I just got back from Miami!!!!! What a fun week Mzoof (best girlfriend) and I had!!
I am too busy to post a long blog about it, but a few things to note:
1. water by the pool cost $13 a bottle- did it taste better? I think not.
2. Miami looks much cooler in the movies than in person. It was a little dirty!
3. Famous people can be really stuck up/feel entitled (i.e. the old folks that took our table!!!!!)
4. Dinner at Opa (the Greek restaurant) might have been the most entertaining and fun dinner I have ever had- all due to the environment! Dancing on tables? Belly dancers? a DJ while you eat? pitchers of sangria? it was a GREAT time!
5. "Luxury Suite" in Miami does not = the same thing it does elsewhere in the world. Read: tiny
6. Our hotel was hopping! We stayed at the Shore Club, and it was a party every day and night!
A few health things to note:
I wore spf 30 on my body and 55 on my face at all times, and yet still am noticeably bronze and golden! We even took before and after pics to prove it haha! Sunshine really does a body good. I feel refreshed and relaxed.
I am currently reading Animal, Vegetable, Miracle by Barbara Kingsolver. It is really informative and inspiring. It has pretty much changed my life. Where can I find local, organic, produce + meat around here?!?! Whole Foods has a few options, but I wonder where the best Saturday morning farmer's market is?! Going to have to start searching! It is so true that we have forgotten about seasons- it is really strange to be able to have fresh asparagus all year round and strawberries etc etc etc- those veggies and fruits waste a lotttt of fuel and contain a lot more chemicals to keep them "fresh" than we think. More on all this later, I am only on page 80 in the book haha!
Last:
Absence really makes the heart grow fonder. I miss my PhillyBoy so much that my heart aches. We officially met on June 16th last year... so we've known each other for almost a year! I can't wait to see him. It has been 2.5 weeks. WAY. TOO. LONG. I miss him!!!! T-4 days til he arrives for my cousin's wedding! yay!
Monday, June 2, 2008
Sunday, May 25, 2008
Pet Peeve.
I can't STAND grammar errors and poor spelling. It drives me nuts and makes me want to scream!!!!! The things I hate the most....
-when someone does not use AN before words that begin with a vowel. example: A apple and not AN apple... drives me bonkers!!!!
-when someone spells simple words incorrectly over and over and over again! examples: tomatoe, supposably, and many many more
-when someone uses the wrong word because it sounds like another word.. (what is this called?) example: effect vs. affect
In other news, I am having a FABULOUS lazy weekend.. packing for Miami, shopping, lounging and enjoying the sunshine!!!!!
-when someone does not use AN before words that begin with a vowel. example: A apple and not AN apple... drives me bonkers!!!!
-when someone spells simple words incorrectly over and over and over again! examples: tomatoe, supposably, and many many more
-when someone uses the wrong word because it sounds like another word.. (what is this called?) example: effect vs. affect
In other news, I am having a FABULOUS lazy weekend.. packing for Miami, shopping, lounging and enjoying the sunshine!!!!!
Friday, May 23, 2008
Part 2: wedding vendors stink.
Luckily I got in touch with the boss at the hotel and everything is going to work out. I sure did panic for a second though!!!! She is going to meet with us the next time PB is in town, and I am going to email her some of my notes on what we want before then.
Fwew. I feel better!
In other news, I have been eating dinner earlier lately and as a result I am famished when I wake up! I had my lunch at 11:30 today!!!! so funny.
Fwew. I feel better!
In other news, I have been eating dinner earlier lately and as a result I am famished when I wake up! I had my lunch at 11:30 today!!!! so funny.
Thursday, May 22, 2008
Wedding vendors stink
Woah. So it's been 12 days since the girl at the hotel where our reception is has replied to my emails, and I had this bad feeling in my tummy. I called them, and the girl we were working with DOES NOT WORK THERE ANYMORE! oh. my. goodness. So no one has been receiving my emails and we are waiting right now to make sure they held the date for us still since we hadn't signed any contracts yet! ugh!!! So I am just sitting here waiting.... in suspense. We had already negotiated hardcore with this girl for cheaper prices on everything since we are having 350 people and a breakfast the next morning AND our rehearsal dinner the night before the reception. So now we will probably have to do it all again... as I am sure she did not leave on good terms. Had she left on good terms I am sure she would have emailed us to let us know who would be taking over.
such bs!
such bs!
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
Happy Birthday Nonna + Wanie!
My cousin turned 25 last week, and Nonna turned 86 today!!!!
Aren't they both so beautiful?!
Happy Birthday!!!
Ridding yourself of unneeded sugar.. forever!
A lot of people I know want to reduce the amount of sugar or sugary things they add to their tea, coffee, and yogurt. But, how? I have a surefire way to get rid of it all!
Story: I used to drink iced coffee extra milk, extra sugar, my hot tea with milk and sugar, and my plain yogurt with lots of honey and mix-ins. Now I drink my iced coffee with a splash of milk and once in a while a splash of sugar free hazelnut syrup, my hot tea completely plain, and my yogurt plain- with fruit, not sugar/splenda/honey etc.
How I did it: It was a bit of a long process, but totally worth it. All it requires is using a little less of the substance (sugar, milk, honey, whatever) until it is down to zero or almost zero. If you do that realllly slowly you will not even notice the difference, and before you know it an iced coffee with extra milk and extra sugar will taste disgustingly creamy and sweet to you!
Example: Hot Tea (since it was the hardest habit for me to break)
When I started drinking tea regularly I drank a cup of it with 2 teaspoons of sugar and whole milk. Below is my progression to tea without anything added in.
Start: 2 tsp sugar and whole milk
then...
-2 tsp sugar and skim milk
-1.5 tsp sugar and less skim milk
-1 tsp sugar and only a splash of skim milk
-.5 tsp sugar and a splash of skim
-2 equals and splash of skim
-1 equal and splash of skim
-1/2 splenda (splenda was new then so I used it) and splash of skim
-1/2 splenda
-NOTHING.
Now if I have sweetened tea it tastes wayyyyy too sweet. However, I will say that with my yogurt once in a while I will add a couple of chocolate chips to make it more decadent.
If I could do it, you can do it too!
Story: I used to drink iced coffee extra milk, extra sugar, my hot tea with milk and sugar, and my plain yogurt with lots of honey and mix-ins. Now I drink my iced coffee with a splash of milk and once in a while a splash of sugar free hazelnut syrup, my hot tea completely plain, and my yogurt plain- with fruit, not sugar/splenda/honey etc.
How I did it: It was a bit of a long process, but totally worth it. All it requires is using a little less of the substance (sugar, milk, honey, whatever) until it is down to zero or almost zero. If you do that realllly slowly you will not even notice the difference, and before you know it an iced coffee with extra milk and extra sugar will taste disgustingly creamy and sweet to you!
Example: Hot Tea (since it was the hardest habit for me to break)
When I started drinking tea regularly I drank a cup of it with 2 teaspoons of sugar and whole milk. Below is my progression to tea without anything added in.
Start: 2 tsp sugar and whole milk
then...
-2 tsp sugar and skim milk
-1.5 tsp sugar and less skim milk
-1 tsp sugar and only a splash of skim milk
-.5 tsp sugar and a splash of skim
-2 equals and splash of skim
-1 equal and splash of skim
-1/2 splenda (splenda was new then so I used it) and splash of skim
-1/2 splenda
-NOTHING.
Now if I have sweetened tea it tastes wayyyyy too sweet. However, I will say that with my yogurt once in a while I will add a couple of chocolate chips to make it more decadent.
If I could do it, you can do it too!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
Nonna's Diet Tips
My nonna is like a second mother to me. She is in town from Trieste, Italy. She used to live with my family 6 months out of the year, but now she only comes for a few months at a time... She is turning 86 this week, and doesn't look a day over 70.. seriously. My grandmother is beautiful, strong, independent, and has the most beautiful skin in the world. Also, she has maintained a beautiful figure all these years.. And she doesn't hesitate to tell me how. Nonna is not a fan of all this "dieting". She thinks that it has gotten out of control and she thinks that's why Americans are fat! But that's for another discussion... Today, I would like to share Nonna's diet tips (diet as in how to maintain a healthy, strong, lean body by what you put in your mouth day in and day out for your whole life).
1. Eat everything, but not too much of everything.
2. Don't eat huge meals, but rather eat smaller meals throughout the day.
3. Get up from the table without having a "hard stomach" (hard to translate that word from her dialect)i.e. get up from the table like you could still eat more.
4. Reserve sweets for very special occasions and not as a daily indulgence.
5. Don't be afraid of carbs! Eat something carb heavy at lunch and a protein + veggies for dinner..
6. Don't eat too much cheese. (she thinks cheese should be an indulgence and you should only add a little to your pasta or meal and never just eat it straight up with crackers)
A sample of what Nonna eats in a day:
Breakfast (right when she wakes up):
-Espresso or coffee with milk and no sweetener
-A brioche or crossiant with just a tiny bit of jam to sweeten it
Morning Snack:
-Half an apple with some yogurt (she swears the yogurt makes the apple AMAZING haha)
Lunch:
-80-100 grams of pasta with some kind of sauce and a teeny piece of bread.. examples of sauces are: a small eggplant sauteed with some olive oil and spices, or a baby can of tuna with the oil left in it, or fresh tomatoes sliced with basil, or some homemade tomato sauce with some peppers tossed in, etc.
-Seltzer water
Afternoon Snack:
-the other half of her apple
Dinner:
-a piece of chicken or lamb, or steak, or pork or or or (about 3-4 oz)
-a very large salad with olive oil, salt, and lemon. Sometimes she adds an egg or some artichoke hearts or some other kind of fun addition
-And water, maybe mixed with a little wine
Nonna always emphasizes quantity (not too much) and quality (the best). I find her tips very helpful, and take the fact that she is 86 without a single health issue besides diabetes due to age to be a sign that she must be doing something right!!
**Let me just add a few comments. My grandmother thinks I am beautiful, yet always finds the need to give me diet tips (yet pushes me to eat more haha), and style tips (although I wear my cutest outfits around her haha). She makes me laugh, because those two topics come up in every conversation we have haha. Also, she thinks that on special occasions we SHOULD indulge, because that is the best time to do it- when surrounded by people we love, celebrating something beautiful. And she always believes that one should really enjoy his/her meals, and to therefore eat everything, but in small quantities.
1. Eat everything, but not too much of everything.
2. Don't eat huge meals, but rather eat smaller meals throughout the day.
3. Get up from the table without having a "hard stomach" (hard to translate that word from her dialect)i.e. get up from the table like you could still eat more.
4. Reserve sweets for very special occasions and not as a daily indulgence.
5. Don't be afraid of carbs! Eat something carb heavy at lunch and a protein + veggies for dinner..
6. Don't eat too much cheese. (she thinks cheese should be an indulgence and you should only add a little to your pasta or meal and never just eat it straight up with crackers)
A sample of what Nonna eats in a day:
Breakfast (right when she wakes up):
-Espresso or coffee with milk and no sweetener
-A brioche or crossiant with just a tiny bit of jam to sweeten it
Morning Snack:
-Half an apple with some yogurt (she swears the yogurt makes the apple AMAZING haha)
Lunch:
-80-100 grams of pasta with some kind of sauce and a teeny piece of bread.. examples of sauces are: a small eggplant sauteed with some olive oil and spices, or a baby can of tuna with the oil left in it, or fresh tomatoes sliced with basil, or some homemade tomato sauce with some peppers tossed in, etc.
-Seltzer water
Afternoon Snack:
-the other half of her apple
Dinner:
-a piece of chicken or lamb, or steak, or pork or or or (about 3-4 oz)
-a very large salad with olive oil, salt, and lemon. Sometimes she adds an egg or some artichoke hearts or some other kind of fun addition
-And water, maybe mixed with a little wine
Nonna always emphasizes quantity (not too much) and quality (the best). I find her tips very helpful, and take the fact that she is 86 without a single health issue besides diabetes due to age to be a sign that she must be doing something right!!
**Let me just add a few comments. My grandmother thinks I am beautiful, yet always finds the need to give me diet tips (yet pushes me to eat more haha), and style tips (although I wear my cutest outfits around her haha). She makes me laugh, because those two topics come up in every conversation we have haha. Also, she thinks that on special occasions we SHOULD indulge, because that is the best time to do it- when surrounded by people we love, celebrating something beautiful. And she always believes that one should really enjoy his/her meals, and to therefore eat everything, but in small quantities.
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