I'm [DRAMATIC SARCASM] "Obsessed!"

Hi there!

My friend Stephanie wrote a hilarious post, inspired by other bloggers. I feel like this should be a link-up, but for now it's just for fun. In a very unscientific manner, I randomly polled eighteen friends and family members and asked, "What are three things you think I'm obsessed with?" The results were not surprising, especially how most couldn't limit my obsessions to just three.

What can I say? I like a lot of stuff...that is apparently perceived as obsession.
I can't say I disagree.

Some observations:

• It's kind of funny how I had the same number of people tell me that I'm obsessed with my husband as I am with Teddy and the Steelers.
• I have a thing for animals, especially if they are fluffy. It's true. They are so cute!
• Obviously I love my nieces. I mean, duh.
• In reference to Lilly Pulitzer, Kate Spade, primping, fashion, good deals and weddings, it's pretty obvious that I am perceived as a girly-girl! 

And my brother added a second entry:

"Ugly sweaters, this blog post, that Lu Lu Lilly clothing store, live sporting events, got milk ads, adult beverages, NSYNC, Purple (the color, not the movie/play), the Capitol Building and Cozy Coupes."

My brother clearly knows me very well and I think his whole list deserves a blog post on its own.
I'm considering it.

Try this out with your friends! It's so fun!
Have a good one!

VittleWise: Yummy Food for a Good Cause!

Hi there!

I am so excited to share my friend's incredible non-profit organization with you today. When my buddy, Ed, told me about his new venture my eyes opened a little wider and I grew in admiration of my courageous friend and his colleagues.

VittleWise is a nonprofit organization located in Chicago focused on providing food education and access to folks with limited time, resources and access to well-balanced meals. I took the following info from the Indiegogo page, YouTube channel and website:

"VittleWise provides food education and assistance to low-income families who struggle with food security as well as healthy cooking tips and kitchen tricks that save time and money. 

VittleWise focuses its efforts on SROs. Single room occupancy (SRO) units are low-income housing units that are government subsidized for people who struggle with homelessness and poverty. 

Residents of SROs only have a microwave for cooking a donated supply of mostly canned goods from local food banks. With limited cooking knowledge and limited resources, many struggle with malnutrition and much food becomes wasted.

Our solution to help prevent these issues is with the Microwave Meals Cookbook. We researched the commonly donated food items to make 21 meals using a microwave. We are looking to distribute these cookbooks and provide training for residents in SROs.

So far, VittleWise has donated over 100 Microwave Meals Cookbooks to individuals living in low-income housing units. These cookbooks are designed to make cooking easier and more enjoyable when dealing with limited resources."

When I sampled the cookbook I was AMAZED.
You guys. I'm not exaggerating. The recipes are SO good.

I made french toast, sushi and gnocchi!
All healthified and all requiring only a few ingredients. It was awesome to make the recipes so quickly and easily, too!

I admit that I shamefully knew nothing previously about the need for this cause. I am so grateful for VittleWise for the education and the inspiration. I don't get anything for promoting VittleWise except the honor to call the CEO my friend.

If you know anyone who may need the cookbook, please direct them to the site. If you would like to help, either visit the many opportunities listed on the site or visit their funding page to help them reach their goal of printing and donating a cookbook to all 6,000 SROs in Chicago! 

Thanks for reading! Please pass along to your networks and help spread the word!

Life Lately

Hi there!   It's been a while since I've written and I've been pretty busy!    Considering that lately I only write about exercise and wellness, I'm guessing that my personal life is of little interest to most of you, but I've seen other bloggers write about themselves so I'm following suit.    Plus, it feels good to write.    I've stopped blogging regularly these last couple of months, so here I am with lots of stories and photos to show for it all. I won't tell too many stories today but I will ask a bunch of photos to do most of the talking.  

It seems that all we do is travel!     Since our anniversary on 4/26 we have been to four beautiful weddings!    Chicago:

 St. Joseph, Michigan:

 Hometown!

 Chicago:

 

It is so wonderful to watch dear friends tie the knot. We are beyond thankful to have witnessed such beautiful ceremonies and celebrate with our buddies. Weddings are the best! I love to see my girlfriends looking incredibly gorgeous and to take in all of the details that made their day uniquely theirs. Dressing up and dancing with my husband is pretty great, too. ;)

We have a few more weddings this year, too! SO FUN!

In addition to weddings we have had the pleasure of visiting friends and family for two long weekends!

Memorial Day Weekend in DC:

DC was wonderful. It was the perfect getaway, especially since we saw some of our best friends in our favorite city. I know I've mentioned this before, but we miss that city, our friends and our lives there so much.

Niece's Baptism in Atlanta:

I can't write enough about this occasion. Andrew and I are honored to be Scarlett's Godparents. We were so thrilled to be there and celebrate with the whole family (my side). We savored every minute with our two nieces and can't wait until we are all together again (with both sides!). Living so far from our amazing families (both sides) is so brutal.

 

  I've mentioned before that I have migraines and TMJ (a jaw-popping thing that's pretty unpleasant).    I'm going to keep it real and write a little update in that department: I'm seeing two physical therapists and one orthopedic doc for my head, neck and jaw pain. As a result from the painful treatment, I'm almost always hurting. It's affecting everything I do: I had to stop boxing, I almost always have a headache which makes me annoyed and when I get frustrated from them I have a negative attitude and just want to crawl home. Sometimes our home is my sanctuary and it's hard for me to leave. Most days I force myself out of bed. Thankfully I workout but I can't lose weight. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'm bigger than I've ever been and that adds to my defeated attitude. So annoying.   Things could be worse, of course, but if anyone out there is also feeling this nearly constant pain and wants to swap stories/treatments/advice I'd love to connect.    Don't worry, I'm still working out 5-7 times a week for 30 minutes a workout or longer, and I really attempt to eat healthy.   Work is going well. I am continually counting my blessings to work with such awesome and smart people. The smarter I realize they are, the more I accept how dumb I am much I have to learn.     Here's a big update for me to actually admit to myself and write for you to read: Even though life is overall good and God is great, as far as the rest of life goes I'm ready for some change. We watch house flipping shows regularly, puppies and babies seem to be everywhere, and maybe it's the I-just-turned-30 thing, but I want all of those things: a house, a yard, a dog (who loves Teddy, of course!) and a family. There was a time when I never thought I'd be ready to grow up. That time expired and I want that life now.   Just not in the suburbs. Shudder. (No offense to anyone reading this who lives in the suburbs. You do you!)    Well that's about it, folks! What's new with you?