focal points

via

Ever need a focal point to get you through a situation? Say a rough day at work? Or a disappointing doctor's appointment? Or a long, sleepless night with a new little one? Whatever it is, I've been thinking about this particular "coping mechanism" lately and find that it really does make sense.

In sports, you are taught to "be the ball" and to picture said ball as going into the hoop, goal, or far into the outfield. In business, you are told to envision the future you want for yourself and then take the steps needed to get to your end goal. And even in decorating your personal life (with clothes, home decor, a retro bike, the type of dog you want, etc), you get inspiration from pictures in magazines, online, and tv programs. 

via

This way of thinking and visualizing, I think, can help you get through emotional and mental obstacles as well. As of late, I'm picturing lots of crisp, blue waters which means two things to me: (1) I need to change something in my life so that I don't need so much calming waters to get me through a day, and (2) I need to look into a tropical vacation in my near future.

workout tunes

via

Let's keep it real...I don't enjoy running. Well, I don't enjoy starting to run again after a long hiatus which is almost all the time. I need motivation to get out there, and the only thing that gets me, and keeps me, going are tunes. If I don't have music to work out with, I don't work out. 

For instance, last week, I woke up early and made it to the gym for 5am. I got on the treadmill, turned on my ipod, and it immediately turned off on me with some sass saying, "Please, girl. You didn't charge me last night so no music for you today". No music, okay...I got off the treadmill and drove back home, got back into bed, and snoozed for another hour. I showed you, ipod.

Not only is keeping your ipod/mp3 player charged important, but so are the songs you choose to work out to. I've been a long standing fan of alternative rock and hip hop/rap while running, but I am always looking for an update. Enter Women's Health for some good inspiration and 10 separate playlist ideas for a good run. Some of these are already on my playlist, but I'm definitely going to add some new ones in there like B.O.B by Outkast and Runnin' Down a Dream by Tom Petty - genius, really! 

What about you? What is your go-to song for keeping up momentum?

avocado you

 via

Mmmmmm...avocados. I could and would put avocados in anything and everything, but I then get upset because I don't know how to keep the "leftovers" from going brown and spoiling. So I end up just eating as much avocado as possible, in one sitting (seriously, I can get 7 slices of avocado on one burger), so as not to waste it.

Enter Apartment Therapy! I just love their website and am a daily visitor/stalker. Well, yesterday I was scrolling through their site and came across a section that said, "30 Reasons to Buy an Avocado Tonight". The title got me, and I instantly clicked on the link. Not only does this entry give you recipes for avocados, but it shows you how to store them as well, to ensure you get as much life out of it as possible. BINGO! Come to Mama, you green yumminess, you!

South Beach...And I'm Not Talking Miami

via South Beach

Dreadful...well, it's not actually dreadful, but maybe a bit boring.

My husband and I started on the South Beach Diet over a month ago to help with getting our bodies healthy and rid our diets of all the complex carbohydrates we were so used to. I noticed that we were having carbs at every meal of every day. I mean, it's so easy to have toast and grits at breakfast, a sandwich at lunch, and some pasta or rice dish at dinner. No wonder we were feeling so lazy and sluggish!

My doctor recommended this diet because it wasn't as harsh as others and pretty easy to follow. I agree that it is not harsh, but easy? I don't know about that. You seem to get into this rut where you are eating the same things over and over again - eggs/turkey bacon for breakfast, chicken caesar salad for lunch, and some kind of meat with vegetables for dinner. Boring, right?! I'm going to list out some pros and cons here and you tell me what you think:

Pros

1. Weight Loss - duh!
2. I feel amazing and so much lighter
3. My skin is healthier and I experience a lot less little breakouts
4. New recipes (when I can find ones I like)

Cons

1. Not much variety for a girl who is not a big fan of vegetables (I'm such a baby, I know)
2. I can't eat scrambled eggs anymore without gagging - it's just too much
3. Carb cravings - dear mac & cheese, I miss you...that is all
4. Sweets cravings - what I would do for a PAN of fudge brownies...disgraceful
5. Going out to eat is tough!

So how am I supposed to spice up this diet and still be good? I want it to be a lifestyle change, but as an Italian from New Orleans (where pasta/rice is served with everything), I'm finding it hard to stick to it. Any ideas for a couple who has entered into Phase 2 of the diet and has ALMOST had it?!