Two years and counting

I missed my blog's second birthday! I missed Christmas! I missed New Years! I missed the second anniversary of my big move! Things have been pretty awesome around here, but busy busy busy. Of course December is a busy month for everybody, but this last one year really takes the cake! Within only a few weeks, there were several birthdays, holidays, and other major life events that required a good party.

Was that vague enough for you? ;)

Let's try again...




We got engaged!

I apologize for the long absence, and I hope that you all had a wonderful holiday season. Cheers to a fresh and new and awesome 2013!

Michigan in Fall

My gosh, fall came hard and fast this year! We barely got any typical late summer days where it's warm and sunny and the nights are crisp and cool. Instead, it went straight to COLD, day and night. Meh.

Not being a fan of cold and snowy winters, fall makes me melancholic and anxious. This summer really passed in a flash and the weather has pretty much been messed up since last winter. The only cure to the "fall blues": walks in the sunshine and admiring the beautiful fall foliage.

I really love our neighborhood! It's so cozy, quiet, and homey :)

PS: Speaking of Michigan, the Michigan Singalong (which I wrote about here) can still be viewed here: Pure Michigan Singalong. Go check it out!

Travel mode *OFF*

We were lucky duckies this year. Between my boyfriend and I, we got to go on several golf trips (BF), to New York City (me), Germany (together), San Diego (together), and a few weekends back we started a new tradition in South Haven, MI. You might remember, I LOVE SOUTH HAVEN!

This is the second time we have traveled to South Haven on the weekend after Labor Day. It's an awesome time to go: it's not as stifling hot anymore, the kids are back in school, so there aren't that many tourists anymore, and of course: it's ALWAYS a great time to go to South Haven <3

While it was too cool and windy to swim this time, it was still great to take walks on the beach and downtown, and also see some neighboring towns.

Lookie, it was so windy, these guys were lifted into the sky for several seconds at a time!!! Looked so fun and a little bit scary!

Michigan pride!

I can't believe they took the video down. You'd think with a big production like this, they would have cleared copyright issues beforehand. Disappointed :(

EDIT: Here's a different source for the video. Hope it stays up :)

Check out this video!

It just looks like all the teams representing the different Michigan cities/location had SO MUCH FUN! I remember singing in choirs/choruses and it was always a blast and I miss it so much. Besides performing in musical groups, I've also participated in quite a few public events like demonstrations, flash mobs, raves (it was the 90s, OK?), yoga, and the energy participating in a large group event like that has always been fantastic and very moving to me. So yeah, I might have teared up a little when watching this video the first few times. I guess I'm a softie and/or I have developed a little bit of Michigan Pride :)

Back to the video, I think they did an amazing job with it and I'm sure it was a blast to film/produce/perform. IT'S ALWAYS A GOOD TIME!!

PS: Just one question, where is South Haven?!?!

Favorite winter pastime: Puzzles :)

The days are so short already and tonight we even had a slight frost! I guess that means that fall has truly begun, and winter is near. I'm not a big fan of winter, but I was excited to pull out a new puzzle! It has 1500 pieces and will be quite a challenge.

Starting this puzzle made me miss my mom though, because we usually did puzzles together around Christmas time. So much fun! :) Maybe I'll see her later this fall/winter though!

Bavarian Breakfast

With the Oktoberfest upon us we thought we'd celebrate with a Bavarian breakfast! We found Weisswurst locally (!), pretzels too, and after my last trip to Germany I smuggled in the world's best sweet mustard! What a way to start the weekend :)




Not the healthiest, but yummy and we did have a green smoothie before this extravaganza. Oh and we skipped the beer this time ;)

Outside Bikram class!

My studio had a 60 minute Bikram class outside at a local street/art/food fair today. There were about 100 of us set up on a closed off street between some downtown buildings. And IT WAS SO AMAZING!!!!

I hope I can post a picture soon. Since I was busy practicing and getting ooh and aaah-ed at by bystanders, I wasn't able to snap any myself :)

The most AMAZINGEST thing of all was doing the Half Moon back bend outside, going back, way back, all the way back... and seeing sky, sky, skyyyyy, and then people upside down! So cool :)))

I hope it inspired some watchers to come and try a class soon :)


EDIT: And here is a photo of us doing Balancing Stick  :)

And another one in Full Locust:

Bikram Birthday!

I almost forgot my Bikram Birthday is coming up in a couple of days! Wheeeee!!

For celebration this year I have (unknowingly) made practicing a priority again. And I'm really enjoying myself in the hot room, yay!

I am sending big big THANK YOUs out to the Universe, to all Bikram teachers, my family and friends and my self, the Bikram community, and to Bikram (the man). I am so thankful for having all of you in my life.

~~~~~~

And wouldn't you know it... Bikram Yoga Teacher Training (Fall 2012) is starting in a couple of weeks :-o
I'm rooting for all of you, trainees! Best of luck!

Grandma's cooking: Stuffed Green Pepper with Orzo Noodle Rice and Yogurt

We got tons and tons of green peppers in our CSA this month and really didn't know what to do with them. Then came the bestest idea: try to make stuffed green peppers, just like my grandma makes. My mom and grandma were so lovely, skyped with me for a couple of hours and shared a few of her signature recipes. On Sunday we gave it our best and tried it for the first time:

HOLY MOLY! It turned out soooo good! We all know that normally, even if we use our grandmas' recipes, they never turn out quite as good as grandma's. This one turned out really well though! We were quite proud of ourselves :)

Thank you grandma! <3

Puppy Update!!!!

YAY, I was so pumped to visit the puppies the other day! Are you as excited as I am?!?! Haha, probably not. Anyway, they are 10  months now and pretty big. They still behave like puppies though, so they stumble all over each other:

... and sit on your lap asking to be snuggled:

No problem there! I'll snuggle them all day long :)

They are pretty lively, so it was hard getting a good picture of them... They are still as adorable as they were as puppies though. The characters are still the same. Boy-puppy is clumsy and super-excited about us visiting and playing, and prefers my boyfriend. Girl-puppy (in my lap in the second pic) is super-snuggly and calm and prefers me.

Back on track

After a month of traveling and jet lag (6 hours plus, then 3 hours minus) I am working on getting back on track. My boyfriend and I have a few fun things planned, but none of them are multiple-days kind of plans. We're going to a Tigers game on Sunday, yay! We're hosting a Bavarian breakfast soon, (not healthy, but still) yay! We have a month-long CSA membership, so farm-fresh food to look forward to, yay!

Meanwhile, this is what is helping me feel good and healthy and not-jetlagged in my skin:

• eating raw! I'm not at 100%, but I am getting so much closer by including more and more 100% raw meals (for example Green Smoothies). Blog post to follow...
• getting back to yoga! The hot room is feeling goooood these days! It's challenging to get back to a regular practice in the humid summer months, but I am concentrating on breathing calmly and concentrating on my body only and it's working well :)
• cleaning, unpacking, making our home even more comfy!

I have noticed so many benefits from eating mostly raw already, even after just a few raw days in a row! It really is amazing. Combined with my Bikram yoga practice, the possibilities are endless! I feel like it is the fast-track to great health.

CSA for August

Yesterday we picked up the first of our weekly shares from a local farm. We are so excited! We have planned meals around most of the fresh veggies already.

So CSA stands for Community Supported Agriculture and we are trying it for the first time this August. I'm already liking it! After getting back from the farm (yes, the same farm where this stuff was grown) we made a little impromptu stir fry.

All ingredients were from our share (except for spices and olive oil). It tasted SO PHENOMENAL! Fresh and fruity and flavorful... so THIS is what real food tastes like ;) Yumm yumm!

The ocean <3

When we were kids, we got to spend 6 weeks right by the ocean every summer. We would swim and play on the beach for hours, days, weeks on end. I'm so happy to be by the water again. It's been way too long.



It's so beautiful here!

Made it to San Diego

Yay palm trees! You have no idea how happy I am to be near the ocean <3 So pretty <3

Aaaah yes.

Yes, this will do. This will do very nicely.



(This is in Celsius, obviously.)

Update

So. I am still here, but don't feel like posting much.

Life is going well: BF and I have celebrated our one year anniversary, we have a couple of exciting trips planned (Germany, California), I'm still working diligently on regularly practicing Bikram yoga.

With working so much and commuting it is still hard to maintain my practice. It takes sacrifice (getting up at 4:45 am, anyone?) and planning. Practicing at two different studios has been kind of sucky. I don't feel connected to the community at any of the two anymore. As if that wasn't sad enough, I recently got viciously verbally attacked by a "yogini" (using that term loosely here) in the changing room. She is a regular at the studio. Although the other yogis and yoginis who witnessed it were very very sweet and caring towards me, I am still left with a sad heart and not feeling like the yoga studio is a safe place anymore. I think I have let it go and I am not taking it personally (I know SHE was unloading HER issues on me with absolutely no reciprocation from my side), but the sadness remains. I have lost a safe haven. Disturbing and upsetting.

BUT it's all good in the hood. Seriously. Having a safe haven (especially outside your home) is a luxury, so it's all good. I am a lucky girl to have a wonderful home with my BF, full of sunshine, lots of laughter, and tons of love. Life is good!

I ♥ Pomegranate!

When I asked if the grocery store had any pomegranates in stock, I was told they are out of season. Sad face. I didn't know there was a specific season for pomegranates. I just figured that in the summer, they come from California/Florida/whatever, and in the winter they come from the southern hemisphere... wrong!

After the tree flowers in spring, it takes about 6 months for fruits to be ready for picking! Harvesting time for California pomegranates is October to January, so just a few short months per year. (The season in the southern hemisphere is March through May.) The good news: pomegranates don't ripen after picked, so they store well for months.

Pomegranates are soo good for you! They make me feel fresh and new when I feel low. I tend to crave them after yoga or after I am naughty and have pizza or something. They pick me right up and to me that is the best evidence that they are good for me :)

So long, my tangy, sparkly, shiny friends! Hope to see you again soon!


PS: Now of course I am daydreaming about having a pomegranate tree in my backyard. Sometime, in the future...

TT just started -- oh-oh!

Alright folks... you may or may not know that Bikram Yoga Teacher Training (BYTT Spring 2012) has just started.

I just want to wish all the trainees ALL THE BEST for the journey! I am thinking of you and rooting for you. If you are writing a blog, I truly appreciate that. Thank you for sharing!

PS: How am I ever gonna get any work done with all those TT blogs to read?! *sigh*


PS: I'll leave you with a picture of Joseph Encinia... just because he is awesome! Turns out, Joseph Encinia does not like his pictures shared on the Internets without permission... That's OK. He is still awesome, so check out THIS SHOOT!

May I introduce: Vitamix!

We have a new friend in the kitchen... the incredible Vitamix!

I have been making Green Smoothies for a while now with a regular blender and while it worked fine, it was a little too time consuming and brought the machine to its limits blending tough greens like kale (just didn't get smooth). After borrowing a Vitamix from a friend a few weeks ago, there was no going back, so when a small windfall came my way, you guessed what I went out to buy...

Now, I haven't tried yet, but I'm pretty sure the Vitamix can blend rocks to a smooth finish. You can make ice cream/sorbet with it. It is also so powerful that I can throw in all ingredients at the same time, blend for 30 secs and the smoothie is done, where with my old blender it was: add ingredients-blend-add ingredients-blend... and so on. Another plus: it holds twice as much (64 oz = 1.9 l) as my old blender. So all in all, it saves me a ton of time AND the smoothies come out much smoother.

I've already made soup and pasta sauce with the Vitamix and it's pretty awesome since it gets even raw carrots super smooth and you can run it for a few minutes and it will even heat up your soup! (Just from the friction of the blades, mind you!)

OK, I'm officially a fan-girl now haha!


PS: Yes, this really is the view from our kitchen window... So beautiful this time of the year!

Happy Opening Day!

Better late than never...

Thursday was Opening Day (of the baseball season, to all non-American readers) and that's kind of a holiday for me now :) I took the day off which meant I have a four day weekend. I'm using my time to dive into the yoga -- and watch baseball, of course. I've kinda missed it during the winter :)

I hope you are enjoying a long Easter weekend, too!

PS: Go Tigers!!!!!