We have a friend who celebrated a non-milestone birthday last fall. She’d had a rough year, physically and emotionally, and she decided that the best way to move on was to have a big birthday bash. So she invited friends from around the country, as well as local friends, and they ate well, and danced hard, and sang loud, and played silly party games. Most importantly, she told them all how much joy they brought to her life, and they told her about the joy she brought to their lives.
We know a young woman who is celebrating her 24th birthday tomorrow (Happy Birthday E!). She’s treating this birthday as a milestone – it’s the kickoff for her “countdown to the golden birthday” year. She is taking the entire year to celebrate her life, and she’s let her friends and family know all about it, and asking them to join her in a variety of parties and events through the coming year.
Celebrate your own life, and the lives of the people you love, today and every day.
Talk about the joy you bring to each other’s lives.
Plan a fun event for your friends to join you in feeling good about life – maybe a spa day, maybe a picnic, maybe a boat ride, maybe a weekend away.
Pick a theme song that celebrates your life, and play it each morning.
Light a special candle to remind you of your light in the world.
Collect stories and photos about your life in a journal.
Cook your favorite meal every month on your birthdate.
Move every part of your body.
Kick or lift those legs – front, side, and back.
Squat and lunge to build those thighs.
Shake your booty and wiggle your hips.
Lift your arms overhead, then circle them front and back.
Roll your head to use that neck.
Because this is every (well, a lot of them, anyway) hit song from 2009.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Find it here. (hey – no downloading until you’ve danced!)
There’s a certain elegance to the foxtrot and the waltz, and there’s nothing sexier than a good tango!
Besides the social benefits, ballroom dancing is a great workout. Just look at the contestants on Dancing With The Stars – they all get more fit and more lean through the season. You may want to take lessons first. It’s a fun way to reconnect with your partner (just think – dinner and dance lessons every week!), as well as get some exercise.
Besides, when you go out, you get to dress up! And when you get home, you get the extra payoff from that tango!
This recipe comes from member Evipaap. Thanks for sharing, Evi!
These burgers freeze well and can be easily reheated in the oven or a microwave, so make the full recipe, even if you don’t need them all at once.
You could also top them with a veggie gravy and serve with potatoes or brown rice for a hearty supper. For a tasty side dish to accompany whole grain pasta, cover frozen patties with tomato sauce and simmer on low heat in a pan for about 10 minutes, or till completely heated through.
~*~ ~*~ ~*~ Yummy Vegan Burgers with Pesto and Salsa Blue * Serves 12
2 cups oatmeal
1 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 cup dried mushroom pieces, ground (shiitake or your choice)
1/2 cup spelt flour
1 Tablespoon fennel seeds
1/4 cup nutritional yeast
1/4 cup parsley flakes
1/4 cup sesame seeds
1/4 cup wheat germ
2 cups grated carrot
1 onion, finely chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/4 cup Bragg Liquid Aminos (or use tamari or soy sauce)
2 cups water
Whole grain buns
Pesto (homemade or store bought)
Salsa (homemade or store bought)
Veggie mayonnaise
Preheat oven to 375F. Using a food processor mix oatmeal, sunflower seeds and mushrooms till grainy in consistency and sunflower seeds are very finely chopped. Transfer mixture to a large mixing bowl and add next five ingredients. Mix and form a well for wet ingredients. In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients and mix well. Combine wet and dry ingredients and mix very well with a large spoon. With oiled hands scoop a heaping tablespoon onto the palm of your hand and form into a ball (3 inches in diameter). Place onto a cookie sheet with parchment paper on it and flatten to about a half inch in thickness. Bake for 10 to 12 minutes. Turn patties and bake for an additional 10 to 12 minutes.
Toast whole grain burger buns and spread with veggie mayonnaise and pesto. Place hot patties on buns and top with salsa. Serve with a salad on the side.
Yesterday you cleaned up that sock drawer – today it’s your undies. Starting your day by looking at a few organized drawers can really make you feel accomplished. And isn’t that a great feeling to have before the day gets complicated and difficult?
Toss those old baggy undies that even Aunt Mabel would be embarrassed to wear – that includes anything with stretched out elastic. Get rid of anything you don’t want the paramedics to see if you’re hit by the proverbial bus. And for Pete’s sake, if they’re too small, get rid of them.
This is a good time to see what undies you need to replace. You may want to invest in some of the new microfiber undies, or something that doesn’t leave you with VPL. You may want to splurge on something bright or pretty (winter can be long and gray). You may want to try a different style – a thong or boy-shorts for the ladies, boxer-briefs or bikini style for the guys.
Take 15 minutes to straighten out your drawers. (get it? drawers?)
You’ll like the result. We promise.
Don’t overthink your exercise and fitness routine.
Just Do It.(thanks, Nike)
If you stop and think about it, you will find 10,000 reasons for NOT doing it. There’s always something that needs to be cleaned, or a project you haven’t finished, or a kid who needs your attention. It will still be there for you to clean or finish or attend to when you’re done exercising.
Don’t think about it – just start, and 30 minutes later, you can get back to the rest of your life.
You know how, when your life gets a little out of control, if there’s one small thing that’s “together” and organized and working well – and you can count on it being that way every day – that there seems to be hope for the rest of your life?
Maybe it’s just us, but having a couple of really organized drawers makes all the difference in the world when we’re getting ready to face another day of chaos.
Today, go through your sock drawer and get rid of the socks that don’t have mates, the socks that have holes, the socks you never wear (because we all have some socks in funky colors, or that just feel weird, or that are some crazy holiday gift that fall into that “if I’m hit by a bus, I don’t want anyone in the emergency room seeing me in these!” category).
Get rid of the tights and nylons that have runs, or have funky patterns that make your legs look diseased, or that are really too small or too big – you know, the ones that have the crotch that doesn’t stay up, or that give your ankles elephantitis.
Then put back the socks you like in neat, logical stacks. Keep your workout socks separate, and maybe stack the rest by color or length or season.
With 15 minutes of effort, you can enjoy that sense of “all’s right with the world” every morning when you open your sock drawer.
Are you ready for some football-centered entertaining?
Do you have any idea of what you can feed your football fans and/or guests that’s not the same old chips and salsa?
Do you need some man-friendly and good-for-you snack foods?
Not that liking football is only for men (we’d never suggest that) but the food that goes with football? is not always good, or original, or remotely good-for-you – all those little wieners and sludgy-cheese dips and the ever-present chips and salsa that men seem to stick with … we can do better!
Join the fun and fabulous coach SusanMikYUM for a special 5-day Super Bowl class, starting Monday, February 6. Susan is an amazing cook and hostess, and has a whole stack of recipes to share. This food is definitely man-friendly, with snack foods filling enough to be a buffet-style dinner, and a bunch of variations on old-favorites.
PLUS – you’ll also get a second 10-day class later in February! Coaches Heather and Kecia will tackle self-sabotage and emotional eating.
Faith is taking the first step, even when you don’t see the whole staircase.
~ Martin Luther King Jr.
Martin Luther King, Jr. helped us see the world in a whole new way. He encouraged us to treat each other as brothers and sisters, no matter our race, color, creed, economic background, or whatever else we like to think separates us.
So, yes, keep thinking about Haiti, and about the other times and places in which we can help each other out. Then have a little faith that you can make a difference, and take that first step. You don’t have to know where you’ll end up – the first step will lead to the second step. The second step will lead to the third step. Eventually, the top of the staircase will find you, and the world will be a better place.
In case you think we’re going to pass up this opportunity – the quotation works really well if you apply it to the changes you want – or need – to make in the way you eat, the way you exercise, the way you treat your body… just read it again. We promise – you don’t have to see the whole staircase – just take have a little faith and take that first step toward doing the right thing for yourself.
4 cups dry white beans, rinsed and soaked overnight in 6 cups of water OR 4 15-ounce cans white beans
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup minced carrots
1/2 cup minced onions (fresh, not dried)
1/2 cup minced celery
1/4 teaspoon minced garlic
8 cups water (not the soaking water)
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon minced thyme
First, strain the beans you soaked overnight in a colander. If using canned beans, drain and rinse.
In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat, and saute the carrots, onion, celery, and garlic until lightly cooked. Add the beans, water, and bay leaf and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and cook for 1 hour (if you used dried beans and soaked them overnight) or 15 minutes (if you used canned beans). Add the salt, pepper, and thyme.
Serve with crusty whole grain bread and a fresh green salad.
