good morning, monday

{santa monica stairs, long and steep}

good morning. had a fun, hot weekend in the marina. we aren't used to hitting the eighty degree mark around here, but we were sweltering this weekend. with the muggy air quality, near triple digit temperatures and raging wildfires spreading all weekend, it made los angeles one mean, sweaty place to live.

our weekend involved a new healthy brunch cafe, a baseball game, more than one batch of these cookies and some painful stair running that left us unable to walk the entire day yesterday. under heated conditions, i like to keep my diet cool, and preferably liquid, which leads me to the new favorite way to start my day.....

stuff the blender chock-full of fresh spinach, a tsp of flaxseed oil, cup of almond milk (or liquid of choice), favorite fruit (i like frozen berries), (maybe) some almond butter, a little ice, and....

...voila! the green monster is born. makes a huge glassful, and i happily gulp down the entire thing. the best thing about this drink/smoothie is the ability to get creative as you want, and it is always good. try it, you won't be disappointed. and you'll be getting some extra greens in your diet. nothing wrong with that.

happy monday. peace and love. 

thoughts on aging

{wash the thoughts away. by frederic poirot}

i can't help but notice how fast time is flying by lately. summer is pretty much over, and the holidays will be here before we know it. i pulled out another gray hair this morning. my younger sister just graduated college. my youngest sister is about to start college. i just need time to catch my breath.  

a fellow yogi gave me the following top ten list. i never thought of the comedian george carlin to be that inspirational, but this is just too good not to share. here are his thoughts on aging...

how to stay young

1. throw out nonessential numbers. this includes age, weight and height. let the doctors worry about them. that is why you pay "them".

2. keep only cheerful friends. the grouches pull you down.

3. keep learning. learn more about the computer, crafts, gardening, whatever. never let the brain idle. "an idle mind is the devil's workshop." and the devil's name is Alzheimer's. 

4. enjoy the simple things.

5. laugh often, long and loud. laugh until you gasp for breath.

6. the tears happen. endure, grieve, and move on. the only person who is with us our entire life, is ourselves. be alive while you are alive. 

7. surround yourself with what you love, whether it's family, pets, keepsakes, music, plants, hobbies, whatever. your home is your refuge. 

8. cherish your health: if it is good, preserve it. if it is unstable, improve it. if it is beyond what you can improve, get help.

9. don't take guilt trips. take a trip to the mall, even to the next county; to a foreign country, but NOT to where the guilt is.

10. tell the people you love that you love them, at every single opportunity. 

be alive while you are alive. great stuff. 

peace and love. xoxo.

case of the mondays

woke up this morning with a sore throat and the sniffles. and nothing cures my aches and pains more than the time well spent with my bosch. glad i finally put my farmers market zucchini to good use - not the original plan for it, but why fight it?

i had to omit the walnuts from this recipe, because i ate them all during my baking process. i'm sure it would've tasted better with them, but i have been told that walnuts are in the fertility food group, so...yeah, couldn't help it. i tried to make up for it by putting the dough in mini loaf pans, which makes the bread not only delicious but also adorable.

am hoping that whatever is stuck in my system disappears by thursday, because i'm off to visit the campbell's in utah. a very short trip, and time will mostly be spent up in heber for a family reunion, but a much needed break from the city into the mountains may be just the cure for whatever ails me.

**recipe and image via here

treehugging tips: air your hair

{image via here}

simple and green tip 07: air your hair

i'm not lazy. i'm saving the environment. 

that is what i tell myself everyday now that i take 4 minute showers and don't blow/style my hair anymore. i have been using my hair dryer/styling appliances only once or twice a week these days. not only does it save me time, but it is also kind of fun letting my hair air dry and see what it is going to look like. who knew i had such curly hair?

hair dryers suck. energy, that is. did you know that your hair dryer uses more energy than a microwave uses to heat food? according to the u.s. department of energy, a hair dryer uses 1200 to 1875 watts of energy, while a microwave uses 750 to 1100. all that blowing is wasting a whole lotta electricity. 

maybe next time you step out of the shower, let the summer air dry your hair. even if its just once or twice a week...every little bit helps.

happy friday. have a great weekend.

traffic, guitars and spinning

after spending 3+ hours in traffic yesterday, i've decided i'm not leaving our apartment again, (unless it is to go to the store down the street) until we move to san francisco.

no sooner than i decided this, the noise started upstairs. apparently our new neighbors above are in a band. how delightful. sounds like they are testing out their electric guitar connection to their amp, or something like it. those that know me, know that i can't handle random loud noises. most would say to complain to management about the wall-vibrating noise, but i won't, because i know what it is like. the husband and i have had a visit from security on more than one occasion. our neighbors below, are not to say...very tolerant, and call security on us every time we drop a sock on the floor. so i'll let it slide...the noise will pass. 

so to get the buzzing out of my ears, knowing that i would be on my own self-induced lockdown for the next month or so, i dragged myself to a spinning class this morning. let's just say this...my summer of fitness has not turned out the way i thought it would. i was convinced i would be a lean, mean athlete by now, but nothing could be further from the truth. yoga + no other type of exercise = out of shape laura. although my ytt (yoga teacher training) was unforgettable and i couldn't be happier (not to mention more peaceful) about it. still, it consumed all my time, and it is almost like my cardiovascular system is slowly walking up from hibernation. i'm a limber, larger version of myself to say the least. 

so back to the spinning class. does anyone do this sport regularly?

because let me just say, it may be the hardest workout i've ever done. or i'm just that out of shape. which is the most likely possibility. i really tried to keep up with the instructor and the rest of the class. whew...it was rough. that being said, my summer of fitness bust may turn into a fall of fitness experiment. i need some more balance. maybe some walking/running, spinning, swimming and lots of yoga and i will be one step closer to being the triathlete i've always wanted to be. 

p.s. - these are not helping.

if my husband ever left me...

...i would hope it would be for Rachel McAdams. in fact, i'd probably encourage it. 

that being said, i'd probably leave my husband for rachel mcadams. that's how much i love her. so you can imagine my excitement for this movie...

it looks very much notebook-esque, which i also loved. i'm such a sucker for anything romance. i love love.

am wondering if i should read the book first.  i usually like to read the books before i see the movies. has anyone read it yet? 

reviews please....

at this moment....

i'm wishing i was with this girl. sweet, perfect, girly, shy, funny, and now 3-year-old Olivia, whose birthday was yesterday... 
...and i have been thinking about her all week. the hardest part about living away from family is missing out on these monumental moments and not being able to snuggle, spoil and kiss our littlest family members whenever i want. happy birthday Livi, i see so many great things coming for you. 

i'm also spending a lot of time today thinking of this guy....
...because sometimes when i do, i can actually feel my heart puffing up in my chest, getting bigger and beating harder. it's a good feeling. i am ever so grateful for him. i am more of the person i should have always been, every second i spend with him. 

also spending a little time thinking of this sweet treat, which we whipped up last night for dessert. i love finding pure (and raw) perfection with the littlest amount of ingredients possible. with of course, the addition of, lots and lots of chocolate sauce.

"for beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone." ~ audrey hepburn

*photo of Olivia, by Rachel Thurston

**photo of Cort, by me

making a move

in 53 days, the husband and i will be blogging from a different city. home of pier 39 at fisherman's wharf, the golden gate bridge, alcatraz, full house, and most importantly ghirardelli square, we will be moving to the great city of san francisco. the husband got transfered/promoted, and was nice enough to let me tag along. i'm looking forward to living within walking distance of everything i need, having a yoga studio on every block and embarking on this little adventure with my new husband. i have been googling everything san francisco these days, and i couldn't be more excited. stay tuned for more details on the big move.

"it's an odd thing, but anyone who disappears is said to be seen in san francisco. it must be a delightful city and possess all the attractions of the next world." ~ oscar wilde

**images via flikr, frederic poirot - san francisco series

wordless wednesday

just dreaming....

st. john, us virgin islands - april 2009

(drinking our weight in pina coladas)

good morning, stomach

i love breakfast so much. sometimes i will wake up really early in the morning just so i can eat it. i usually end up thinking about what i'm going to eat the night before. this is no joke. sometimes when i think of breakfast, i think of my mom. she makes the best bowl of cream of wheat i've ever tasted. to this day, i can't make it as good as she can, so i don't even try. that is why lately, oatmeal has become my breakfast of choice. 

i like to mix it up. i'll add cinnamon and some blueberries. or maybe some brown sugar and walnuts. it is fun to get creative. most days i like it hot. the warm-your-stomach kind of hot. but i recently found this recipe for my morning meal here, and now, it is tough for me to eat oatmeal any other way.

try it out. you won't be disappointed.

ingredients

3/4 cup oats

3/4 cup apple juice (fresh-squeezed, preferred)

1 tsp cinnamon

directions

do not cook the oatmeal. the night before, pour the apple juice into the bowl of whole oats, and add cinnamon. let it sit in your fridge over night - the oats will soak up the juice. eat as is!