Posted on

It’s My Party, and I’ll Adho Mukha Vrksasana If I Want To

I have some absolutely HUGE news to share but it will have to wait a little bit. But I just wanted to totally get your hopes up and then make you wait. I’m kidding; I’m really excited about this thing but I just don’t want to jinx it before it happens.

***

It *is* actually my birthday tomorrow (almost today! – Thursday). So that is exciting. I just got home from a deliciously yummy yoga class at Yoga Vida. I’m working on my handstand (still near the wall) and it’s really coming along. I can usually hold it for at least 5 seconds a couple times each day now. And my arms are getting stronger. I cannot believe what I difference I see in my practice when I take a class almost every day.

Not me. Source.

Yoga Handstand (Adho Mukha Vrksasana) Tips:

  • Start in downward facing dog, facing a wall. Hands should be about 1 foot away from the wall. Then step your feet in a foot closer than they would be in a regular DFD, so you have a shorter stance.
  • Stretch one leg up, and then practice just kicking up one leg repeatedly so you kind of hover over your hands, and see if you can make it up to a handstand.
  • Tummy strong, weight over your shoulders.
  • Center of gravity should be between your shoulders, not in your lower back! Don’t let your back arch too much.
  • The counter pose is child’s pose, so make sure to take child’s pose after you practice your headstand. It’s also nice to massage the wrists.

***

But gosh sometimes I feel old. What have I done with my life? What do I have to show for it? I have a wonderful husband and two fats cats.

Have I done anything memorable? Meaningful? Important? Well that is why I hope that thing I mentioned above that I can’t quite say actually happens. I just want to do something with my life that means something to me, and makes me happy.

Here is my post from last year. And here from 2009 (this one has a recipe). In 2008 I logged my food. Things have most certainly changed over the years. This is now my second birthday being married. My first birthday in our new place. My second birthday at my job (the longest I’ve had a job, almost 2 years). My fourth birthday out of college (wtf?).

I think that is enough introspection.

***

Did anyone else buy the Living Social deal the other day? I think you know which one I’m talking about. I hope you didn’t miss it. I unsubscribed from those things long, long ago but someone linked me to this week’s and I couldn’t resist. (Okay, okay, it was for Whole Foods! Jeez.)

Posted on

Marriage Advice & Maui Fruit Stand {Honeymoon}

The First Hana Highway Fruit Stand

About a week into our honeymoon (in Maui) Bobby and I decided to do the Road to Hana. It is a long, twisty, windy road with lots of one-way bridges and blind curves. I got to drive.

The first stop we made was at a roadside fruit stand manned by a raw vegan and another guy. There were also chickens…

They gave us some samples. First was a fresh passionfruit (local). Did you know that as soon as a passionfruit is cracked open the vitamin C starts to disappear? It must oxidize or something.

I chatted with the owners. They were so excited about their organic, local fruit. Unfortunately it was not cheap! I think it was worth it though.

Then there was real sugarcane (local):

You chew on it and suck out the sweetness. It’s delicious. These are the fruits we ended up with (2 types of passionfruit, 2 different kinds of bananas, and an avocado):

I cannot find this fruit stand online anywhere (they said it was just called the “First Hana Highway Fruit Stand” because it is the first one you hit when you start the drive). I did get pictures with the raw vegan (the guy with long hair) and his friend. And now I forget their names, which is terrible!

Aloha!

Bobby got a picture too:

Fruit Stand Marriage Lessons

We ended up chatting with the two guys, and the non-raw-vegan (really wish I knew their names!) gave us some very sage marriage advice. He asked us if we had done research on marriage before we got married (we hadn’t, really).

First he asked if we knew what the number one reason for divorce was – we didn’t – it is money. I don’t think we will have to worry about that! We definitely don’t fight over money now, anyway. Sometimes Bobby wants me to be more extravagant but that’s about it. (I think I am finally loosening up based on my big purchase last week.)

The second thing he said was that we must always show love and communicate. I would agree. I think a lot of couples (married or not) can get in the habit of not hugging or kissing and not putting in that little bit of extra effort to be affectionate. It’s so important though; that is what keeps a marriage going!

Lastly, he said that Bobby has to tell me I’m beautiful. I think this is self explanatory.

So his three main healthy marriage tips were:

  • Don’t fight over money
  • Be affectionate, show love, and always always communicate
  • Hubby tells wife she is beautiful just the way she is

What are your tips for a healthy relationship? (Romantic or otherwise – other relationships take work too.)

Posted on

Wordless Wedding Post {Wordless Wednesday}

(Almost) Wordless Wedding Wednesday.

Hope you enjoy these pictures as I do some maintenance work on the blog. Back tomorrow with real updates. And happy first of September. September is my birth month and my favorite month of the year. September’s birthstone is sapphire. To go along with wedding photos, here are some wedding links:

I still look at my pictures almost every day. And every day I am still as happy as I was over a month ago.

What makes you happy on this (almost) wordless Wednesday?

Posted on

3 Steps to Intuitive Eating – Marriage and Food Intuition

Intuitive Eating and Marriage. That sounds like a rather odd combination? Surprisingly, it’s not. I just got back from my 2-week long honeymoon (it was absolutely amazing) and I am pretty sure I have discovered what might just be the ticket (or at least my ticket) to being an intuitive eater for good.

How I Got Married and Became an Intuitive Eater

I married an intuitive eater.

When we first started going out, I mostly ate just like Bobby (my husband) – but it can be hard to keep up with a 19-year-old boy, not to mention the fact that it’s not that good for your waistline.

For the next few years I tried to eat intuitively, and eventually something stuck. Creating good new habits takes work. But sometimes you can get a kick in the pants, or find motivation that will get your butt in gear. Here are the three steps that helped me (finally!) truly embrace eating intuitively:

  1. Name your flaw: I have an odd relationship with food. I knew that I did not eat intuitively. Lots of oatmeal does not a dinner make. For years I berated myself for not being able to “just snap out of it”, which many people seemed to think was good advice.
  2. Reframe the flaw: I have two glorious weeks to be completely free around food. Before I left for my honeymoon, I decided that it didn’t matter how much weight I gained while I was gone; I wanted to enjoy myself and I wanted to have fun on my honeymoon! (It turns out that I didn’t gain a pound – in fact, I lost 1-2.) Maybe your reframe could be, “I have a chance to completely change the way I eat,” or “I love eating locally and organically,” or “I am a great role model for my children,” and so on. This should be a positive statement about YOU that has at least a remote connection to that initial flaw you named above.
  3. Own it! I am an intuitive eater. This one is all about the power of positive thinking. “Fake it ‘til you make it.” Focus on your successes. Keep going. Push through. Pretend. If you can’t be an intuitive eater just yet, pretend you are anyway. Just don’t give up.

Why did it work for me this time? Because I keep trying. And because I followed all three steps, not just the first one. I’d named the flaw before (over and over again) but I never turned it into something positive. I think (hope) that everyone who tries to quit something fails the first few times (if they don’t fail, they are either lying or superhuman). If you quit smoking successfully, you probably “quit” several times before you succeeded. (Note: I do not smoke, but this is a good common example.) It’s the same with food – if at first you don’t succeed, try, try again!

An Intuitive Eating Dinner

Open-faced tuna melts. Mine (2 slices of whole wheat bread, tuna salad, tomatoes, and melted cheese):

Bobby’s (sesame seed bagel, tuna salad, cheddar cheese):

My easy tuna salad recipe. Dessert was tart frozen yogurt (shared) from Trader Joe’s. Then wine – a mix of Trader Joe’s wine (Dr. Beckermann Auslese Rheinhessen – it’s a white wine and it’s fantastic – sweet and refreshing) mixed with seltzer:

Are you an intuitive eater? Why or why not?

Posted on

Andrea: The Power of Two

We are getting back today! I can’t believe the honeymoon is over. Back to reality 😉 Not quite – I’m probably somewhere over the Pacific right now. Wrapping up the honeymoon guest posts is Andrea, one of the first bloggers I ever discovered. Here she is…

***

Hi guys! My name is Andrea and I live over at Off Her Cork! Maggie is off doing fabulous newlywed things and she asked for guest posts related to weddings and food. My husband, Scott, and I just celebrated our 5 year wedding anniversary earlier this month. We’ve been together for ages though, over 10 years! We’ve learned a lot along the way and the best advice we have to offer is to make sure that you take the time to celebrate being a couple as often as possible.

Impromptu date nights! Who says dates have to be reserved for just the weekend? And who says you have to go someplace? Light some candles, open a bottle of wine, and make one of your favorite dishes on a random Wednesday evening. Not only does this give you something to look forward to but you get a chance to sit down and focus on each other.

Eat a meal that reminds you of something you did together. Maybe creating a special mahi-mahi dish reminds you of that time when you visited the islands. Perhaps going out to get sushi reminds you of the first time you met? Maybe eating Jello brings up memories of meeting the entire family for the first time! It doesn’t have to be fancy and it doesn’t have to cost a ton but sharing a meal that invokes a memory will help strengthen the connection that you have together.

Have fun in the kitchen together! Scott doesn’t cook at all but he can help me with tasks. He’ll peel carrots or shred some cheese while I’m prepping other ingredients. He can put stuff away once I’m done with it. He can help with the dishes! 😉 The important part isn’t the task but that we’re doing it together and can share that moment.

Lastly, always plan a super special meal for your anniversary! We like to have lobster tails on our anniversary. They are indulgent and help us feel tres chic as we sit at our little dining room table or on our deck gazing out into the back yard. They make us feel special and since we only cook them for our anniversary, it has become a lovely tradition shared by the two of us.

Creating a meal, a date, or a tradition helps you remember what is important, each other!

Congrats to Maggie and Bobby! Enjoy your new journey together!

***

Thanks for the thoughtful and fun advice Andrea – I can’t wait to see where this journey takes us 🙂  “See” you all again soon!