New.Beginning.

Baby.Brother's.Birthday.

Today is my baby brother's 15th birthday and I can't even believe it!!!! Where did those 15 years go?!

I remember the day he came into my life and blessed it in a way he'll never know. He is truly one of the most precious gifts I've ever received and I feel so lucky to be his big sister.

I never thought we'd be close given that we are 12 years apart but age didn't stop us. We can talk to each other about anything and we tell each other everything. We've laughed and cried together and have made so many fun memories over the years. He is such a treasure to me!

Happy Birthday, Connor!!! I hope your day is a great one and I hope all your birthday wishes come true! You make your sister VERY proud...

Neon.Nails.

Love these neon outlined nails! I'm going to have to buy a nail polish pen and give this a whirl. How cute are they?!

Sweat.In.Style.

How adorable is this outfit?

I don't know about you, but I have to LOVE what I'm wearing when I workout. It helps motivate me...

I'm not one who can throw on a baggy shirt and go. I need clothing that keeps me dry and cool and hides sweat as much as possible. And if you know me at all, I like to be coordinated. So the top matches the bottoms all the way down to my shoes. There's just something about loving the outfit you're in. I push harder and aim for achieving better results so that I can look good in what I wear.

I also believe in rewarding oneself with new workout attire. When you lose inches or pounds, you want to show that off, right?! Someday I will have abs like hers above and quite possibly gain enough confidence to wear something like that. I'm inspired now!!

A few of my personal favorite workout brands are:
lululemon
Turbo Wear
Zella 
And now I'm interested in checking out the clothing from rogiani (as seen in photo above)

Who says just because you sweat that you shouldn't do it in style?!

No.Surgery.For.Me.

Got some great news this week - I don't have to have surgery on my knee after all! I'm so excited...and I just can't hide it!

I have to wear my knee brace every day and go to Physical Therapy three times a week for the next few weeks, but my doctor seems to believe that I will be recovered and better than ever in just a few weeks. I can't WAIT to get back to teaching my fitness classes and get back to my workout routine.

Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!!!

American.Idol.

If you don't know me personally, you probably aren't aware that I am an American Idol voter. And when I say voter, I don't mean that lightly.

I mean, I log on to the voting site through my Facebook account and I vote for my favorite singer 50 times. Yes, you read that correctly: F-I-F-T-Y times! It would probably be more, but, there is a limit to the number of times one person may vote.

So who is it who has been getting all my votes this season? Phillip Phillips! I just LOVE his voice and his charm is working wonders for him as well.

 Let's hope my 50 votes keep sending him on his way to superstardom!

Artichokes.

Now that Spring is officially here, artichokes are making more visible appearances in our markets and I just picked up two HUGE ones because they happen to be one of my favorite vegetables. While you can pretty much buy them year-round, I always look forward to eating them in Spring and Summer when they taste the best and make great complements to barbecue dishes.

What's more fun that eating the actual artichoke? Trying new dipping sauces... this one comes from Cooking Light so I don't feel too guilty eating it.

Ingredients -

• 2 whole garlic heads
• 4 medium artichokes
• 1/2 cup dry white wine
• 1 cup organic vegetable broth
• 1 tablespoon butter
• 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
• Chopped fresh parsley (optional) 

Directions -
1. Preheat oven to 400°.

2. Remove white papery skin from garlic heads (do not peel or separate the cloves). Wrap each head separately in foil. Bake at 400° for 45 minutes; cool 10 minutes. Separate cloves; squeeze to extract garlic pulp. Discard skins.

3. Cut off stems of artichokes, and remove bottom leaves. Trim about 1/2 inch from tops of artichokes. Place artichokes, stem ends down, in a large Dutch oven filled two-thirds with water; bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat, and simmer 45 minutes or until a leaf near the center of each artichoke pulls out easily. Remove artichokes from pan.

4. Combine half of garlic pulp and wine in a small saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 2 minutes. Add broth; cook until reduced to 1/2 cup (about 8 minutes). Remove from heat; stir in butter and salt. Pour mixture into a blender; add remaining half of garlic pulp. Remove center piece of blender lid (to allow steam to escape); secure blender lid on blender. Place a clean towel over opening in blender lid (to avoid splatters). Blend until smooth. Sprinkle dip with parsley, if desired. Serve dip with warm artichokes.

Great.Dreams.

Every great dream begins with a dreamer. Always remember, you have within you the strength, the patience, and the passion to reach for the stars to change the world. - Harriet Tubman

Is there something BIG that you long for? I hope so! I can't imagine life would be much fun without having big goals and dreams to strive for.

What is it that you want? Have you written it down somewhere so you can see it every day and let it be a constant reminder to you? Have you determined the little goals that you must also achieve in order for the BIG goal to be accomplished?

Don't discount the baby steps. It's the little things that you do every single day that will help you get to the end result.

And speaking of end result - focus on it. Don't dwell on obstacles that may arise because I promise if you do, they will trip you up along your journey. Put your attention and all your energy on that end result and you just may turn your dream into reality sooner than you thought possible.

Ultimate.Reset.

Do you need a tune-up for your body? We tune-up our cars, but why not our bodies?

With all the toxins we are subjected to on a daily basis, imagine just what your insides look and feel like after years of accumulating bad things. With Beachbody Ultimate Reset, in 21 days you can give your body the reset it needs to help you look better, make your organs function at their optimum levels and you may just benefit by living longer as a result.

Check out this video for more information:

Spaghetti.

~via~

MMM I love spaghetti and I love anything that involves that type of pasta. I am also a big fan of arugula, so naturally I was drawn to this recipe, which is one of Martha's and it sounds delicious!

Ingredients -

• 1/2 cup shelled unsalted pistachios
• Sea salt or coarse salt
• 1 small shallot, cut into eighths
• 1 Meyer lemon (about 5 ounces), cut into eighths and seeded
• 3 tablespoons lemon or regular extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 pound whole-wheat spaghetti
• 2 cups packed baby arugula
• Freshly ground pepper

Directions -

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Spread pistachios on a rimmed baking sheet. Toast in oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Transfer to a plate; let cool completely.

2. Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Meanwhile, pulse pistachios and shallot in a food processor until finely chopped. Transfer to a large bowl. Without cleaning processor bowl, finely chop lemon. Add to pistachios and shallot; stir to combine. Stir in 2 tablespoons oil.

3. Add pasta to boiling water; cook until al dente, according to package instructions. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup cooking water. Toss pasta with pistachio mixture until coated. Add reserved cooking water; stir until sauce coats pasta. Stir in arugula, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and remaining tablespoon oil; season with pepper. Divide among 4 serving plates.

Chaturanga.

OMG this is just too flippin' funny for words...

Have a fabulously fit Friday my friends!!! :)

Bags.In.Boxes.

Empty tissue boxes can provide easy and handy storage for plastic grocery bags.


Thanks GMAIL for the Recycle Tip! :)

Restless.Warrior.

Well, this is the exact pose I was doing three-weeks ago when I injured my knee and let me tell you, I can't wait for the day when I can do Warrior 1 again!

I haven't worked out since my injury and my body is going crazy. I feel so tight and wish I could just wake up tomorrow completely healed so I could get back to my workout routine!!!

Life sure has a funny way of slowing us down that's for sure...

Lemonade.Fun.

~via~

How refreshing does this look? With Spring here and Summer around the corner, this drink just sounds oh, so good and such a fun treat for these warm, sunny days we are having.

• 2 oz. strawberry infused Svedka vodka
• 2 oz. simple syrup
• 2 oz. fresh lemon juice
• Top with sparkling wine
• Garnish with strawberries and mint

Dream.Sail.Discover.

Starting.Over.

Find a "soul-mate" workout so you won't want to give up. When you do something you enjoy and you start seeing results, you'll keep at it and won't have to start over.

Leave your excuses at the door and get up and MOVE!

Long.Weekends.

While it's not quite a 3-day weekend, it's close enough. Tomorrow is a 1/2-day at work for me, which makes it more like a 2-1/2 day weekend!

Dandelion.Dreams.

Close your eyes and make a wish...

Asparagus.&.Spring.Green.Salad.

I have been hunting for vegetarian recipes for a while since I had planned to go vegetarian for the month of April...however while cleaning out my fridge over the weekend I realized I have too much meat that I can't waste, so I'll take on the challenge in May. At least now I will have time to gather more recipes and make sure to consume all meat products in my house!

I love asparagus...and Spring greens...and Gorgonzola. So, I can only imagine I will LOVE this refreshing salad!


Ingredients -

• 1 pound green and white asparagus, trimmed and cut into (2-inch) pieces
• 2 1/4 teaspoons salt, divided
• 2 tablespoons minced shallots
• 2 tablespoons white balsamic vinegar
• 2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
• 1/2 teaspoon grated lemon rind
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
• 1/2 cup (2 ounces) crumbled Gorgonzola cheese, divided
• 1 (5-ounce) package mixed salad greens

Directions -
1. Cook asparagus and 2 teaspoons salt in boiling water 2 minutes or until crisp-tender. Drain and rinse asparagus under cold water; drain.

2. Combine remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, shallots, and next 4 ingredients (through pepper) in a small bowl, stirring with a whisk. Stir in 1/4 cup cheese.

3. Combine asparagus and greens in a large bowl. Drizzle with dressing; toss gently to coat. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup cheese.

Thanks once again to my favorite healthy recipe source Cooking Light for this delicious recipe.

Ghandi's.Top.10.Fundamentals.

I love this list.

#4 is my favorite. It's so true. So many times we sit and HOPE things will go our way and think our dreams will just all magically come true. Don't get me wrong, that would be really great if that's how things worked. But let's get real and face the truth. In order for things to happen and for us to reach goals and become successful, we must DO.

It starts with baby steps. Small actions that work us towards our big goals are the most important steps in our journey. You can't skip them. It's the small, mundane tasks that we must push ourselves through in order to reap the exciting benefits.

Don't give up. Remember, you are in control and you must be persistent and continue to grow and evolve. Be the best you that you can possibly be.

Have a great week my friends!

Sunday.Movie.Review.

21 Jump Street is HI-LARIOUS!

I HIGHLY recommend spending your Sunday Funday seeing this hilarious comedy. I laughed so hard.

And hello...two words...Channing Tatum! He's such a dream boat :)



While you're at the theater, you might as well stay and see Casa de Mi Padre. This is another HI-LARIOUS flick!

Happy laughing my friends :)