Evolve With Mary

Hi!
I've been redesigning this blog all day and I'm still not done. I hope you like the new layout. Posting beet recipes tomorrow.
Peace & Love,
Mary

Hi!

I had a long weekend but I'm ready to jump right back into the swing.

I still have a few days worth of unpacking to do. If Costa Rica taught me anything, it taught me how to appreciate my life. Hopefully my days of nagging my man to unpack expeditiously are over. It's been more than a week and I haven't had the time to touch my own suitcase. Oh well, today is the the day, a quick early morning bike ride and I'm finally going to unpack.

I hope to redesign the blog tomorrow. I read different blogs daily. I enjoy supporting my favorite bloggers, as well as getting ideas on how to improve Evolving With Mary.
I received a lot of emails, comments and followers in the last few years and I'm so proud of my growth. But most of all I am humbled by the support. I wouldn't be evolving if I didn't expect more from myself.

I can't wait to create my dream website featuring recipe cards, an item index, DIY page, and much more. I want Evolving With Mary to be something special that touches lives and inspire change.

Thank you for always being here with me!

Peace & Love
Mary

It's Challenge Monday

I'm finally back on the West Coast!

Fitness Challenge

I challenge you to complete burpees 5-6 days this week

Fitness Synopsis

Burpees challenge your entire body
I hate and love them at the same time

Why Why Why

Burpees are one of the most efficient, effective, functional, body weight exercises out there
This exercise works almost every muscle in your body: arms, chest, quads, glutes, and hamstrings
You burn more calories in less time compared to other body weight exercises
Burpees boost your cardio endurance and strengthen your entire body

Material

Willpower
Water
A little extra time
Disciple
Strong body
Strong mind

Directions

Complete 20 Burpees everyday this week

Video 1

Squat Thurst

If you are new to burpees start with squat thrust

Place hands on floor in front of you

Jump feet back into push up position

Jump feet back up close to your hands

Stand up straight

That's one rep

Video 2

Burpees with push up and squat

Video 3

Basic Burpees

Stand straight up

Place your hands on the floor directly in front of you and lower into a squat position

Jump your feet back into a push up position and drop your chest to the floor

Bring your chest up and return your feet back to squat position

Jump in the air as high as you can

That's one rep

Video 4

Wide Leg Burpees

Video 5

Burpees with Tuck Jumps

My Take
I hate and love burpees at the same time. You can not deny how effective this exercise is. I used to avoid all workouts that include burpees, now I add them to pretty much every workout routine I complete. I use them as a warm up, or in the middle of my workout to get my heart rate up. If you haven't tried burpees you might hate me now, but you will love me later.

Nutrition Challenge

Challenge Synopsis

Incorporate beets into your daily eating habits
I challenge you to eat more beets this week

Why Why Why

Beets were used by the ancient Romans as a natural aphrodisiac - they contain high amounts of boron, boron is related to the production of human sex hormones
Beets are high in: Potassium, Magnesium, Fiber, Phosphorus, Iron, Vitamin A, Vitamin B, Vitamin C, Beta Carotene, Beta Cyanite, Frolic Acid
Beets are natural body cleanser, they detox the liver and purifies the blood
Beets can prevent many forms of cancer
Beets contain tryptophan which relaxes the mind while creating a sense of well being

Materials
Beets baby just beets

Directions
Eat - Juice - Consuming more beets everyday this week

My Take
I'm one of those weird peeps that loves beets. If beets are on the menu I'm going to order them. When I was on my way down, (losing weight) I juiced beets 3-5 times a week. Yep they turned my pee pink, I actually like that side effect. Beets aren't tasty to everyone, but they are great for you. Sometimes we have to make ourselves enjoy something just because it's good for you. By the way alcohol doesn't taste that great either, yet we manage to drink it somehow.

Self Improvement Challenge

I challenge you to practice forgiveness everyday this week

Challenge Synopsis

Practice forgiveness in your everyday life
Forgive someone that you have a grudge with

Why Why Why

Forgiveness is one of the most powerful things you can do for yourself
It takes true strength to forgive someone that has wronged you
Forgiveness isn't for the other person, it's for yourself
Holding a grudge fills you with bitterness, anger, disappointment, and hurt
By forgiving you release yourself from the burden of negative emotions

Materials

An open mind
An open heart
Humility
A kind heart

Directions
Take this week to forgive people that have wronged

My Take
I do not hold grudges, not because I'm perfect, but because I know I'm imperfect. I never mean to hurt anyone with my actions, but sometimes it's unavoidable. If someone I love feels as if I have wronged them I'm the first to apologize. When I feel that someone has wronged me, I am very quick to forgive. This week I'm going to work on forgiving one of my boyfriend's friends. We had a disagreement about a year ago and I've been avoiding him since the incident. I think it's time for me to put our differences behind us. I hope this week's challenge inspires us to forgive.

Peace & Love,
Mary

References:
www.mindbodygreen.com
www.purposefairy.com
www.huffingtonpost.com

Hi Friends!

It's Friday and I'm feeling great. I've been washing and cleaning the house like a mad woman, that's what you get when you leave for 3 weeks. There are dust bunnies everywhere. Ugh

Let's throw some DIY fun into the mix. I have a closet full of T-shirts that I plan on cutting up. A few were too cute to pass up, some I outgrew. Today we are addressing this problem. My favorite shirt has a peanut butter and jelly sandwich on the front of it. I brought it at a skate shop that was going out of sale. The shirt does nothing for my figure, but we can change that with a few simple, or not so simple, cuts.

I found this tutorial at www.daretodoityourself.blogspot.com and I had to try.

DIY Double Weaving T-shirt

Step 1
Draw horizontal Lines on the back of the shirt using a ruler all the way to the bottom of the shirt

Step 2
Draw to vertical lines down center of the shirt

Step 3
Draw a horizontal lines on center of shirt

Step 4
Cut the first horizontal lines to the first centerlines on both sides of shirt

Step 5
Cut the center lines

Step 6
Stretch shirt, pulling sides

Step 7
Braid center strips
Take second strip loop under first strip and pullover do this all the way to the bottom of the shirt

Step 8
Use a needle and thread to secure the end trim excess fabric

Step 9
Cut neckline, stretch it

Step 10
Cut sleeves and stretch them

DONE!
Wear your shirt with pride!

I also found a few other projects I'm dying to complete. I'll keep you guys updated on my upcoming projects.

Do you remember this trench coat from kill bill? I do and I want it now! I'm going to start looking for a trench coat, get it fitted to my liking, then I'll try not to ruin it by drawing all over it. This girl makes everything look so simple.

Enjoy!

Hi Friends,

I'm getting back to my normal routine and it feels great. Today I rode the spin bike, I can usually push out 20 miles in 60 minutes. I always like testing myself when I get back from a long trip to see if I lost any cardio endurance. I pushed out 21 miles, not bad at all. I've been staying on track with this week's nutrition challenge, chomping on raw vegetables but I want a little more. I found a few recipes to rev up my raw veggie challenge. All recipes were easy to make and absolutely delicious.

Enjoy!

Shaved Asparagus & Mint Salad

found at www.food52.com

1 bunch asparagus

1 handfull toasted and crushed pistachios

1 tbs chopped mint

3 tbs freshly squeeze lemon juice

2 tbs sherry vinegar

1 tsp honey

3 tbs extra virgin olive oil

pecorino cheese shavings

Use a vegetable peeler and shave asparagus lengthwise to create thin strips

Toss in pistachios and mint

Whisk together lemon juice, vinegar, honey, oilive oil

Pour over asparagus, mix well, add salt and pepper to taste

Top with Pecorion Cheese

Brown Butter Tomatoes

found at www.food52.com

2-3 large heirloomtomatoes

1—2 tbs unsalted butter

Flaky sea salt

Ground black pepper

**bread to soak up the extra butter

Core tomatoes and slice 1/3 inch thick

Dived tomatoes onto 4 plates, overlaing slices

Place butter in saucepan and warm to medium heat

Let butter melt completely, it will start to bubble

Let butter simmer, cooking off water until it begins to smell nutty and turn brown

Swirl pan every 30 seconds

When butter turns the color of hazelnuts remove from heat

Ladel over tomatoes, season with salt and pepper

Tomaotes will sizzle

Serve immediately

Shaved Brussel Sprout Salad

found at www.food52.com

1/2 small red onion

Juice of 1 lemon

1 tsp honey

1 tsp whole grain mustard

Salt and pepper

1 tbs extra virgin olive oil

3 cups large brussel sprouts

1/2 cup grated pecorino romano cheese

Soak onion slices in small bowl of cold water for 15-20 minutes

In small bowl whisk lemon juice, honey, mustard, pinch of salt and pepper - whisk in olive oil until emulsifiers and set aside

Trim sprouts, slice off most of the hard root end

CAREFULLY use a mandolins, shave sprouts one at a time, WATCH THOSE FINGERS

When done shaving use fingers to separate leaves

Drain onions and toss gently with sprouts

Toss in dressing mixture

Sprinkle with pecorino cheese

Serve immediately

That's all today folks!

Peace & Love,

Mary

Hi Friends,

For the last few weeks I've been throwing stabilization and balance exercises at you, one legged dead lifts, 360 planks, standing running mans, plank walks... I swear by these exercises, they slow down my workouts and kick my butt.

I love planks. The goal is to hold them for 60 seconds, by 30 seconds I get pissed off and have to talk myself into not giving up, then 45 seconds hit and my body starts shaking like a leaf, as soon as my timer reads 00:00 I drop down to my knees huffing and puffing like I just ran a marathon. All this because I was holding my body in a certain position, no reps, no weights, no crazy movements, isn't the human body awesome.

What about those standing running man's I posted last week? If you haven't tried them yet stop reading and try one right now! You might fall over as soon as you try to bring your body down, it's crazy how good you assume your balance is, and as you as you challenge it your body freaks out and you have to hold on to something to stop gravity from pulling you down.

I plan on sprinkling in more and more stabilization and balance exercise over the next few months. Here is a list of benefits of messing with your equilibrium.

Benefits of Stablization & Balance Exercises

Improves communication between brain and muscles
Helps with muscle isolation
Make your body work harder which burns more calories
Good for all ages
Keeps your mind and body young
Helps prevent slips, trips, and falls
Everyone from beginner to elite athletes can benefit for balance and stabilization exercises
Increases the effectiveness of your workouts

That's all today folks!

Peace & Love,

Mary

Hi Friends!

I'm finally back in Northern California!! I really enjoyed my trip and I'm so happy to finally be home. It's been a whirlwind off on adventure. If you have been following my blog these last couple of weeks you know how crazy it's been. Getting stuck in Costa Rica for 2 days, then heading to Baltimore which was fun, we had a 2 day beach excursion to Delaware. We never staid in one place for longer than a 3 days.

I had a wonderful time with my boyfriend's family. I've been with my man for over 4 and a half years so I've spent a good amount of time with his fam. I'm happy to say we are all getting closer, learning more about one another, and creating lasting memories that I will cherrish forever.

I've put most of my effort into getting his mother to like me. She is a strong Italian women who loves her son, cooks like a chef, and has a sharp sense of humor. I admire her strength, kindness, and I will admit I'm slightly intimidated by her. I know this trip brought us closer together. I'm grateful we were able to spend so much time together. Family is important to me, in the end that's all we have.

I spent a lot of time chomping on seafood these last few weeks, especially in Baltimore. Our last night in town we splurged and went to Thames Oyster House and devoured fresh seafood from the Atlantic. Raw oysters, clams, cooked crab claws, lobster claws, huge shrimp, seared swordfish and lobster ravioli found there way into my tummy. Can we say cheat week!!??

Yesterday we walked around Baltimore's Inner Harbor snapping pictures and enjoying a free concert. Have you ever heard of Panic At The Disco? They seem to have a large tween following, lots of teenage girls screaming and loosing there minds over handsome 20 something's.

I had a few drinks to celebrate the end of our trip... Weirdly the plane ride felt relatively short.

I plan on sleeping in over the next few days. Instead of hitting the gym hard I'm going to ease back into my workout by doing 10 days of Bikram. It will be great to relax, stretch, and detox my body.

I'm happy to get back into my normal swing of things.

That's all folks!

Peace & Love,

Mary

It's Challenge Monday!

Lets GO!!!

Fitness Challenge

I challenge you to complete Plank Walks & Bear Crawls everyday this week

Challenge Synopsis

Plank Walks and Bear Crawls are full body stabilization and cardio exercises
Both exercises challenge your entire body and cardio endurance

Why Why Why

Planks target the abdominals the way they are supposed to function by maintaining stability of your core muscles
Planks strengthen the core, shoulders, hips and improve balance, by adding walking in the mix plank walks are a challenging and rewarding full body workout
Wrestlers use bear walks to develop whole body strengthen
Walking like a bear targets the muscles in your back that help keep your body upright

Materials

Willpower
Water
A little extra time
Disciple
Strong body
Strong mind

Directions

Complete 12 Plank Walks x2 (walk to left 12 reps then to the right 12 reps)

Complete 12 Bear Walls x2 (walk forward 12 reps then backwards 12 reps)

Plank Walks

Laying on your stomach toes on ground, hands directly under your shoulders fingers spread, activate your entire body - core, legs, butt, arms, and shoulders

Gently push your body up placing weight equally on each side of the body

Activate core keep your butt down pick up your left arm and left leg at the same time, move it 1-2 inches to the left

Activate core keep your butt down pick up your right arm and leg at the same time, move it 1-2 inches

That's one rep

Bear Walks

Place hands on ground about 3 feet in front of you

Keep butt high in the air

Step forward with right hand then step forward with left foot

Step forward with left hand then step forward with right foot

That's one rep

Once you complete 12 reps reverse your directions and complete 12 more

Continue crawling forward opposite hand and opposite foot

*keep your butt as high as you can in the air, this takes a lot of pressure off of your wrist

My Take

Both of these exercises train and target your core without focusing on your core. I like adding these exercises to training routines when I'm tired of basic crunches and sit-ups. Planks keep my stomach flat, and plank walks challenge my balance and arm strengthen. Bear crawls kick my butt every time.

Nutrition Challenge

I challenge you eat more raw vegetables

Challenge Synopsis

Make sure to eat at least one serving of raw vegetables everyday this week
Add raw carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, snap peas, bell peppers, and more to your regular diet this week
I'm talking raw, crunch, juicy, natures treats

Why Why Why

Raw vegetables play a important role in our diet by supporting normal function of vital body systems
Raw vegetables provide our cells with vitamins, minerals, fiber, essential oils, phytonutrients, healthy enzymes, and help keep you regular
Raw vegetables are low in calories and fat
Eating more raw vegetables can help you loose weight faster and increase your energy levels
Raw vegetables have cancer fight properties

Materials

Lots of Raw vegetables
Your favorite low fat low calorie dipping sauces

Directions

Just eat more raw vegetables!!

My Take

I'm finally heading back to California and I'm in need of some healthy food. I definatly got off of my strict diet while traveling, but that was half the fun. I worked really hard to look great in my bikini and I spent the last few weeks destroying my hard work. I can't wait to get back on track workout out 5-6 days a week and eating healthy. My boyfriend and I both agreed to eat super healthy for the next 7 days, adding raw vegetables, fresh salads and a few detox smoothies into the mix. My blog and challenges reflect my life, my struggles, and my goals. I hope you are enjoying the ride.

Self Improvement Challenge

Turn off all electronics for at least 1 hour a day

Challenge Synopsis

Turn off your iPhone, iPad, computer, iPod anything that has an on & off switch for at least 1 hour a day
Give your thumbs, eyes, and mind a break from glowing screens, important email, online shopping, and Instagram posting

Why Why Why

We get consumed by our electronics on a daily bases and it's good to purposely unplug and give your eyes, fingers, and mind a rest
Studies prove checking the screen of your phone or tablet can be compulsive and addictive, checking updates, commenting on posts and updating your favorite social media accounts can be too tempting to resist for a lot of people, by totally disconnecting and powering down you allow your mind time to rest and recharge
Technology makes almost everything easier, but it also creates a lot of tension and anxiety in our lives

Materials

Willpower
Disciple

Directions

Pick one hour a day, preferably before bedtime
Turn off anything with a glowing screen and reconnect with yourself and love ones

My Take

I'm growing this blog and other social media accounts so I'm constantly checking emails, commenting on posts, and reading blogs. It gets exhausting, but I know to reach my desired goals I have to keep myself visible in cyberspace. I used to do most of my instagraming at night in bed while my boyfriend caught up on our favorite new shows. I figured it was the best time to get work done in a comfortable setting. I noticed a few months ago he didn't like my new habit and would let out loud sighs while I posted pictures and searched different hashtags. Now I make sure to get all of my work done before it's time to hit the sheets. This way he doesn't feel slighted and I can clear my head before heading to bed. It's improved the quality of my sleep and our relationship. I hope this challenge can do the same for you.

That's all today folk!

Peace & Love,

Mary

Hi friends,

I'm in Baltimore right now, having a good ole time eating shrimp and crab, taking in this beautiful city

I ate a dozen blue crabs yesterday, and I plan on eating 2-3 more dozen over the next few days. I love seafood, especially fresh local seafood slathered in old bay seasoning hot out of the steamer.

Today I'm sharing a few simple corn recipes. We all know it's corn week, and even though I'm not at home I don't want to leave you hanging with healthy recipes.

Corn is a great side dish, quick and easy to make, sweet like sugar, and nutrious, if you prepare it right. I grew up eating corn smothered in butter, bacon bits, and cooked until it was limp and lifeless. No longer do I abuse my vegetables like that. Overcooking produce rids it of pretty much all the health benefits. All recipes are featured Evolve With Mary approved Clean Eats. Enjoy!

Boiled Corn

Remove corn from husk

Bring large pot of water to a boil

Carefully place corn into boiling water

Cover with top and boil for 3-5 minutes

Remove from Pot

Serve immedantly

Kernels should be tender and juicy

*Do not salt water

**For more flavor add onions, fresh and fried herbs to water

Baked Corn

Leave corn in husk or remove husk and wrap in foil

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Bake corn for 15-20 minutes

Kernels should be tender and juicy

BBQ / Grilled corn

Remove corn from husk

Place on BBQ

You can base with olive oil, garlic, dried herbs, salt and pepper to add more flavor

Cook until corn is slightly charred

Kernels should be tender and juicy

That's all folks!

Peace & Love,

Mary

Hi friends!
This weeks nutrition challenge is to eat more corn.

I've always wonder what I could do with corn cobs. That's what today is all about, different uses for corn cobs

This should be fun!
Enjoy

Corn Cob Stock

I got this idea from Martha Steward and Emeril Lagasse

Corn stock tastes like sweet summer corn juice.

The recipe is pretty simple
Corn cob + Water = Corn Stock
- Freeze corn stock and use it in soups and stews in the winter
- Replace meat based stocks with corn stock to make vegetarian recipes
- Make corn ice cream or corn flavored dessert, cake, pies, cookies by replacing milk with corn stock

Corn Cob Stock
2-3 corn cobs or more
Water

Place cobs in large pot
Add enough water to cover cobs
Bring to boil and reduce heat to low summer for 45 - 60 minutes
Carefully remove cobs and discard

Freeze stock in mason jars for up to a year
Refrigerate for up to a week

Corn Cob Fire Starters

Yep that's right, set your cobs on fire!

Soak cobs in kerosene for 2-3 minutes or not
Place them in wood burning stove, BBQ, fireplace, out in the woods, on a beach at a bond fire, wood heater
I think you get my drift

Corn Cob Toilet Paper

Use as toilet paper when out in the woods
I know this sounds crazy but I found out a lot of people that live in farms swear by using corn cobs as toilet paper. Back in the olden days this was normal practice. Mice don't chew up cobs like the do toilet paper, and cobs are soft on your delicate spots. I'm pretty sure I will ever try this one, but I figured it was worth mentioning.

Corn Cob pipe

Taking a que from Popeye a corn cob pipe looks cool and is easy to make

Check out this link!
I'm totally going to try this when I get home

That's all I have for you today!
Peace & Love
Mary

Sent from my iPhone

Oh man Oh man Oh man

The last few days have been surreal. Let's start from the beginning

My boyfriend and I were supposed to have a direct flight from Costa Rica to Washington DC on Monday, where we would rent a car and drive to Baltimore for a family vacation with his family. I've been looking forward to a nice direct flight out of Costa Rica all week, we even paid a little extra to upgrade to first class.

We got to the airport, checked in, navigated our way thorough customs, which took over an hour, and was more then ready to go. We were told our flight had been delayed an hour because of mechanical issues, but we should promptly take off at 2pm. I ran around the airport grabing last minute souvenirs, excited to get back into the states. I checked the monitors around 1:15 and noticed our flight status had changed from delayed to canceled. My little heart sank, not sure what we were going to do I proceeded to a information counter who directed me to a gate. At the gate about 75 of us were told the flight was canceled because of issues with the plane. I've always been someone that keeps their wits about them so I lead the crowd, with securities broken English directions back through customs where we picked up our luggage. We had to walk through the arrival section of the airport and find our way back to the ticket counter. Airports are confusing, especially a Costa Rican airport. I lead the charge and finally made it back to the counter, it was a 20 minute confused walk. Most people were pissed and we didn't get good directions, but I pushed through, kept my head on, didn't get mad, and was the first customer that made it back to the departure counter. We spent the next 45 minutes with an airline agent rerouting us from our cushiony first class upgrade direct flight to a flight leaving at 5:55am the next day with a 4 hour layover in Houston arriving in DC at 5pm.

By this time I was more then frustrated but refused to take my frustration out on the ticket agent. There were offering free hotel accommodations at a cheap motel in the heart of San Jose Costa Rica. We decided to use our travel points for a room at the marriot instead. Our hotel was closer you the airport and we were instructed to be back before 4:30am, since we had to go through customs again.

We arrived at the Marriott around 4pm exhausted and tired. I had to do a blog posting, so we spent the next 3 hours in the room, ordered room service and went to bed by 8:30pm to ensure we would get up on time.

We both slowly made our way out of bed into the same travel clothes from the previous day arriving at the airport by 4:15am. There were more lines and confusion but at least the plane was on time, we boarded at 5:55am and set on the Tarmac for 2 hours. This plane also had engine issues. My boyfriend looked at me and told me he wanted to catch another flight, he didn't feel safe. the two of us, and only the two off us, deboarded the plane. We waited at a gate for 3 hours while airport workers ran around with our passports trying to find a different flight. Finally we got word that we were now booked on a 2pm flight through Atlanta that would get us to DC at 11pm.

I told my man I needed something to hug and love on, he said he was going to get a snack and came back with a cute little stuffed Sloth that I hugged for the rest of the trip! It made me feel better. I'm just a big kid

We decided then and there we would grab a hotel by the airport and drive to Baltimore the next morning. After 10 hours of waiting we finally boarded the plane and got an upgrade to first class for all of our trouble. The flight was smooth, no engine issues and we were all smiles. We arrived in Atlanta and had to go through customs again which almost cause us to miss our connecting flight to DC. We made it just as they were boarding the last group of people.

Another 2 hours and we finally arrived in DC but we weren't out of the woods yet, it was 11pm and our hotel restaurant closed at 12am. Rushing into a cab we convinced him to speed to our hotel and checked in. As soon as I saw the hotel menu I knew I wouldn't be able to get a great meal of food there so we got out our trusty iPhones and found a Afghan restaurant 2 blocks from our hotel that was open 24 hours.

We dropped our luggage in the hotel and strolled to the restaurant where we both chewed down on some sagg and potatoes, lentil curry and much much more, wobbling back to our hotel around 1am we quickly went to bed.

I'm back in the states and so happy about it. The best part about traveling is coming home to your own country where things are familiar.

Today we are driving up to Baltimore, we are both pretty pooped, but that's the fun of all of this.

I guess all I can say is, the adventure never stops!

I'll be posting my favorite corn recipes tomorrow.

Peace & Love

Mary

Challenge Mondays

I was in Costa Rica, but I staid on top of my Challenges.

Let's get started

Fitness Challenge

I challenge you to complete Standing Running Mans everyday for the next 7 days

Challenge Synopsis

Standing running mans is a balance exercise that targets your lower body and core
This is an advanced exercise, if you are a beginner try limit your extension, making smaller movements

Why Why Why

Balance exercises improve stability and helps prevent falls
This exercise challenges your flexibility while strengthening you lower body, core, and improves stamina
Poor balance effects millions of people young and old
Balance exercises gives you better awareness of your body, boosts your confidence, and keeps your body stay young and healthy longer

Materials

Will power
Water
A little extra time
Disciple
Strong body
Strong mind

Directions

Complete 20 Standing Running Mans everyday this week

Place all weight on the right side of your body. Lift your right leg hip height raising your left hand to an 90 degree angle pointed up, right hand in a 90 degree angle pointed down.

**This is a advanced exercise! hold on to something sturdy when trying this

My Take
I'm a clumsy person by nature. I'm one of those people that trips going up the stairs, lol. I add balance exercises to my regularly workout routine on a weekly basis. It slows down the workout, but it's just challenging as completing 25 push ups. Take this one slow, it takes a while to get the hang of it. Hold on to a table or something sturdy when trying this exercise for the first time, don't give up if you fall a few times, that means it's working

Nutrition Challenge

Eat more Corn

Challenge Synopsis

I challenge you to eat more corn this week
Incorporate corn into your daily eating habits

Why Why Why

Corn has antioxidant benefits
Corn is high in dietary fiber which keeps you regular
Corn is an unique phytonutrient-rich and a great source of mineral manganese
Corn contains high levels of B vitamins, zinc, copper, iron, and ferulic acid

Materials

Corn
Corn recipes
Your appetite

Directions
Eat more corn this week! As simple as that

My Take
I love corn, I can eating morning, noon, and night. My boyfriend loves corn more than I do. It's sweet, refreshing, and oh so delicious. Corn can be high in calories, so make sure not to over eat, keep your portion sizes down and you will be fine. Eat more corn!!!!

Self Improvement Challenge

Only fill your head with positive thoughts

Challenge Synopsis

We control our thoughts & our thoughts control our lives
Do your best this week to replace any negative thoughts with positive ones
It sounds corny but this simple exercise help me turn my life around

Why Why Why

Positive thinkers are healthier, less stressed, and usually have greater overall wellbeing - according to research conducted by Suzanne Segerstrom a positive psychology researcher
Positive thinkers cope better with everyday obstacles
Optimism can improve your immunity
Positive thinking can make you more resilient

Materials

Positive thoughts
Strong Mind and Body

Directions

Whenever you have negative thoughts do your best to change those thoughts to positive ones
You get back what you put out, so why not think positively, focus on what you want instead of what's going wrong around you
Don't spend any time thinking about what went wrong or what you want, spend that time thinking about what you have and how you can improve your life
Spend your time focusing on positive things and positive things will start happening to you
Sounds a little hippy dippy but it works and I'm living proof

My Take
I am a believer in positive thinker. There are many books that support this challenge, way to many to list right now. Really push yourself to only have positive thoughts this next week. This challenge can change your life

Peace & Love,

Mary

Hi Friends!

I know it's Challenge Monday, but I'm still on Costa Rica time. We are traveling back to the states today. I'll post challenges tomorrow.

Peace & Love

Mary

Hi friends,

I'm on the road again, I should say I'm on the water and road again.

Today we left the beautiful Ylang Ylang resort. If you ever want to take a relaxing vacation in the jungle I suggest Ylang Ylang. The staff is friendly, almost to a fault, the spa services were second to none, and the accommodations were breathtakingly beautiful and peaceful. Every night I fell asleep to the sound of powerful waves crashing against the beach. The pace was always slow and easy, no where to rush off too, just a place to slow down and enjoy life. There was also great wifi through the resort. The only "downfall" if you would even call it that, was the wildlife. I enjoyed all the bugs, monkeys, and exotic birds, some people might not be as adventurous, and since the resort is situated in the jungle it's impossible to avoid a little contact with nature. It was well worth the few bug bites I got.

We drove an hour through town to the ferry which dropped us off in Pantaneras. From there were supposed to drive a quick 2 hours to Manuel Antiono National Park, Parador Resort where the wedding will be held.

But we got stuck in 2 hour gridlock. It was horrible, we didn't move more than 15 feet for at least 2 hours. I've never experienced so,etching like that, especially in a 3rd world Country. We were getting fried like bacon, yet somehow staid positive and made the best out of the frustrating situation. We should have made it to our destination at by 3pm, instead we arrived after 7pm.

Oh well, we showered and met up with tons of friends and kicked this wedding weekend off with a bang. Lots of drinking, eating, small talk, and dancing. I can't wait to get back into the ocean, maybe tomorrow I'll take an early morning run on the beach.

Peace & Love

Mary

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