Hi Friends

Oh man, did I have a great time in New Orleans! The wedding was incredible. From an elegant ceremony held in on opulent museum to the second line parade dancing our way through the gritty streets of New Orleans. Everyone was dressed to the 9s in tuxes and long flattering gowns. The boyfriend cleans up REAL nice, he looked devilishly handsome in his 3 piece Navy Blue Tuxedo. I used Rent the Runway again, sadly I wasn’t blown away with my dress this time around. I rented 2 dresses, both royal blue, one had 2 splits and one was lacy. I wanted to wear the one with the splits, but the fabric had no give, and they didn’t cut it for a girl with serious hips like me. Good thing I had a backup. The bride was STUNNING in Vera Wang and the groom handsome as ever. I’m always honored when I’m invited as a guest to a wedding. Witnessing and sharing in someones love is freaking amazing. I’ll never forget the day Taft and Marisa got hitched. #classyandsassy

 

The dress I wanted to wear, it was so tight 

The dress I wore, I guess I look just as good

On our way to the wedding acting like our silly selves

Had to snap a selfie

Bride and Groom leading the Second Line Parade

I took my time on Sunday and ate my way around the city. I had fried oysters, raw oysters, seafood gumbo, crawfish étouffée, tons of perfectly cooked fish, and my fair share of cornbread. Needless to say I am a very happy woman. I started almost every morning off with a bloody Mary which was a good base for all of my greasy meals and long nights. I did some shopping and found a vintage flight suit that actually says Top Gun on it! I figure I can wear it around the house and on Halloween. It was only 20 bucks so even one wear would justify the cost. #cheatday

Food Food Food Food Food Food Food Food Food

did I say Food?

 

Everyone other than my boyfriend and I seem to be concerned about our marriage plans. I realize we have been together for 5+ years, I realize  most women would be tearing their hair out waiting for a ring, I realize you shouldn’t give the milk away for free but I also realize I am my own person and I’m not ready to say I do to anyone other than my career at the present time. It is a little strange when people who meet after us are already starting their lives together and planing for families, to each their own. I have a lot of goals to accomplish and being a wife isn’t one of them. When I’m ready I’ll be ready. I know my other half isn’t ready and its a relief. I just don’t need that added pressure. Sure, I’m a woman, of course I would love a huge ring, my little heart flutters when I see babies, but none of that means I’m willing to compromise myself or jump into something I’m just not ready for. I know I want to be with my man for the rest of my life, with or without a ring, contract or huge expensive party. #noweddingforme

 

I promised some NOLA pics, here they are:

Sunday night on Bourbon Street, there's nothing like it 

 

Beads anyone?

Blessings flowing

Mr. Armstrong 

Last but not least I ran 2 miles. It may sound small but I’m not a runner, I get shooting pains in my knees when I do certain exercises, for years I figured running was out of the question. Before I die I would like to run a marathon and since I’m not getting any younger I need to start training my body to run. Surprisingly I loved it, i wasn’t panting for air, I didn’t feel like I needed to rest, granted I was running 15 minute miles but a girl has to start somewhere. The tough mudder is a total of 15 miles and I would like to run most of it. I can’t wait to start running outside this week. I need to find a mile tracker so I can start documenting my time, improvement and training. Does anyone have any beginner running tips to share? #runbabyrun

 

Ok that’s really it!

Peace & Love,

Mary

 

Take as many breaks as needed

5 Jumping Jacks

5 Squats

10 Jumping Jacks

10 Squats

15 Jumping Jacks

15 Squats

20 Jumping Jacks

20 Squats

25 Jumping Jacks

25 Squats

I'm in New Orleans the home of rich sauces, poboys, legal drinking in the street and a serious no sleep zone. I've been going to Bikram yoga almost everyday and trying to stay on track but sometimes that seems impossible. This routine gets your heart rate pumping fast and is over before you know it.

Everyone knows the green tea trick right? Drink a few cups of green tea everyday reduce belly fat, feel fuller longer and lose weight, if only it were that simple. It seems easy enough and I even know a few people who have successfully lost a few pounds but I am not one of those people. This week I’m hoping to join the green tea movement. I’ll be sucking down at least 2 cups probably 4 cups and we shall see what the results are. 

Right before you drift off to sleep take 100… yes I said 100 deep breaths, slow and steady. You might not make it to 100, you might drift off to sleep before you hit 20 but try your best to take 100 deep breaths 

I featured a breathing self-improvement challenge a few weeks ago and got a lot of great feedback. Here we go again, breathing techniques are some of my favorite challenges to feature. They are simple, you don’t need any special equipment to breath and there are many benefits from it. If you skipped my last breathing challenge jump on this one and tell me what you think. I’ve been focusing on taking 100 deep breaths before bed, sometimes I make it to 100 and some times I find myself drifting around 30. I noticed I’m a lot more relaxed, my mind isn’t flying around thinking about 1000 things, instead I get to concentrate on air entering and escaping my lungs. Try it out and let me know what you think. 

Peace & Love, 

Mary 

Hi friends,

I ended up hanging out by myself last night. The boyfriend was feeling under the weather and he insisted I go to dinner by myself. That's what I love about him he likes his alone time and knows i love mine. I walked about 5 blocks from the hotel and ate at NOLA an Emeril Lagasse restaurant... BAM it was great. 

I sat at the bar and didn’t eat clean, it's been 3 weeks of worrying about fitting into the dress I rented for the wedding and it all went out the window as soon as I saw deep fried cajun style crab cakes, but that’s ok, I’m not going to beat myself up about it. I had 2 dirty gin martinis, made friends with some food engineers from Chicago and downed about 600 calories in 2 hours. Tomorrow I’m going to Bikram no matter what time I wake up. That’s actually what today's post is about. The effect bikram yoga has on my body. 

About a month ago I stopped attending Bikram and went strictly cardio 6 days a week. I’m training for the Tough Mudder and needed to increase my cardio endurance. Starting with 30 minutes at level 4 on the stair master (not holding on) and 1 hour on the spin bike I progressed to 35 minutes on level 5  on the Stair master (not holding on) 20 minutes on the rowing machine and 1 hour on the precore adaptive motion machine (high tech elliptical) within 4 weeks and am feeling stronger than ever.  Sadly I ended up gaining 1 pound. At first I blamed it on muscle weight but my stomachs started growing and of course I freaked out. It just didn’t make any sense to me. Why wasn’t I loosing weight? My cardio endurance has improved, my routine could be classified as torture, so what was the problem?

I got tired of feeling overweight and attended 2 Bikram classes this week and I already feel better. I sweated like crazy, pulling, twisting, and stretching my body  my stomach went down. No joke, my little  tummy looks smaller and my skin is tighter. My body loves bikram. It could be water weight, but I don’t care. My all-time favorite bikram yoga studio is located in New Orleans about 4 blocks from my hotel, the goal is to make it everyday. 

The teachers push you pass your limit and expect you to hit every pose. At first it was intimidating but now I take it as a personal challenge to impress them. For some reason my current Yoga studio in San Rafael is super hot, like "I feel like I'm going to die hot." It's the only studio close to me that has a good monthly rate so I power through it and know I'm getting stronger. The New Orleans studio is simple, inviting, not so hot and feeds my chi. The goal is to attend at least 4 yoga classes while I'm here. Give me luck friends, enjoy your weekend, I know I'm going to enjoy mine. 

Peace & Love,

Mary 

Hey there,

My throat is getting better, it's still sore and I'm still coughing but at least I'm not getting any worst. I decided to switch up my style and I think I love it. I usually keep it super basic skinny jeans and a black/white tight shirt. Since I'm pretty shapely I never felt the need to actually put together an outfit. But my plain t-shirts are getting old and plus I'm tired of serving the goodies. Everything I wear is tight tight tight, I couldn't wear tight clothes when I was bigger so I've been taking full advantage of my new physique. It's been over 7 years since I've lost the weight and it's time for me to settle into the real Mary. Who is the real Mary?? I'm still trying to figure that out. I like many styles, I'm going to try a few and see what fits.

This weeks Self-Improvement Challenge was to make and keep eye contact with everyone you encounter this week, but why?? Why would i make you do such a thing??? Here are some facts about eye contact

WHY IS IT SO HARD TO MAKE EYE CONTACT

WAYS TO IMPROVE THE QUALITY OF YOUR EYE CONTACT

JUST PLAIN FACTS

Hi friends,

I'm not feeling so well today, not sure what happened but I've been coughing up yucky stuff for the past 2 days. The rest of me feels fine, actually great, but all the coughing has really took a toll on my throat, it's super sore. I've been snacking on my homemade cough drops and generously smearing my herbal vapor rub all over my chest. We take off for New Orleans on Wednesday, I'm praying I'm back to my normal spunky self by then.

 

This weeks nutrition challenge was to eat at least one serving of nuts everyday this week. Of course I have to share some nut facts with you guys because that's what I love to do.

 

Enjoy

 

NUTS ABOUT NUTS

ALMONDS

• Lower LDL-Cholesterol and reduce your risk of heart disease
• Protection against diabetes and cardiovascular disease
• High in antioxidant
• Improves blood fats
• Provide heart healthy benefits
• Can help you loss weight
• Lowers the risk of weight gain -people who eat nuts at least twice a week are less likely to gain weight than those who rarely eat nuts
• Good source of manganese, copper, vitamin b2
• Helps prevent gallstones 

CASHEWS

• Keeps your heart healthy
• Keeps blood pressure under control
• Reduced risk of cancer
• Good source of protein
• Good for teeth and gums
• Long-lasting energy
• Improves Vitality
• Improves Blood
• Heart friendly
• Protect Eyes
• Promotes weight loss
• Loaded with magnesium
• Rich in copper for hair and skin health
• Contains heart healthy monounsaturated fats

PEANUTS

• Rich in natural energy
• Lowers bad cholesterol and increases good cholesterol in body
• Contains monounsaturated fatty acids that can prevent coronary disease
• Rich in protein
• Fights stomach cancer
• Fights against heart disease, nerve disease, alzheimer’s and infections
• Reduces chances of strokes
• Contains antioxidants
• Protects skin from free radicals
• Rich in vitamins and minerals
• 1 ounce of peanuts or two tablespoons of peanut butter each week can save you from gall stones or gallbladder disease 
• Peanuts can reduce colon cancer especially in women 
• Helps fertility
• Regulates blood sugars
• fights depression

PECANS

• Improves cardiovascular health
• Improves digestive health
• Promotes colon health and regular bowel movements
• Helps weight loss
• Reduces the risk of breast cancer
• Improves bone and teeth health
• Has anti-inflammatory benefits
• Reduces blood pressure
• Reduces risk of stroke
• Has anti-cancer properties
• Strengthens immune system
• Prevents skin issues
• Helps maintain clean complexion
• Has Anti-aging benefits
• Stimulates hair growth
• prevents hair loss

PISTACHIO

• Pistachios are know as a super food
• Pistachios can help reduce bad cholesterol and increase good cholesterol
• Strengthens nerves making the heart stronger
• Has anti-inflammation properties
• 60% of the daily required phosphorous is in one cup of pistachios which can prevent type-2 diabetes
• If eaten daily pistachios can increase the oxygen quantity in the blood and increase hemoglobin count 
• Antioxidants found in pistachios (lutein and Zeaxanthin) fight free radicals that cause muscular degeneration and eye disease
• Boosts immunity
• Helps maintain brain health
• Enhances skin
• Has anti-ageing properties
• Can prevent cancers and infections by increasing white blood cells
• Improves vision
• Maintains healthy skin
• Gives skin natural glow
• Fights aging
• Stimulates hair growth
• Fights hair loss

WALNUTS

• Reduce the risk of breast cancer
• Packed with omega-3 fatty acids
• Reduce risk of diabetes
• Contain antioxidants at boost heat health
• Can help deal with stress and anxiety 
• Cancer-fighting properties
• Heart healthy
• Contain rare and powerful antioxidants
• Helps with weight control
• Improve reproductive health in men
• Supports brain health
• Rich in omega-3 fats
• Enhances cognitive and motor function in aging
• Great for complexions and skin issues
• Can reduce the risk of diabetes

Peace & Love,

Mary

 

 

 

 

My abs are sore from this workout which is a good thing. I can’t wait to see my results. I usually do a 30 day challenge with Part 1 & 2, completing these exercises everyday for 30 days. I’m going to officially start counting after my trip to New Orleans, I have a feeling I might miss a couple of workouts on the road.

 

I wish I could say I’m crazy about nuts but I’m just not. I love them when I eat them but I have to force myself to pull them out of the cabinet and start munching. This week I’m going to prep my nuts by portioning them out and placing them somewhere I can see them daily. Wish me luck!

 

I love my boyfriends best friend, he’s an absolute sweet heart. He recently got engaged and I couldn’t be happier for him. I'm always interested in learning what men are attracted to, so I asked him what made him choose this woman, how did he know she was the one, what about her was different from all the other girls in the world. He had a sweet and simple answer: Her Eyes. He can't get enough of her eyes, they are expressive, kind, sweet, energetic and passionate. Ever since then I’ve been obsessed with eyes, I wonder what people see when they look deep into mine.

Peace & Love,

Mary 

Happy Friday!!!

I love Fridays, love them, love them, LOVE THEM! I work from home but at my last place of employment Fridays were always the hardest for me. I would come in late, hardly work, then find excuses to leave early. Thank God my boss was understanding, that and the fact that I was highly productive Monday through Thursday so I never got in trouble for my Friday shenanigans. 

This weekend is day light savings, we spring forward so our days will be longer and the nights will be shorter, which means more fun in the sun in my world. I loath daylight savings, it takes a few months for my body and my mind to adjust and by the time I get comfortable its time to change the clocks again. Rumor has it some states opt out of this clock changing silliness, how does that work? Today I'm sharing some, unknown to me, facts about day light savings, why we do it, why some states don't do it, and so on and so forth. 

I've been itching to do some DIY projects, be on the look out for some fun, easy crafting adventures sooner rather than later. 

Benjamin Franklin first proposed daylight savings time, yet it was not used in the US for more than a century after his proposal

Daylight savings time got its first widespread use during World War 1. 

In 1916 Germany put itself on a daylight saving time to conserve energy for the war, Britain quickly followed. 

When the US joined the war in 1918 it instituted daylight saving time

After World War 1, based on complaints from farmers Congress discontinued Daylight saving time

Daylight saving time was reintroduced during World War II to save energy for the war

States that do not observe day light savings:

Arizona

Hawaii

American Samoa

Guam

Puerto Rico

Virgin Islands

Indiana (some parts)

Daylight savings has mixed effects on people’s health

Transition into and out of DST can disturb people’s sleeping patterns

There’s a spike in heart attacks during the first week of daylight savings, loss of an hour’s sleep may make people more susceptible than attack, experts say. When daylight saving time ends in the fall, heart attacks become less frequent than usual

Researches have found DST reduces lethal car crashes and pedestrian strikes since people are safer drivers during daylight hours

In 2005 Kazakhstan abolished daylight saving time citing negative health effects. The county’s government calculated 51.6% of their population responded badly to time change

Many other contours observe daylight savings time, but not all do so on the same day. This creates confusion for international travelers, business communications, and more - facts found at health.usnews.com

Enjoy your weekend,

Peace & Love

Mary 

Hi Friends,

I hit the gym hard and now I'm paying for it. My body is sore and my lungs feel exercised, that's the only way I can really explain the sensation. It feels like I ran 10 miles, jumped rope for an hour, and did a spin class. I love this feeling, it means I'm getting stronger. 

I spent the rest of the day doing research for next weeks blog posts and relaxing. I made sure to eat mostly raw foods. It was easy at first and became more challenging as my day progressed. I started the day out with overnight oats the recipe is from Oh She Glows and it was scrumptious and satisfying. My after-the-gym snack was a handful of celery, carrots, almond and cashews. I chomped away while preparing a few smoothies. These smoothies were so tasty I sucked them down pretty fast and wasn't hungry until late afternoon. I got creative and made a raw soup consisting of jalapeños, avocados, bell peppers, carrots, broccoli, cauliflower, cayenne peppers, turmeric, romaine lettuce, baby kale, pepper and celtic salt. I was planning on trying this raw alfredo with zucchini past for dinner but the boyfriend treated me to a delicious meal of dim sum. 

Hopefully I'll get a shot at this recipe tomorrow. I'm curious to see if the raw alfredo is comparable to regular alfredo. I'm sure it won't be buttery and creamy but what will it taste like??? I'm dying to know.

You can find all of the recipes below. 

serves 1

Ingredients:

1/2 cups rolled oats

1/2 cup non-dairy milk (I used almond milk)

2 tbsp cup pure maple syrup

1 tbsp chia seeds

pinch of ground cinnamon

1 small bananas, peeled & chopped

1/2 cups fresh blueberries

1/4 cup chopped walnuts

Pinch of salt

1 tsp  vanilla

Homemade Granola sprinkled on top before serving

Mix in a casserole dish and place in fridge overnight. In the morning, stir and enjoy cold and a sprinkle of granola on top.  Keeps in fridge for 2-3 days

recipe found at Oh She Glows

vegan, vegetarian, grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free, grain-free 

serves 1

1 Banana

1/2 cup blueberries - fresh or frozen

1/2 cucumber - skin on

1 tbsp chai seeds

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp maple syrup

1/4 cup coconut water (optional)

Add all ingredients to blender and process until smooth

vegan, vegetarian, grain-free, gluten-free, nut-free, grain-free 

serves 1

1 cup raw Cauliflower

1/2 cup Strawberries - fresh or frozen

1/2 cup Pineapple - fresh or frozen

1/2 Avocado

1/2 Bell pepper

Peace & Love, 

Mary