Finding my Christmas Spirit

There are people who live and breath Christmas and get all wrapped up in the excitement of Christmas every single year, and then there are people like me who usually struggle to find their Christmas spirit most years. Don't get me wrong, I'm not anti-Christmas, but I think I am anti-stuff. I know that the giving and receiving of gifts isn't what Christmas is all about but I think it is what has been holding me back from really getting excited about Christmas for years now. I found this saying online, which sums up how I've been feeling about Christmas:

This year I approached Christmas differently and in the past couple of days, with the completion of some Christmas projects I've been working on, I've come to an epiphany. My Christmas spirit is not synonymous with hours in a mall struggling to find the perfect gift, but instead it is in spending the time to create things and carry on traditions. One of my favorite family traditions came from my Gramma Hunter who I miss dearly and who I have been thinking of a lot lately.

From the time we were kids, all the way up to our late teens, my Gramma Hunter made her 5 grandchildren pajamas. She would take the time to pick out a flannel pattern that she thought suited each of us individually and then went on to get our measurements and away she went, sewing her little heart out to make 5 sets of pj's every year. I know many people receive new pj's for Christmas, but I honestly think ours were the best. Of everything I received on Christmas morning, I always looked forward to my pj's from Gramma. She even sewed a tag in the top of each set that read, "Made with Love from Gramma." The last year my Gramma made us pj's, she struggled to figure out which pattern to give to each grandchild so instead of making a decision, she mixed and matched all five patterns in each of our pajamas. These mismatched pj's with one arm in one pattern, the other arm in another, the front different from the back and each of the legs also different, were by far my favorite set. I wore them well into my twenties and WAY past when I should have given them up. A word to the wise - once the entire crotch area rips in your pj's, it really is best for everyone that you finally give them up.

I am by no means as talented with all things needle work as my Gramma but I have found that making things for those I love to give to them for Christmas not only brings me joy, but it brings about my Christmas spirit. This year, along with finally making the burlap Christmas wreath that I had planned to make last year, I made my three beautiful nieces their gifts, and just as I did last year, I will be making the Christmas crackers that will adorn our Christmas table. The Christmas crackers I made last year were a hit, and I have to send out a huge thank you to my friend Katherine for giving me the directions on how to make them! Making Christmas crackers for my Christmas dinner table is a tradition that I plan to carry on for years to come. It's easy, they're fun to make and they are so much more fun for everyone at Christmas dinner when they're personal.

As promised (though a little late), here are the instructions and supply list for the Christmas crackers that I made last year and am preparing to make again this year:

Supplies:
1 - toilet paper roll per cracker (& two extras to help form the cracker ends)
1 - snap per cracker (available in packs of 12 at Michael's)
1 - small gift per cracker
1 - lotto ticket or small sheets of stickers per cracker
1 - joke or trivia question per cracker
wrapping paper
ribbon
tape
labels

I've allowed the toys which will be in my nieces crackers into this photo as they won't be reading this blog so I won't be spoiling the surprise. I will be removing them from their packaging to fit them into the crackers.


Instructions:
1) Cut a piece of wrapping paper which will span the length of two toilet paper rolls and will wrap around the roll, overlapping slightly
2) Place the following items inside your toilet paper roll: snap, small gift, lotto ticket or sheet of stickers, and a joke or trivia question
3) Place your stuffed toilet paper roll in the middle of the length of wrapping paper and tape the wrapping paper to the toilet paper roll
4) Place the two extra toilet paper rolls on either side of the stuffed roll and roll the wrapping paper around the toilet paper roll to cover it. Secure the wrapping paper to the stuffed toilet paper roll with tape.
5) Pull the two extra toilet paper rolls away from the main stuffed roll slightly. Take your ribbon and tie a knot around the wrapping paper in the space between the stuffed roll and the roll you've pulled slightly away from the stuffed roll. Make sure this knot is tight enough to secure the goodies inside your main stuffed roll. Repeat the knot on the other side of the stuffed roll. Remove the extra rolls, the ends of your Christmas cracker should have kept the roll shape much like the store bought variety thanks to the extra rolls on each side while you were tying your ribbon! I curl the ribbon to clean up the cracker.
6) Use a label to personalize the cracker with a name. And... voila! You have made your first personalized Christmas cracker!

No, they are not perfectly symmetrical like the store bought variety but they are made with love and humor.

We all have our Christmas traditions and ways of finding our Christmas spirit. As I embark on my new life as a soon to be wife, we will be starting our own Christmas traditions as a family. I look forward to creating those traditions together and taking part in them year after year. One my favorite Fenyedi family traditions that I hope to continue on in my new family is the mandarin orange and quarter found at the bottom of our stocking. Santa was apparently feeling rich last year and replaced our quarters with loonies and twonies, there was a revolt regarding the breaking of tradition. Poor Santa!

Here's hoping all of our friends and family near and far find their Christmas spirit this year and continue to spread Christmas cheer by passing on their favorite traditions. I would love to hear them!

Wishing you love, happiness and Christmas Spirit!
Lisa

PMS - The Phenomenon that Turns Beautiful Women, Certifiably Insane

In a recent visit to my sister's, a conversation between the two of us and her husband ended up on the topic of PMS. That conversation and a more recent conversation with my own fiancé put the idea of this post into my head. Now gentlemen, please bear with me! This post is directed at you, and no, I won't yell and tell you that you're wrong. I promise!

First of all, let me clarify the difference of PMS and our Period which you may or may not remember from sex-ed back in high school. PMS is the time before our Period arrives which turns that beautifully intelligent, witty, funny, sexy woman in your life into a crazy person you don't recognize. It brings on random bouts of weeping for no reason, lots of yelling and hurt feelings, we gain up to a pant size in bloating and, the only somewhat redeeming quality if you're lacking in the area like me, our boobs grow. Our Period, on the other hand show up after we turn into a person you no longer recognize as a little prize at the end of our bout with our crazy alter ego. Best. Prize. Ever!

I know the first thing you want to do when our dear friend PMS shows up and turns us into an irrational being that you are trying to have a civil conversation with is ask us if we're "PMS-ing" or "on the rag". Please believe me when I tell you, there is no worse question in the world you could possibly ask unless you are trying to prolong living with a woman who is a crazy she devil! This seemingly innocent question might lead the woman you love to envision pulling your scrotum out through your mouth. Not something you ever want us to do and believe me when I tell you, we don't want to do that either! But every time you ask us that question, there is a good chance this exact thought goes through our heads.

I am more than willing to admit that I wouldn't want to be around me during the 4 days that lead up to my Period and believe me, I would stop this bout with crazy if I could. I am not a pleasant person. I cry at the drop of a hat and I hate crying! Some days all it takes to turn me into a sobbing nightmare is the word Hi. Pretty threatening and upsetting, I know. I've also been known to think everything that someone says (completely innocuous things) are because someone is mad at me and I've done something wrong. Thank you irrational self! I can go from laughing to crying in a nanosecond for no reason what so ever and yes, I will try on everything in my closet and then promptly declare that I am fat and I need new clothes.

The thing that is so funny about this insane person that we turn into every month is just that. It happens; Every. Single. Month! Yet, when it starts happening it is always a puzzle to us as to why we're acting like a nut case. Perhaps I am speaking out of turn here and it's just me that this 4 days of insanity sneaks up on but I'm thinking the crazy alter ego in the woman you love surprises her too when she shows up. We don't enjoy crying at commercials for no reason, craving and then eating a whole carton of ice cream when we are trying to lose weight or yelling at you for folding our socks wrong. We know these are characteristics of a nutbar and if we could stop them from happening, we would.

There is nothing more frustrating than being irrational for no reason! So the next time you notice any of the characteristics I've mentioned above, give us a big hug and tell us you love us. Those of us with a fighting spirit will try our best to push you away and that's probably exactly where you want to be, as far away from us as possible. But trust me, this small gesture does wonders in letting us know that even though we are completely bat shit crazy, we still have one person in this world who loves us anyways!

Love and Happiness,
Lisa

A Disappointing and Frustrating Discovery Lead to a Rant and a Promise

I'm frustrated. And when I get frustrated, I need to vent in order to come up with a plan of action and set things right in my head. Some people make lists, some people exercise (I tried that tonight and it didn't work), and some people write. I don't usually share my venting of frustrations but this one is something that is dear to my heart and I feel the need to share. I know I said when I started this blog that this one would be separate from my running blog so I apologize now for combining the two in this post.

Many of you know that I have now run two marathons to raise money for the Arthritis Society over the past 4 years through their Joints in Motion program for my good friend Katherine, who lives with rheumatoid arthritis. Both experiences left me feeling frustrated with a program that is supposed to support you in both fundraising and training, yet the participants I met from BC were left feeling like we went through the program on our own fighting for every answer we received to fairly important questions. The second experience was worse than the first and the feeling of disorganization didn't just come from the BC participants that time, it came from participants all across Canada. We were told in a "hush, hush" way at the end of our program in the Bahamas that changes were happening to the program to make it better and more profitable. I meant to write a letter about my experience to aid in the "changing" of the program but I got busy and my letter fell by the wayside never to be written. I now wish I had.

Yesterday I pried some information out of Katherine about her health and was sent reeling again with the feeling that I needed to do something to change how rheumatoid arthritis is devastating the life of some of my dear friends. When I came home from work I immediately went onto the Joints in Motion website to check out their "new and improved" program only to find out that they no longer offer a portal in BC. Pardon me!?! A society that has lost all funding for research due to government cut backs has now cut a fundraising program, where they stated that money raised in BC stays in BC, out of BC!?! How on earth is this considered new and improved!?!

I spent a sleepless night last night trying to figure out a way to change this. It is ridiculous after all. How can they cut a program that is mirrored from a very successful program run by the Leukemia and Lymphoma Society (Team in Training). How can this program (Joints in Motion) not be making the Arthritis Society money when it seems to be bringing in plenty of funds and recruits through cancer. Is that it? Is it that arthritis isn't seen as being as prevalent or as horribly devastating as cancer? I don't think so. Those of us who are privy to the struggles of someone living with arthritis know just how horrible it is. We know it affects not only the person who lives with the disease, but also their loved ones who try their best to understand the struggle of being in constant pain and having to live with a body that is failing them. ...And then the one thing that I meant to write my letter about hit me. They don't have the right people working for them. And now because of a lovely person, but terribly disorganized coordinator, BC no longer has a program and I fear that this will happen through the rest of the country as well.

Ironically Heather and I joked in the Bahamas about taking over the coordinator position in BC and now here I am, trying to come up with a way to raise money for the Arthritis Society in BC now that the program has been cut. The way I knew how to do this in the past was to raise money by running a marathon and I am thinking this is how I will do this again. I just can't sit by and watch my friends lives and health continue to deteriorate before my eyes without fighting to find a cure. Though I don't have the logistics figured out quite yet, I'm fairly certain that I will be running another marathon to raise money for arthritis research at the end of 2014 or beginning of 2015. Anyone else up for joining in the fun???

If my very rough plan of 24 hours comes to fruition, I plan to make it a marathon that I have not run before somewhere that I haven't been before. I would hope to raise $4,000 - $5,000 for arthritis research, ensure my donors receive proper tax receipts, and find a way to ensure those funds stay in BC. I would love to have any and all of you join me in this adventure. If any of you have suggestions on how we can make this happen, please feel free to throw them my way!

Katherine, Heather, Andrea, and David, I will not give up on finding a way to bring funds in for the BC/Yukon division of the Arthritis Society. Though my thoughts are just that right now, I promise you, I will find a way to make this happen again. Your paths have crossed mine, you have each changed my life for the better and I care far too much about each and every one of you to just give up. I made a promise to all of you before I ran the Bahamas marathon and I plan to keep that promise to, Never. Give. Up!

Health and Happiness,
Lisa

Rob's Random Act of Kindness Birthday Extravaganza - Purely Awesome!

A week before Rob's birthday I had asked him what he wanted to do to celebrate, to which he responded, "I don't want to do anything." Those of you who know Rob, know what a giving man he is and I just couldn't let this birthday go by without some kind of thanks to him from those of us who he builds up on a regular basis. In racking my brain for ideas, a blog post that I had stumbled upon of someone I'd never met came to mind. She had spent her birthday with her two daughters committing random acts of kindness throughout her community. Alas an idea and master plan was formed! I sent out a Surprise Birthday Facebook event and email to all of our mutual friends without Rob's knowledge.

The general details of my master plan were to kidnap Rob on his birthday and complete 47 Random Acts of Kindness throughout the community in celebration of his big day. I also asked if his friends and family would complete their own RAK on Rob's birthday in his honour and send him the details of what they've done. In a moment of panic that the master plan was going to fall through, I had Rob open his card the evening before his birthday. I couldn't have been happier than I was when Rob said, "let's do it!" I had one more thing to do that night before leaving the events of the day to unfold in Rob's very capable hands. I wanted to somehow create a snowball effect in the community and so I took a chance in sending Brian Martin with Sun FM in Vernon a message briefly explaining what we were about to set out to do.

Rob's Random Act of Kindness Birthday Extravaganza began with an early morning phone call from Brian and Betty with Sun FM's morning show asking Rob about the day he had planned. This put a HUGE smile on Rob's face and set the tone for the rest of the day. Thank you Brian and Betty! Rob also started receiving texts from friends and family letting him know about the random acts they had done and wishing him a happy birthday. The snowball was already building when we left the house just before 9am to start on Rob's quest to complete 47 RAK's in one day. The Random Acts of Kindness that Rob completed in celebration of his birthday were:

1 - 3) Bought the Tim Horton's orders for the 3 cars behind us in the drive through. We had to pull aside while the Tim Horton's employees put together our 10 dozen boxes of donuts and as we were sitting there the guy in the car behind us drove by hanging out the window, full of thanks and extremely excited that someone bought his coffee!

4) Waved at a man and thanked him for letting us in traffic. Throughout the day Rob paid this forward many times to let others in front of us, stop to let pedestrians cross on unmarked crossings, and being genuinely aware and courteous of other drivers and pedestrians.

5) Donated funds to Multiple Sclerosis through their fundraising campaign at A&W.

6) Paid for Roy's breakfast at A&W. Roy was an elder gentleman who really didn't understand that someone had bought his breakfast. The staff at A&W told him that his breakfast was paid for and he still stood at the cashier with his wallet out waiting to pay!

7) Brought a box of doughnuts in to the staff at Sun FM - Leah Riley graciously accepted them and posed for a picture with Rob.

8) Brought Brian Martin poutine. On the call with Rob, Brian had mentioned that he would "accept poutine" from Rob to help him complete his RAKs. When we told the A&W employee that the poutine we were ordering at 9:15am was for Brian Martin, she said, "yes, he does like his poutine!"

9) Donated 4 BC Lion's tickets to Sun FM to give away to a listener who completed their own random act of kindness. The tickets were divided into pairs and given away to two lucky listeners!

10) Brought a box of a dozen doughnuts into Valley First Credit Union.

11) Handed a box of a dozen doughnuts out the window to a city crew working on the roads. We heard from Rick Gibbins later in the day that the crew were very thankful for the doughnuts!

12) Stopped by the Ambulance station in Vernon to say thank you and drop off a couple of boxes of donuts.

13) Stopped into the RCMP detachment in Vernon to say thank you and drop off 3 boxes of doughnuts. We had a chat with some of the members and staff and thoroughly enjoyed our brief time there. We also had the chance to chat with Gord Molendyk, an amazing man in his own right. Thank you to all of the staff and members for a great, though brief, visit!

14) Stopped by the Vernon Fire Hall to say thank you and drop off a couple of boxes of doughnuts.

15) Returned some wayward shopping carts in the Walmart parking lot to the cart return area.

16) Taped loonies on to a vending machine outside of Walmart. A couple watched as Rob taped the last couple of loonies on to the machine and asked why he would do that. They thanked him and took advantage of one of the loonies to buy a drink!

17) Hugged the Walmart greeter and told her she was doing a great job. She brightened up with a huge smile and told Rob he "made my day".

18) Bought the groceries for the young man in front of us in line at Walmart. He was shocked and extremely thankful. He gave Rob a card out of his wallet that he had printed out that reads, "Be kind for everyone you meet is fighting a hard battle." Awesome!

19) Gave the cashier at Walmart $40 cash to use towards the customer behind us in line. It was a woman with her young child and they were also buying some groceries.

20) Dropped off 5 giant colouring books and crayons to Jesie Harms at the Vernon Boys and Girls Club. We had a chance to peek into the gym to see the kids enjoying themselves. It's a great place!

21) Dropped off blankets to Nancy Lafreniere at Silver Springs care home for her and the kitchen staff to give out to some of their residents. Nancy let us know later in the day that she had the kitchen staff go around to deliver the blankets at 1pm to residents who didn't have any family. Thanks Nancy!

22) Drove by two girls walking in the rain. Rob pulled over and dug the umbrella out of the back seat and gave it to them.

23) Taped loonies to parking meters downtown Vernon.

24) Driving through downtown Vernon we drove by a man who looked like he was down on his luck. Rob circled the block and handed him a Wendy's gift card which will get him at least 3 meals.

25) Handed a gardener working outside a bottle of water as we drove by the Wholesale Club in Vernon.

26) Donated 2 1/2 bags of gently used clothing to the Upper Room Mission. Some of the men's shirts were actually brand new and still have the tags on them!

27) Gave Wendy's gift cards to Lisa at the Upper Room Mission to distribute to 4 of their clients.

28) Gave a man down on his luck and asking for change $20.00. He repeatedly thanked Rob for his kindness.

29) We went in to Safeway to buy some flowers to give out and were rung through by Robin. I have never met a more attentive and interested cashier before in my life! Rob was blown away by her spirit and turned right around to hand her one of the bouquets of flowers that he had just purchased. Robin went so red with the acknowledgement, I would describe it as a purple red. Robin, may others embrace the incredible spirit that you give them!

30) Gave Melanie O'Hara at Kiss FM two $50 movie gift cards to give away to their listeners who complete RAK's. They gave one gift card away on Melanie's show and the second one away on the late afternoon/evening show.

31) Donated a box of food to the Vernon Food Bank.

32) Gave the Vernon Food Bank a cash donation.

33) Went grocery shopping with Christy, a student working at the Upper Room Mission. Rob's RAK was to buy the groceries for them that they were purchasing that day.  She was so informed and passionate about who gets the food Rob was buying and how it was distributed. She gave us a couple of items each to grab which felt awesome to be helping with a small part of her day.

34) Bought groceries for the elderly woman in front of us at the Wholesale Club. She couldn't believe Rob was buying her groceries and asked him why numerous times. She made a point of stopping at the doorway to give him one last smile of thanks as she was leaving.

35) Gave Christy from the Upper Room Mission a bouquet of flowers. What we didn't realize was how much spending this short time with Christy would impact both of us. Not only was she passionate about what she does, but she was slinging huge tubs of margarine and mayo like they were nothing. All of this shortly after having her wisdom teeth pulled! Thank you Christy for giving us a small glimmer into what you do at the Upper Room Mission!

36) Paid for George's parking at the Vernon Jubilee Hospital. George is 90 years old and was having troubles reading the pay station so Rob paid for his ticket and gave it to him. In speaking with George, we discovered that he was there dropping off his son for his dialysis appointment. George's son has had a stroke and could no longer take care of him self so George drives him around. Did I mention that George is 90 - incredible!

37) Gave a hospital volunteer a bouquet of flowers and thanked her for volunteering.

38) Dropped off books, stuffed animals, colouring books and crayons to the children's ward at Vernon Jubilee Hospital. We had a chance to speak with a couple of the nurses on the ward and they immediately had 3 patients who they knew of that would be getting something that we had dropped off.

39) Handed 2 bottles of water out to a pair of gardeners who were working in Polson Park.

40) Gave flowers to 2 women who were out enjoying the day at Polson Park. They were both residents of Polson Residential Care Facility and were both wheelchair bound. The flowers brought huge smiles to their faces.

41) Gave a box of doughnuts to our server and the staff of Boston Pizza. It was so great to sit down for a bit to reflect on what all Rob had accomplished, read some of the texts that were coming in from friends who were out and about also doing acts of kindness, and plot out the rest of the day.

42) Gave a lotto ticket and thanked the woman who was cleaning tables at Village Green Mall for her hard work in keeping the food court clean.

43) Added lotto tickets to the AMAZING baskets of toys, food and gift certificates that Chandra Marchand had put together for a family in need in Enderby. Chandra - you had us both sitting there with tears brimming our eyelids as we listened to you tell us on the phone what you had pulled off in one short day. Thank you for letting us be a part of your presentation!

44) Offered work to the husband of the family that Chandra's incredible baskets went to.

45) Dropped off the final of the 10 boxes of doughnuts at the Enderby Fire Hall. On our way out to Enderby for Chandra's presentation, Highway 97A was closed down due to a fatal head on collision and the Enderby Fire Department was on scene responding. Rob left doughnuts as a treat and a thank you for them to return to.

46) Donated money to the Armstrong Food Bank through their account at Askew's foods. Due to the accident on the highway and traffic moving slower than we had hoped, the Armstrong Food Bank drop off was closed when we returned into Armstrong. We went into Askew's and asked if there was a way for us to donate funds there for the food bank and they told us about the account they have set up for that purpose. Thank you to the women at Askew's for your help!

And here is Rob's 47th Random Act of Kindness in his own words:

47) "My 47th Birthday is done and on the books as the best birthday ever. To all my family and friends, a huge thanks for making it what is was. To Lisa Fenyedi, you amaze me at every turn while being beautiful inside and out. I love you all. In conclusion, my 47th Random Act of Kindness was to pay it forward for my Grandfathers, one of whom was a mentor to many, a hero, a true inspiration in business and life, Gordon Beggs. The other whom exemplified the true meaning of how to love and be loved, he still to this day shows the art of being the kindest man on earth, Stanley Ellis."

As mentioned, our friends and family were also out and about committing random acts of kindness in honour of Rob's birthday. Because of those acts, a family in need in Enderby has groceries, gas, toys etc to get them through for a while, Tim Horton's probably had one of their top sales days, the RCMP in Vernon received 5 dozen doughnuts, children got in on the acts, pets have food and supplies both in animal shelters and with their owners, food banks received food and monetary donations, shoppers and diners received gift cards and meals, funds were donated to various charities, the list goes on... Some friends jumped on the "47" bandwagon and there were 47 bottles of water given out, 47 cans of cat food donated to an animal shelter, 47 shoppers were helped out to their cars at Save-On-Foods and their carts were returned for them, and $47 of groceries were donated to the Edmonton Food bank! Amazing things can be accomplished when you are looking for opportunities to present themselves. A couple of people have mentioned that they wish they were able to do something "bigger", from our experiences yesterday, it is sometimes the small things which don't involve money which have the biggest impact.

I couldn't have imagined the awesome response Rob received yesterday when this whole thing started. Thank you to everyone, friends, family and complete strangers form making Rob's Random Act of Kindness Birthday Extravaganza what it was. The acts done by all of you were the chocolate drizzle on top of the chocolate icing on the chocolate birthday cake for this chocolate loving birthday boy. There were giant smiles, tears of joy and most importantly, love and kindness spread through the generous acts completed by all of you. There aren't enough positive adjectives in the world to properly put into words how amazing this was for Rob.

Thank you, thank you, thank you for taking a vision and making it into something absolutely incredible!

Lisa Fenyedi

A Mac and Cheese Upgrade - What Did You Learn Today?

Growing up, my Gramma Hunter would regularly ask me the question; "what did you learn today?" I remember answering with things like fractions, cursive writing and the front crawl when I was younger. I also remember saying fractions because it was an easy answer but secretly knowing I'd already learned fractions months ago. I gave those answers because my Gramma would either sit there quietly until I answered or prompt me with a, "come on, surely you learned something today." What I didn't realize at the time is that as human beings, we learn something new every day. It isn't necessarily something obvious such as a concept like fractions or a skill like the front crawl. It can be a mix of flavours you'd never thought would work together, that lavender doesn't do well in super moist soil or that you can make a healthy quick and easy "mac and cheese" inspired meal with real food in 15 minutes or less!

Over the past 6 months I have been experimenting with what works to keep away my belly pain and bloating issues. I have had to let go of some easy prep favorites and learn to replace them with good for me alternatives. Mac and cheese, though not the healthiest option, sometimes hit the spot when I was feeling lazy in the kitchen and needed some comfort food. Unfortunately, that "comfort food" ended up causing me major discomfort. I came across a recipe for Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa on Arantha's Gourmet Beauty Blog and have officially adopted it as my mac and cheese upgrade. It's easy peasy and I honestly can't get enough of the stuff when I make it. The bonus; I don't have belly issues after eating it - success!

Cheesy Broccoli Cheddar Quinoa

Ingredients:
1 cup quinoa, well rinsed
1 1/2 cups chicken broth, vegetable broth or water (I use chicken broth)
2 cups broccoli, chopped
1 cup sharp cheddar, shredded
salt & pepper to taste

 

 

Directions:
Bring the quinoa, broth and broccoli to a boil over medium heat, reduce the heat and simmer covered until the broth has been absorbed and the quinoa is tender, about 13-17 minutes.
Mix in the cheese, let it melt and season with salt and pepper.

What I have realized since my Gramma has passed on is that not only do I learn something new everyday, but I thrive on learning new things. I have had many jobs in my short time in the working world but there was one constant that followed me through the various career changes; the moment I stopped learning was the moment I started looking for new work. I'm not sure if my Gramma intuitively knew this about me or if she was simply challenging me to use my mind in her own way. What I do know is that she was one wise woman and I miss her every day.

In honour of my Gramma Hunter; today I learned that 5 minutes spent near stagnant water equals 3 giant mosquito bite welts on my right butt cheek! Those sneaky bugs can smell my blood a mile away! What did you learn today?

Health and Happiness,

Lisa

Weeds, flowers and Apple Cider Vinegar?!?

It's that time of year again - gardening time! Even though I've inherited my mother's "black thumb", I can't help but get a huge silly smile on my face when planting season comes about. I have also been bitten by the "I am a gardener, I just haven't shown it yet" bug and I am crazy excited to plant some containers and take over two of the garden beds to see if I can keep things alive and well this year. No small feat for someone who regularly kills house plants. I like to call it tough love, the plants and other plant lovers like to call it an extreme case of neglect.

I had the honour of joining my good friend Katherine on her annual jaunt to the Van Dusen plant sale in Vancouver this year. If I wasn't inspired to plant and do some good old fashioned weed pulling before that visit, I sure was after! The plants there were not only incredibly priced, but they were being sold by people who actually had a hand in growing them. I was reminded before I actually purchased anything to keep in mind that we have a lot on the go this summer and that plants don't water themselves. I'm proud to say that I was very conservative in my purchases. I walked out of there with a succulent pot (I love those little guys), three mini lavender plants, and three various other plants that all read "poor care" and "drought resistant" on the care instructions - jackpot!

Step one is to get the two circular beds ready for planting. This involves a whole lot of weeding and thinning of the existing plants and ground cover that's in them. I got the smaller of the two beds all weeded and cleaned out a week ago. When I went back to it today, there were already weeds that have grown back. The landscape fabric has been through the ringer and is starting to tear in numerous places. I know I need to rip it all up and redo the fabric, plant my new drought resistant plants and then fill it in again with the pea gravel but before I rip it all up, I want to make sure I kill all of the weeds. As we have two dogs that roam free on the property, I don't really want to use a chemical treatment on the area like round-up as I don't want to harm the dogs. Enter the fabulous world of Pinterest!

I've seen a "weed killer" recipe posted on both Pinterest and Facebook many times by different people which is all essentially the same recipe. The bonus is that none of the ingredients in this recipe will cause harm to the dogs. Fantastic! I took a trip to the grocery store to pick up my weed killer ingredients, then a quick stop at Home Depot to pick up my sprayer and back home to concoct and wait for the results.

Non-Toxic Weed Killer Recipe:

1/2 Gallon Apple Cider Vinegar
1/4 Cup Table Salt
1/2 Tsp Dawn Dish Soap

Mix Ingredients in a spray bottle and spray weeds thoroughly.

They say the Dawn dish soap strips the weeds of their protective oils so the vinegar can work with deadly force. I used this whole four liter bottle to spray a circular bed with an eight foot diameter this morning. When I checked on them seven hours later, the weeds have all changed from a thriving, "we're going to take over this garden bed" colour, to a grey-ish, "we're quickly dying" colour. I will warn you though that some of what I sprayed was grass that has grown into the bed because of absent minded lawn mowers aiming the grass clipping spewer into to bed (yes, I'm talking about myself). I can report that this solution also seems to work on grass so be precise when you're spraying!

While planning out my weed killing spree, I had the itch to start planting NOW! So I took a trip to our local garden shop, Swan Lake Nurseries, and bought some perennials to fill my wine barrel planters with and some annuals for a couple of other pots we have laying around. I tried to stick with my master plan of picking up poor care and drought resistant plants but a couple of good care ones may have snuck into my cart and they were just too pretty to put back. I have planted one of the two wine barrels, the other one still needs to be moved into place by a strong individual before I can plant it, and the smallest of the three pots out front. I'm pretty happy with my results so far!

Anytime I dip my hands into the soil, water some plants or admire others' handy work in the garden, I think of my Grampa, David Hunter. Though I seem to have inherited my mom's "black thumb", I still believe that I have it in me to turn around my gardening fate. My Grampa started, owned and ran David Hunter Garden Centres in Vancouver, Surrey and for a time in Port Coquitlam when they had the store there. I have so many memories of my Grampa coming down from the Sunshine Coast to stay with us and fix our gardens. I was also lucky enough to spend my whole summer up at their place on the Sunshine Coast growing up and my Grampa was always out toodling in the garden. I am hoping to do my Grampa proud and get these gardens up to snuff to send him some pictures of what I've done this year. There's still a lot of work to do but now that I have my weed killer and some of my flowers planted, I'm feeling a little less overwhelmed and more excited about the end product. Here's hoping the poor care and drought resistant plants hold up their end of the bargain!

Health and happiness,

Lisa

Happy Birthday Morgan and Welcome to The Fenyedi Family!

Hi Morgan, it's me, your Auntie Lisa. You haven't met me yet as I live a ways away from you and I have this ridiculous cold that has gotten the best of me today, April 22, 2013 - also now known as your birthday! I can tell you that I am so excited to be your Auntie and I can't wait to give you your first Auntie Lisa squish. I was lucky enough to be there when your cousins, Ella and Sam were born and as I'm unable to be there with you today, I thought I'd tell you a little about the Fenyedi family that you have been ever so lucky to be born into and my promises to you.

First off, you have hit the parental jackpot! I have known your Daddy my whole life and he has been the best big brother to me that a girl could ask for. Yes, he's crazy and will make you roll your eyes at him on a regular basis but he will also make you laugh, challenge you and sweep you up in those big arms of his when you're in need of a hug and a shoulder to cry on. He is super athletic and will teach you how to ski, ride bikes, and hike and will probably try his best to keep up with you well into his later years so make sure to go easy on him and let him win sometimes. He also gives some pretty darned good advice when you're in need, it may not always be what you want to hear but trust me, his advice is some of the best around!

Your Daddy met and married your Mommy nine months and two days ago. Talk about timing! I don't know your Mommy very well but here's what I've come to realize in the short while that I've known her. She is a strong, loving and beautiful woman. She will always have your best interest at heart and will fight for you when you need her at your back. She is a planner, so much like arriving a day late like you've done on your birthday, don't go messing with the schedule! Your Mommy is also one of the best bakers I know. You will never suffer from a lack of cookies, cake, cinnamon buns or any other baked treat you could imagine. Believe me - you're going to love them! Your Mommy is a huge fan of the colour pink and you are so lucky that the ultrasound technician was right and that you are in fact a girl. If she was wrong, you would have been living out your first couple of days or weeks as a baby boy clad in pink - not that there's anything wrong with that! Your parents are fun, athletic people and they will keep you moving, laughing and probably guessing what's next through your life. Enjoy them, as much as you'll groan and roll your eyes at them through your teen years, trust me, they're pretty cool parents.

Your Daddy's parents, your Gramma and Grampa Fenyedi already love you to bits. Grampa Fenyedi is the one with the crazy white hair on his face. That's his goatee. He will stroke his goatee or run his hand through his white hair when he's thinking. He'll try to tell you that his hair is blond. As I don't want you to start out your life colour blind or mixing up your hair colours, I'll let you in on a little secret - Grampa Fenyedi's hair is actually white. Shh! Don't let him know that you now know his secret. Your Gramma Fenyedi is the one with the crazy curly brown hair and freckles everywhere. If you're really lucky, you'll get some of those freckles someday too like your cousin Ella did. Your Gramma and Grampa Fenyedi will shower you with love. They'll give you lots of hugs, kisses and of course Gramma will always have a never ending supply of fruits and veggies to give to you when you're hungry. Go easy on your Gramma and Grampa Fenyedi though, they sometimes need to take their time doing things as they're not quite as young as you. Feel free to walk in a zig zag line so they can keep up with you when you're on the go!

Next up is your Great Grampa Hunter. He is 92 years young and is one of the toughest men I know. You will need to thank him someday for his great Scottish stock! He has been through so much medically and at 92 years old, he's still alive and kicking and has many a story to tell. Your Great Grampa Hunter taught me to never give up. Not on life, not on love and not on anyone that you care about. His love for your Great Gramma Hunter was a love that I searched for my whole life and have finally found. I hope that I can share some stories with you of the lessons both your Great Gramma and your Great Grampa have taught me. They have given me so much and I hope that I am able to properly convey the special people that they are to you when you're old enough to hear it.

Your crazy Auntie Breanne and Uncle Jim are the next group of people I'd like to tell you about. Your Auntie Breanne and I decided earlier today that you are in need of two crazy Aunties so we will both fulfill that role for you you lucky girl! I've known your Auntie Breanne her whole life and though we had our ups and downs as sisters, since the day we finally got our own separate rooms, she has been and still is one of my best friends and you are so lucky to have her as an Auntie. Though she is anti-pink, she has some practice with baby girls as she has two of her own and she is the kind of Mom that any kid would love to call their own. She is kind, caring, loving, funny, and yes, she also has a touch of crazy in her. Her husband, your Uncle Jim will probably buy you your first pink riding jersey. That is if he beats your Daddy to it! Your Uncle Jim will take you for walks on the beach at Hopkins and let you throw rocks in the water and get all dirty and muddy and bring you home for your Mommy or Gramma Fenyedi to clean up. He has a heart of gold and will always be there to back you up when and if you need it.

Auntie Breanne and Uncle Jim have two daughters, your cousins Ella and Sam. These two are full of energy! You'll probably get tired just watching them for the first little while. They are very busy little girls and I'm sure you'll be keeping up with them in no time. Ella is your older cousin and she, much to her mommy's chagrin, loves all things girly and pink! Her younger sister Sam is never too far behind Ella. They make a pretty good team and they share really well so I'm sure they'll welcome you with open arms! Ella and Sam are going to read you stories, draw for you and most importantly they will want to swim with you. Make sure your Mommy and Daddy put you in swimming lessons so you can keep up to these two fishies!

Last but not least, your crazy Auntie Lisa (me!) and your Uncle Rob. We don't live quite as close to you as the rest of the Fenyedi family does but that, by no means, means we love you any less. We are so excited that you have decided to join our family and are looking forward to finally meeting you once we're over this cold. Your Uncle Rob is one of the most giving, kind and fun people I know. He wears his heart on his sleeve and if he has his way, he will spoil you with candy and gifts when your Mommy's not looking. And if you're really lucky, one day he might even give you a ride on the back of his Harley! Your Auntie Lisa (me!) is not very good at describing myself so instead I will let you in on a couple of promises that I would like to make to you.

I promise that you will always have a special place in my heart. I will always have plenty of hugs and kisses for you even when you don't want them. I promise to tell you the stories that make up the Fenyedi family and to answer any and all questions you may have. I will read to you, play with you, tickle you, dance with you, cuddle with you and always take the time to listen to you. You will always be welcome to come and visit me whenever you like and there will always be a place for you here. I promise to keep your secrets and give you advice when you need or want it. I will share with you my love for life and my want to help others where I can. I will share with you my love for skiing, running and hiking. I will do my best to impart a bit of my crazy sense of humour in you and promise to share many laughs along the way. I will kiss your bumps and bruises better and wipe away your tears. I will share in your successes and be your fiercest supporter. I will also be there for your miststeps and heartbreak to help pick up the pieces and build you back up. Morgan Susan Jane Fenyedi, I am your Auntie Lisa and you already hold a piece of my heart in your tiny little hands. I can't wait to meet you!

Love and happiness,
Auntie Lisa

Our Engagement Story - Easter Weekend Shakedown Trip 2013

Easter weekend 2013 was perfect. We went out to Allouette Lake in Maple Ridge for our annual shakedown boating and camping trip to make sure the boats and trailers were up to snuff after being in storage for the winter. This year was the maiden voyage of our new boat, Land Allergy, and she is everything that we had hoped she would be and more! We also couldn't have lucked out more with the weather - it was AMAZING!!! We all ended up with a May-esque looking tan after spending four days in the sunshine at the beach, two of those days we had 20 degree weather. It did cool down significantly at night but as usual we kept our fire starters hard at work up at the campsite at night keeping us (OK, me) warm. We did this trip last year with the same core group of friends (Ken, Cali, Mikey, Ashleigh, Justin and Nicole) and had a huge potluck Easter feast on the Saturday night, deep fried turkey and all! This year we had the same plan but we had more friends join us on Saturday evening for the sole purpose of partaking in our incredible Easter potluck dinner - or so I was led to believe...

After spending the day at the beach on Saturday, we all made the hike up to the campsite from the boats and beach at about 4pm for dinner prep and to greet those who would be joining us for dinner. What a dinner it was... We had an even bigger feast this year than last - the picnic table was chalk full of food; ham, turkey, salads, twice baked potatoes, fire roasted peppers, the list goes on. This was not a normal campfire dinner of wieners and marshmallows, we went all out. After dinner Cali and Ashleigh asked me if I wanted to join them to take the dogs for a walk and to hit up the ladies room. Not thinking anything abnormal I jumped at the chance to walk off some of my turkey dinner. We took the long route to the washrooms but I thought it was just to give the dogs a chance to stretch their legs, apparently we stalled a bit until the girls heard "the signal" to return to the campsite.

Upon our return, Ken told me that Rob had needed to go back down to the boat to grab something that he had forgotten and wanted me to meet him down there. I didn't think anything of it as I remembered seeing Rob's runners on the swim grid as we headed up to the campsite, knew he was only in sandals and thought that's what he went down to get. Ken and Cali offered to walk down with me. Again, nothing unusual. We walked a bit down the trail when I saw some tiki torches all lit up along the bluff. I thought, "nice, some one's doing something really cool over there." I walked a bit further and saw our friend Darren standing behind a tripod in front of the tiki torches. I again didn't think anything was up, my first thought was "how nice, Darren's doing something romantic for his wife." I called Darren's name a couple of times as I was walking and this guy who is usually super happy and full of hugs ignored me... Strange. We got a bit closer to where Darren was and I saw a red carpet laid out with rose petals scattered on the ground around it. Then Darren said to me in a very stern voice, "Lisa, step on the mat please." I'm pretty sure my heart beat doubled at this point.

So there I was in my camping grubbies, dirty jeans, red wine stained fleece and vest with my hair a giant frizz ball after 3 days of camping and not washing it, standing on a red carpet covered in rose petals on a bluff lit up with tiki torches overlooking the lake. And then I saw Rob. He stepped out from behind a tree wearing the suit we had just bought for him 2 weeks before, looking absolutely incredible. I immediately had tears in my eyes and my mind was racing as I watched my ridiculously handsome boyfriend casually stroll towards me with his hands in his pockets like nothing strange was happening at all. I also had no idea that all 30-ish of our friends had very quietly followed me down to the bluff and were all standing behind me to watch. Rob started talking and I immediately interrupted to tell him that "I look like shit" - classy, I know. He told me I looked perfect, that's when I really knew what was happening. He got down on one knee and asked me to marry him. I think I was crying to much to get any words out so I nodded yes. Rob got up and gave me a huge hug and said, "I didn't hear your answer". To which I replied, "I think I just got snot on your new suit." He told me that wasn't the answer he was hoping for and I replied, "yes, I said yes."

The Ring!

A big cheer went up from our friends and after a round of hugs and congrats, Rob announced that he had one more surprise back up at the campsite. We all made our way up to the campsite and shared a round of champagne as the guys set up a white tarp and projector. We then watched an 18 minute video that Rob had put together of our lives from the night we met through to that very night. There were photos of the two of us, of the things we loved, of our family and friends and of many, many memories we have shared all set to some of our favorite songs. It was by far the sweetest, most romantic and heartfelt proposal I have ever imagined and it is ours! As my friend Katherine asked when I told her the story, "are you telling me about a movie or is this actually real life?" This was real life, and it is my life - I have never felt more special and loved by not only Rob but by everyone who had a part in pulling the whole event off. Thank you all from the bottom of my heart - it was perfect.

So here we are, five days later and I still can't get this silly grin off my face. Reflecting on how we got to this point, I can honestly say though it wasn't always easy, I wouldn't change a thing. We have had our ups and downs, mostly surrounding the five hours that separated us when we first met and the lack of support from many of my friends when I made the decision to move. Rob has been my rock and his friends have absolutely welcomed me with open arms, for which I am ever so thankful. Through it all, he has become my best friend, partner in crime and now I couldn't be happier to be his fiance.

Health and happiness,

Lisa

The Gassy Truth - Go Big or Go Home!

I always thought my eating habits were on the healthy-ish side. I'd usually do plain yogurt, granola and fresh berries for breakfast, either a sandwich or a salad for lunch and then usually some kind of one pot chicken dish (mmm... butter chicken...) for dinner. I always chose skim milk in my tea and lattes as I have texture issues with food and felt like I was chewing my milk if it was anything but skim. I have never been much of a red meat fan, much to the dismay of my siblings as my Mom would rarely cook beef for us growing up. So I existed mainly on fish and poultry and would usually choose to buy them skinless and boneless as handling raw meat of any kind still gives me the heebie geebies. I do my best to touch it as little as possible - usually with a rather unpleasant look on my face. My bread would always be some kind of grain bread, never white bread. I rarely bought potato chips or most junk food but I would definitely eat it if it was around. My beverage of choice was always water, we were rarely allowed pop as kids and I still don't like the fizziness in my mouth. Basically, my Mom did a pretty good job of instilling "healthy" eating habits into us as kids - thanks Mom!

When I went to start the Young & Raw 30-day Smoothie Challenge and read about people having detox symptoms, I thought I would be fine as I wasn't really changing up my eating habits too severely. I was starting the challenge 20 days after most of the participants so I had the benefit of reading about their experiences before I dove into the challenge myself. I read that people were having headaches, acne breakouts, issues with gas and bloating but everyone seemed to get through their symptoms within the first 5 days. But again, I really didn't think that this would have the same effect on me as I already ate pretty healthy - or so I thought!

As I do with most things in my life, I decided that if I was going to try to eat better, I was really going to commit to it. I fell back on my old motto of "Go Big or Go Home" and put more leafy greens, fruits and other veggies into my body on day one than I probably ate in a typical week. I had the Pineapple Healing Cleanse Smoothie for breakfast, a giant spinach salad with raspberries, avocado, green peppers, hemp seeds and a drizzle of balsamic vinegar for lunch and then salmon with a giant side of roasted broccoli and a small side salad for dinner. I felt awesome. I had a TON of energy that day and was proud of myself for making a change that not only satisfied my taste buds but had me feeling great! And then it came time for me to go to bed...

Before I get into the next little bit, I need to apologize in advance to my Mom. Growing up, there was a certain 4-letter "F" word that we weren't allowed to say and talking about it was frowned upon too. Sorry Mom, you may want to skip the next couple of paragraphs!

Anyone who has shared a room with me and was unfortunate enough to fall asleep after me knows my dirty little secret, I'm a night farter. Yup, it's true. I have no idea why, perhaps it is the embarrassment of letting a toot loose in public, but I rarely fart during the day. To add to that, on the rare occasion that I do, it is immediately followed by giggles - mature, I know. I also can't burp, and it's not for a lack of trying. Ask my siblings, they both tried to teach me how. Soooo... As you can imagine, all of that built up air (or lower gas as my Dad politely calls it) has to come out at some point. For this girl, that point is at night, mostly in my sleep which works out great for me - not so great if you are sharing a bed with me. I like to believe it's usually not that bad, I like to think of it as air escaping and that it's essentially odorless? Apparently the exact opposite was true after going big or going home on day one of my new eating habits.

As is the norm, I fell asleep first and had a ridiculously good night sleep - I slept eight hours straight for the first time in a long time! Maybe it was my body's way of protecting me from what was really happening in that room. I was G-A-S-S-Y! And it wasn't just "air escaping"... Poor Rob thought I was dying. It was a non-stop barrage of farts, toots, escaping air, call it what you want but it was BAD. So bad that Duramax, one of our dogs who usually sleeps in the corner of our room, got up and left the room for the rest of the night! It apparently smelled (and tasted) like there was something dead inside me. So there I was, sleeping soundly, probably dreaming of green smoothies or my next half marathon PB, and blissfully unaware of the gas chamber I had just created in our bedroom. Then there was poor Rob, hit with the biggest stink bomb you could imagine! I basically hot boxed our bedroom - it wasn't an under the covers dutch oven, it was the entire room! It was apparently so bad that Rob called on every one's good friend Google to see if I was going to make it through the night or if I was going to die a slow gassy death. The good news is, I made it through the night! Rob will be traumatized for years to come, but I'm sure he'll recover... Eventually... We'll just chalk all that up to yet another shining moment in the life of Lisa!

So here it is - the smoothie that started it all!

Young & Raw's Pineapple Healing Cleanse Smoothie:

Ingredients:

* Rib of Celery
* 1/2 Cup of Field Cucumber
* 1 Cup Fresh or Frozen Pineapple
* 1/2 Lemon, peeled
* 1 Small handful of Parsley
* 1/2 inch piece of Ginger
* 1 Cup of Coconut Water

Blend it all up and enjoy!

As you can see, there is no fancy Vitamix blender in this household... yet! As amazing as it would be to have one and as great as they are for making smoothies, making protein bars, grinding nuts and spices etc., they are P-R-I-C-E-Y! So, much to Rob's dismay, I've been using the Margaritaville margarita maker to blend up my smoothies. It does a decent job, but I am saving my pennies (even though they're no longer in use) and I'll be putting them towards my own fancy Vitamix blender when I have enough. Of course that's a ways away as they cost upwards of $600.00!!! For now, I will keep using our trusty Margaritaville margarita maker.

For those of you wondering, yes, the gas issue has calmed down significantly since night one and no, I have not yet been made to sleep outside in the doghouse.

Health and happiness,

Lisa

New Beginnings and Changes

Hi there and welcome to my new blog! Yes, that was me who called one of my friends crazy when she told me that she had more than one blog - sorry Andrea! Well here I am joining her as I start up blog numero dos! My other blog, Run Lisa Run, was focused on my trials and tribulations of fundraising, training for and running a couple of marathons all to support the Arthritis Society, and I decided that I would leave that blog for that purpose and start up a new one instead of jumbling everything into one. I had been tossing around the idea of starting a new blog for a while, mostly for the purpose of keeping my family and friends up to date in my life since I've moved to the Okanagan. However, for the past two months I've also been making some changes in my life that people have been asking me about so I thought now would be as good a time to start blogging again and combine my general musings with my cooking blunders (and successes!) and recent lifestyle choices. Also, my Dad thinks I'm a good writer when I'm feeling inspired - thanks Dad!

In a world of ever changing health and fitness advice, I have decided to embark upon a journey to find what works to keep me fit, healthy and full of energy. I am not a doctor nor am I a nutritionist, I am simply trying to sort through all of the advice and find what works for me. I have never been a fan of fad diets or taking "miracle pills" as I spent many years watching my Mom (and many others in my life) pour money into various different diet companies while not really seeing any long term results. I now find myself at a point in my life where I am working harder and harder to stay "naturally skinny" and am taking a closer look at my own diet. That point in my life is also commonly known as my mid-thirties and I did not see the health changes that happened along with it coming!

How is it that I didn't really have an issue with acne in my teens but now that I've hit my mid-thirties I have giant oil wells popping up all over not just my face but my back and decolletage! The eczema that used to pop up here and there, mostly because I wore something made of cheap metal or during the winter, has decided that my arms need a couple of permanent  itchy, scaly patches to add to the allure of the sexy, acne prone, thirty-something body I have going on. I've struggled with IBS for years and have had to leave dinner parties early because I was so bloated I resembled someone who was five months pregnant - an awkward way to look while drinking wine around people you'd just met! I was taking all of these different issues in stride until I was rear ended almost 2 years ago and forced to sit and lay around for 3 months before being able to do any real form of exercise. All of a sudden the "eating anything I want because I'm a marathon runner" attitude caught up to me and BLAMMO - the weight started piling on.

My final straw to feeling how I was about the way my body was acting happened when I ran the marathon in the Bahamas this past January. I found it tough to train as I was always feeling sluggish and lacking energy. That lead to a serious lack in training, which then lead to running a marathon in the heat that I was ill prepared for. The result was having my legs seize up on me and having to walk the last 8 miles of that marathon just to cross the finish line for a cause I am so passionate about. Disappointing at best. Though I was proud that I had persevered and finished, there was no pride in how ill prepared I was for that day. I decided then that things needed to change and I needed to start that change when I returned home.

This is me 15 or so steps away from the finish line of the Bahamas marathon.

I made the decision to change two things immediately upon my return from the Bahamas that I had been thinking about since the beginning of January. The first was to drop obvious gluten from my diet to see if it would help with my IBS and eczema. This was not an easy decision for a pasta-loving, pizza-loving runner! The second was to get more whole foods into my body and use as little pre-packaged foods as possible. This one ended up being a little easier than I thought. I had a friend sign up for Young & Raw's green smoothie challenge in January and decided that I too would give it a try.

The results; I LOVED IT! I now have a green smoothie every morning for breakfast, usually a giant salad or a plate full of veggies for lunch and then a fairly normal-for-me dinner. I don't crave pizza or pasta, though I have had days where it would be a lot easier just to throw a pizza in the oven than to make a healthy dinner, I know along with that pizza comes the pain and bloating that I hate. My eczema has almost all cleared up, the bloating has been pretty much non-existent, and my thirty-something bout of teenage acne has cleared up amazingly well! Not only do I not crave pizza, pasta or bread, but I find myself craving greens, fruits and medjool dates as sweets. Who am I???

Change, for some, can be very scary and overwhelming, but it can also be exciting and bring you to amazing places in your life. I have been through a lot of changes over the past year. Through those changes I have learned a lot about who I am, the people I need to surround myself with and what I need to do to keep my body and mind healthy.  In this ever changing life, I am hoping to find a healthy, happy, diet-free lifestyle that I can count on for years to come.

Health and happiness,

Lisa