
Tim McGraw - Where The Green Grass Grows (for walking down to the gym, getting machine started, etc.)
Glee - Raise Your Glass
Ke$ha - Tik Tok
Glee - Somebody to Love (Bieber version)
Miley Cyrus - Party in the USA
Taio Cruz feat. Ludacris - Break Your Heart
Escala feat. Slash - Kashmir (Instrumental)
Glee - Baby (Bieber version)
Natasha Bedingfeld - Unwritten
The Fratellis - Chelsea Dagger
P!nk - F**kin' Perfect

My Food Revolution: Two Month Anniversary

It seems like yesterday I just reached my one month anniversary, and at that time it felt like I had just started. Eight weeks in and I've never felt better. Eating food, not science by-product is one of the main reasons I feel the way I do. I'm happier, healthier and hopefully in the near future thinner. :)

Here's what I learned this month:

The longer you do something, the more respect you get when speaking about it.
Never stop learning, whether it's books or documentaries or articles the more you fuel your education the greater your motivation to change your ways will be.
There are chemical reasons why some people struggle with food, if you don't be thankful and empathetic.
We should enjoy our food, but we shouldn't let it control us.

Next month's goals:
Try more recipes from friends and cookbooks.
Go one week vegetarian. I may have missed 'National Vegetarian Week' last month but who's to say I can't do my own?

As you hopefully noticed there is a new page entitled 'What I'm Eating' and it lists every single recipe I've posted on this site. If you're looking for a recipe to try out, give one of those a try. If you have to share leave a comment - I know others will be grateful for new, easy to make recipes in their repetoire.

Honorable Mentions: They Didn't Make the Cut

There are so many songs that I would include if I could, but alas not every great song can be special enough to be on my list ;) So here's some of the other songs I was crossing off the list when I made my decisions. If you get crazy enough to create your own list, send it on over!

Justin Timberlake - What Goes Around Comes Around: One of my favorite sayings in regards to karma. I've loved Justin since 6th grade, and when he went solo the rest of the music loving industry finally understood my love. He's a talented musician, actor, dancer and comedian.

Feist - I Feel It All: I love My Moon, My Man and 1234 but this song is so happy and more upbeat than either of Feist's other popular songs. When I first heard it I whipped out my iPhone and used my SoundHound to figure out what song it was so I could download it immediately. It just makes you that happy.

Stevie Wonder - Isn't She Lovely: A song about one's love for their child. As someone who isn't a mother I haven't yet looked down at something so miraculous that is a part of me but I am an aunt. Babies are a miracle, a beautiful miracle and this song reminds me of my nieces, nephews and cousins. I know everyone says their family members are the cutest, but let's be real, mine are!

U2 - Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For: Ever feel like you're treading water and just can't find who you're supposed to be or what you're supposed to do? No? Well I have and it's something I still struggle with now, something that I've resigned to the fact that I will always be looking for. Not to say that I'll never be happy but rather that I will always be looking for something more, for better or worse.

The Beatles - Blackbird: This is not a Beatles song I was familiar with, I knew their greatest hits, their popular songs but this particular song I was not familiar with. When I heard it on Glee and found out it was originally The Beatles I understood my love of the song. They have such a way with words and melody that you don't see often these days. I'm glad I finally found this song. :)

Wicked - Defying Gravity: I was never a Broadway buff and even when Glee performed this song I didn't really 'get it'. It was a year later when I finally found an appreciation for this song. Going against the grain to follow your dreams, to find happiness. I imagine most people who encounter this song will love it. I've added the Glee cast version to almost every playlist I have (well except for working out!)

Led Zeppelin - Kashmir: I know that 'Stairway to Heaven' is their most famous song, and for good reason. However, Kashmir was always my favorite. Lyrically it's not nearly as strong as 'Stairway to Heaven' and I know this. Its appeal? Well I love the instrumental of this song. There's few songs that motivate me to keep working out without lyrics. In fact, only one song can do it, and it's this song. Why? Well this song's instrumental is just that good.

Otis Redding - Sitting on the Dock of the Bay: There were just too many good songs to include but this one takes me back to our minivan every time. It seemed every roadtrip we took (and trust me, we took A LOT of roadtrips) had this song playing. In fact roadtrips definitely shaped the person I am, when we were traveling with my Dad there was no stopping until we needed gas. At which point you ate and used the bathroom and didn't stop again until you needed more gas. I think a large part of why it's easy for me to control drinking soda or eating food is due to those trips, because you had to learn will power not to eat the junk food and soda made available for the trips when you weren't going to stop for another few hours!

My Food Revolution: Homemade Pasta Sauce

This was my first time making my own sauce so I turned to Teresa Guidice's 'Skinny Italian' for help. While I didn't use her actual recipe for the sauce I did use her canning tomatoes information. Even though I'm telling you how I did it here, it's worth the book just for her sauce recipes. I can't wait to try them!

1. First you'll need to buy some good Roma Tomatoes, for 1 lb of meat I'd get at least 10 good sized tomatoes. Wash tomatoes and place in a large pot bring water to a boil. I put tomatoes in before it was boiling.
2. Once the skin cracks on the tomatoes you will need to dump the hot water and run the tomatoes under cold water. I ran this for about five minutes. (While doing this I put my lean, free range and grass fed ground beef in a skillet on the lowest setting.)
3. Once the tomatoes had cooled a bit I grabbed the skin and pulled it off of all the tomatoes. (I would highly recommend doing this as it gets MESSY once you start to get rid of the seeds)
4. After all the tomatoes were skinless I grabbed a knife and cut off the top where the tomato would have connected to the vine. From here you'll see a white/yellow coloring form an I down the middle. I cut parallel to the I and then slightly squeezed the tomato over my sauce pan. I prevented seeds from getting in there an
5. just let the juice squeeze out of the tomato into my sauce pan. Then I finished cutting that part of the tomato off and put it in the pan and scooping the seeds out and throwing them in the plastic bag the tomatoes came in. Turn tomato over and repeat.
6. Once all the tomatoes were in the sauce pan I bought over to the stove and turned on low heat. I added a light sprinkle of garlic salt to the meat and flipped it over.
7. Heading back to the tomatoes I dug back in and broke up the tomatoes with my fingers. After I rinsed my hands off I added two tablespoons Extra Virgin Olive Oil, one diced shallot, a nice helping of Red Chili Flakes and a sprinkle of Garlic Salt. I let simmer.
8. Once the beef had finished cooking I drained it and added to the sauce. At this time I turned the sauce up to a medium low and stirred in the meat.
9. I put on a pot to boil water for the noodles. Afterwards I added a few small chunks of mozzarella to the sauce and stirred it in.
10. Once the noodles were finished I spooned the sauce onto a plate and grated some Parmesan on top. I used baked ciabatta bread to sop up the excess sauce after I finished eating.

To say this was the best Italian food I've had in awhile is an understatement. The sauce makes all the difference. :)

How to Save a Life: It Only Takes 20 Minutes

The past few days we've seen #AlicesBucketList or #AliceBucketList trend worldwide on Twitter. While it's great that so many people are tweeting and re-tweeting about Alice, it would be even more wonderful if they would think about the one thing she wants the most. for everyone to get tested to donate marrow.

This past year hockey fans everywhere were told to go and get tested for Mandi Schwartz, they were told to 'Be the Match' and sign up. I was as touched as everyone else, crying every time I read about Mandi, yet I always forgot to sign up to get tested. Upon seeing Alice's story I was instantly reminded of Mandi's, her struggle and ultimate death. But I wouldn't call her death the end, her memory and legacy is alive in those who were touched by her story and chose to act on it. And that now includes me, as I've signed up to become a donor. I'm ashamed I didn't sign up earlier, but I've made the decision not to dwell in the past but move forward as a better person tomorrow. Hopefully enough people will be motivated by Mandi and Alice alike and seek to take a whole fifteen minutes to answer a questionnaire and five minutes to conduct a cheek swab. That's it, less than twenty minutes total to find out if you can save someone else's life.

Super heroes are great, they're entertaining and fun to watch. But even a super hero can't match an everyday hero who saves someone else's life not by gift, but by choice. It's a simple choice, but an important one. Won't you take the test so Alice's story has a different ending than Mandi's?

My Food Revolution: 'The End of Overeating'

When I first started on becoming healthier I had heard why eating out was a bad idea but the author's focus was more on eating healthier overall and he didn't delve into the science behind it. I had decided to limit going out to eat as it was harder to do when I was spending more on fresh produce as that food has an expiration date. So I focused instead on making homecooked meals and changing my diet towards eating healthy. I found that eating healthier was not as hard financially as many claim it is, when you go out to eat more often the food you have in the fridge that expires and then you have to buy more, wasting food and money. When I stopped throwing away food, I noticed there wasn't that big of a difference in terms of how much money I spent. I still occasionally went out to eat with friends, but felt somewhat guilty for doing so.

So when a friend recommended The End of Overeating: Taking Control of the Insatiable American Appetite by David A. Kessler, MD. I decided to read it. Finding it was only $2.99 prompted a quick buy and immediate reading. While I'm only halfway through the book here's my first impression.

1. The food that's super bad for you actually changes your neural pathways to reinforce the action of you eating it. This is essentially making food a drug but without the abundance of warnings and access to food at every corner on every street.
2. Some people literally cannot stop thinking about food. I have never understood this as I am not one of those people but to see how people describe their suffering is very similar to what an alcoholic goes through, it's fascinating and frustrating at the same time.
3. Chain restaurants are basically fast food places where you sit down and pay more. There's practically as much frying and processed food on your plate as there is when you eat from McDonald's. Your food isn't being cooked, it's being manufactured, so can we really call it food anymore?
4. Scientist are finding interesting studies showing how 'highly palatable' food is changing the pathways in animals and food manufacturers are using this information for a profit at the expense of our health.
5. We need to stop using food to reward good behavior or soothe us when we are stressed as it reinforces the 'desire' for food and forms habits that soon become automatic.

If this isn't enough to entice you to read the book then I don't know what is. The fact that the food industry not only puts so much fat, sugar and salt in their food to make us unhealthy but do it because it's addictive is a sign that we all need to educate ourselves. If after reading books on these topics we choose to eat the same way many currently do then that's a decision, it's a choice that was made after finding out all the facts. Because if we were to be honest, we know very little about what we're putting in our bodies, why we crave it and how to break the habits.

My Top 27 Songs - Part Three

Took me a few weeks to finally finish off the list, truth be told it is a long trip down memory lane trying to figure out your favorite songs, songs you don't believe you'll ever get sick of listening to. But I put on the music and sat and thought about why they were so special to me. Part of the problem is so often I'd get distracted and just listen to the music or sing along! So here's the last nine of my list, hope you enjoy!

Earth Wind and Fire - September

Every day in September I start my morning out with this song. I go to the bathroom and turn on the faucet for the shower and play this song before jumping in. It gets me moving, makes me happy, and now reminds me of my cousin Lauren's wedding. Lauren and Ryan got married in mid-September and this song was played in the warm Colorado air while we all danced away. I love my family and any song that reminds me of a joyous occasion surrounded by my family is a good song in my book. Besides that, the song rocks, every person should have at least one Earth, Wind and Fire song in their iTunes library (though I'd argue many should have MORE than just one!)

Oasis - Wonderwall
I feel like this one is self-explanatory, well really I feel like most of the songs on here are self-explanatory. You asked for my favorite songs and it seems logical that my favorite songs would include some of the greatest songs (not all, because honestly there are too many great songs that I can't have them ALL on here.) No matter how stressed out or tired or sick or sad or angry I am, this song always soothes my nerves. I love the original, LOVE it. But I listen to Ryan Adam's version when I need something a little slower, first discovered Adams while watching the first season of 'The OC' the one which takes place over Valentine's Day where Summer and Cohen are slow dancing in his room. Either version makes me stop and listen with a smile. And after all, isn't that what music should make you do?

Billy Joel - Piano Man
I feel like I'm at the neighborhood bar whenever this songs comes up, well a hybrid of the bars I went to when I was in college. A mixture of Plum's (neighborhood dive bar) and Shout House (dueling piano bar which plays 80's music.) Both hold fond memories for me, and this song was played at both places. Any time I hear this song come on I start to sing along, such great lyrics, such a great melody, you feel as if you've been to that bar, that you know Billy Joel. That's powerful. Every person I know likes this song, I'm always surprised when they don't, I always ask if they drink or not, because this is a classic bar song and most people are reminded of some of the best nights at the bar.

Fleetwood Mac - Dreams
Great song, great lyrics, great story behind the entire album. Love the creative energy Fleetwood Mac used to channel all of the negativity surrounding the group before the break up into some of the best songs they've ever done. I have two versions of this song, the remix version Stevie Nicks has on her own album (which is semi-techno but super awesome) and the original. I play different versions depending on my mood. If I need something more relaxing I reach for the original. If I'm peppy and want a little faster beat I listen to the remix. Both versions are awesome, and my favorite line in this song is: 'Thunder only happens when it's raining. Players only love you when they're playing.'

Coldplay - Sparks
I love Coldplay, but I didn't always love them. When I first heard 'Yellow' I knew it was a good song, but MTV's TRL played it a thousand times and the music video kind of ruined the song for me. I wasn't able to listen to how great of a song it was while my attention was on the music video, which I thought was awful. As time went by and they kept coming out with songs I grew to love them. They're one of those bands where you either LOVE them or you like a lot of their songs without even realizing you do. That's the group I fell into until I lived with one of my roommates who loved them. Her love for them, playing them constantly slowly turned my liking of their music to loving their music. This particular song could lull me into a peaceful state regardless of what happened in the world. And now that I live in an apartment where the upstairs neighbors sound like they're practicing to join WWE, music that does that is something I can't live without.

The Beatles - Let It Be

What can I say? I love The Beatles and the greatest bands produce the greatest music. I often talk about how songs make me feel peaceful and why I'm drawn to them. Yes, there is a need for songs that pump you up, that get your heart racing, heck I have a list of music that's perfect for the treadmill and have the songs placed in order as to make sure I can run the entire time. However, for every day aspects of life being happy, feeling an inner peace, those are things that draw me to music. Great lyrics, great message, something I can relate to. To me this song is about taking a step back, asking for help, knowing there is something greater than myself who has a plan. I never got into church, I never felt that connection with God there but music? Music reminds me that there is a force bigger than me and nature confirms my belief in that force.



Fleetwood Mac - Landslide
I feel like every person over the age of 21 can relate to this song at some point in their life. When we were younger we were fearless, swiftly going from one adventure to another, never giving a thought about the ties that bind. For me, I've grown more cautious as I get older. I'm not just talking about thinking twice before partaking in risky adventures but even small ones. Is this worth the risk? I think there's a breaking point for everyone who has ever been hurt when they stop 'surviving' life and start to live life. As I get older I'm learning to take smarter, calculated risks and not getting stuck where I once was. It may not be the meaning of the song, but it's what it means to me. And isn't that what counts? 'Well I've been 'fraid of changing cause I built my life around you. But time makes you bolder, even children get older. And I'm getting older too.'


Journey - Faithfully
Is there really any explanation needed for this song? I love Journey and wake up to this song daily. I love the arrangement on this song, I love the lyrics, I love the overall flow. Did I mention I love this song? It seems all of my favorite Journey songs have a kick-butt, high-note ending that make the songs very hard for other artists to cover. It's why I love the songs so much, you rarely hear covers of them, and when they are done they're usually done by the most talented artists. You won't find singers who use the help of auto-tune *ahem* Katy Perry, Britney Spears *ahem* and it makes it that much more special.

Now that I've done my favorite all-time 27 songs, have you started your own list?

My First Groupon :)

Yesterday I ventured out and tried my hand at Pilates at Align Pilates. For the record, it kicked my butt yesterday and I'm still sore today. To say it was worth it is an understatement, I now get why people are flocking to Pilates in herds. Today when I opened my Groupon I saw that my Pilates studio was having a deal for Barre Class at Align Pilates. The deal? Four one-hour sessions of Barre class for $36. That's $9 a class. Being new to Groupon I had a $20 credit, so these classes are literally going to cost me $4 for each class. $4 for one hour of intense workout in a boutique studio. Yep, there won't be a ton of people in there with me, my Pilates classes fit six people, meaning my first timer embarrassment will be limited to five other people plus an instructor. Not too shabby. :) For the Align Pilates Barre Class Groupon deal click here.

Pilates? Yes Please!

Yesterday on Twitter I asked my followers their recommendations for Pilates or Yoga and the responses I received on both were overwhelming. I have already done Yoga in the past and knew how much it helped; I really saw a difference in my body from doing Yoga in terms of feeling more lean and less bulky. So what is the difference between the two and why should I invest time and money into Pilates when I can do my Yoga DVD at home?

The distinction between Yoga and Pilates is not easy to find, for one Yoga is often connected with spiritual history and processes that focus much more on reaching actualization than they do on what their physical aim is. Pilates is more straightforward.

The Pilates method seeks to increase the strength, flexibility and control of the body. Pilates is a body conditioning routine that helps to not only build flexibility, but also strength, endurance, and coordination in the legs, abdominals, arms and back.

Another site lists the benefits of Pilates and Yoga, citing they complement each other and one would benefit greatly from the combination of the two (which I plan to do - Yoga on Saturdays and Pilates on Sundays.) This site states that Pilates helps with the core, elongates muscles, etc. and Yoga's benefits are targeted towards the internal organs and overall health of the participant with the added bonus of stretching, flexibility, toning, balance as well.

I think fully understanding what you're getting yourself in for and why it's so good for you is essential to actually seeing it through. If you're looking for a good Yoga DVD I recommend 'The Biggest Loser Yoga' it's with Bob Harper and it's not as spiritually focused as some which I find to be boring but it definitely works. When I used it a few summers ago (it was free on Comcast under their Sports and Exercise section, I just recently purchased it on Amazon) I was running Lake Calhoun on a regular basis. I noticed immediately how elongated my legs looked and it felt great to stretch out as they recommended. My balance (which is awful) improved markedly and overall I felt great. I tried other Yoga workouts and never noticed the same results, often getting bored and listless during the workout and eventually dropping it from my routine all together.

And for those looking for a good Pilates exercise I suggest checking out local Pilates studios, there are often really good deals for newbies or to attend classes by a teacher in training. This upcoming Sunday I am taking my first ever Pilates class at Align Pilates in Uptown. Their 'Save Your Bucks Sunday' offers mat classes for $5 and reformer classes for $10, with personal one on one instruction for $20. So this Sunday I'll be on the mat, the following Sunday I'll be on the reformer. I'm excited to try something new, and for $30 a month to get a good workout in, I'll take it!

My Food Revolution: Organic Peanut Butter

Thus far my journey into removing as many processed foods has been relatively easy. Vegetables just require an understanding in how to make them before you start craving them. My baked asparagus? Heaven. My sauteed summer squash? Pure bliss. While the majority of my changes have been more than easy to make there was one that was somewhat difficult. Organic Peanut Butter. Why? You'd think this would be easy as you'd think they didn't put much into the PB. Wrong. But the thought of ingesting chemicals makes me gag a bit so while it took a little manipulation I figured out a great solution and thought I'd share with you too. :)

The bread I eat is the Honey Wheat bread from Great Harvest and because the Peanut Butter I have requires refrigeration I have to toast my bread so it spreads a bit easier. I then slather on some honey on to the other piece of lightly toasted bread and hanker down. It's quite simple and the end result is amazing. The Peanut Butter is a bit hard for me to eat without a bit of sugar and I eat honey on my Peanut Butter sandwhiches so it provides that extra bit of sugar I need, the heat from the toast needed to melt the Peanut Butter a bit (as it has a very weird looking texture as it is cold) and a bit of a crunch with the toast.

I get my Peanut Butter from Parker's Farm which is available at Lunds and Byerly's stores across Minnesota.