inspiration

November

Posted by

0

“I tell you about my Dad to tell you that the reality that there are tens of millions of people who do not find character and integrity and truth telling to be basic requirements for elected public service is absolutely insane to me.” Rob Bell

It has been a rough month since the election. I have focused on taking really good care of myself. I want to have a calm nervous system. I signed up for an online Illustrative Figures course, and started drawing with colored pencils. Art therapy is a real thing. It has been helpful to spend quiet time drawing. I search for a quote that goes with the sketch. It has been fun and I will keep on practicing.

I am also plunging twice a week with the Plungettes. The ocean is 53 degrees. The water has been calm and beautiful. Our goal is 11 minutes a week. Plunging is a challenge and always makes me feel better.

I am back drinking my coffee with butter, MCT oil, plus a scoop of collagen. I am focusing on getting enough protein. I am working on cutting down on my alcohol intake which is never easy. I am tired of thinking about it. I know it is not good for me, but it is such a nice way to end the day. I do feel better with less.

I had a mammogram, a CT scan for my Calcium score and my eye lasered. All is well. I am happy to check all of that off my list!

Now, on to peace and joy for the Holidays. Enjoy it, focus on feeling your best!

Love,

Mary

"To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow." -Audrey Hepburn

“To plant a garden is to believe in tomorrow.” Audrey Hepburn

October

Posted by

0

Puttering: Puttering brings me joy. Two weeks ago,I wrote in my journal, I vacuumed, dusted and put the pumpkin pillow on the wicker chair sitting in the kitchen entrance. Very satisfying. It is such an October thing to do. Many days I have puttering on my to-do list.

Running and OutdoorFit: This is a spectacular time of year to be running in the woods. We have had cool crisp mornings with beautiful fall foliage. I have been running twice a week with my friend Dorian. I am proud to say, I am in much better shape than I was last year. I don’t spend the rest of the day feeling so fatigued. It is quite an accomplishment for me. We are doing 6 weeks of HIIT at OutdoorFit! We are on our 5th week. The ladies have increased their weights and the intensity. They are seeing results.

Cold Plunging: The cold plunge training season has started. The water is 60 degrees. I have to start training in October so my body will adjust to the colder temperatures ahead. I must say, I am feeling a bit wimpy about it this year. The plungettes and I are shooting for twice a week.

Tap Class: I am working on my tapping. It is still very humbling. I haven’t found the joy in it yet. There are moments when I feel the rhythm in my body. I just think I should be able to do it. I will carry on…practice, practice, practice.

Happy Anniversary: Dan and I celebrated our 47th wedding anniversary! We actually went away for the night. We had a good friend spend the night with Thomas and Sophie. We went to the Grounds for Sculpture which was amazing. We stayed at the Lamberville Station Hotel and I had shrimp, scallops and lobster risotto for dinner. It was lovely.

Gardening: We took out the Red Bud tree in the front yard. It sadly was slowly dying. I am happy to have opened up the space. The fall is a great time to plant bargains from the local nursery. I bought 3 white cone flower plants for 70% off. I am working on making the garden more self sufficient. It is nice to have hardy perennials that will come back and take care of themselves.

Books: I am reading The Great Alone by Kristin Hannah.

I hope you have had a beautiful October.

Love,

Mary

Get out the Rolling Pin! Alice’s Flatbread.

Posted by

1

I have been cooking from Alice Waters’, My Pantry. Normally, I am thrilled if I can find 3 recipes in a cookbook that I enjoy. I’ve already found 3 in Alice Waters’ book, and there are so many more I want to try. They are great and easy to make. Last week, it was Oat Pancakes. This week it is all about flatbread! I don’t eat much bread. On the weekends, I might enjoy it as a treat. I love making my own because there are no plastic bags involved and of course it is delicious!

Sunday, we had pulled organic chicken and flatbread for dinner.

Here is Alice’s recipe.  

Alice encourages you to try different flours. I used organic white. It is really important to buy organic flour. (You don’t want your flour sprayed with glyphosate.) Spend a few more dollars, support the organic farmers and yourself!

2 cups flour

1 tsp sea salt

1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 cup warm water

3 TBS extra-virgin olive oil

In a large bowl, whisk the flour, salt and baking powder together. Stir in the water and the oil. Knead briefly to form a soft moist dough. Cover the dough with a kitchen towel and allow to rest for 30 minutes.

Do you have a rolling pin? It is time to get it out!  Divide the dough into 16 balls. On a lightly floured surface roll each ball into a 3 x 6  inch oval. My flatbread didn’t roll into perfect 3 x 6″ ovals. It is okay.

Alice uses a cast iron pan and medium heat to make her flat bread. I used my griddle and it worked fine. Cook 2 minutes, flip and cook 2 more minutes. Wrap flatbread in a kitchen towel to let the bread moisten with the steam.

I put my leftovers into a glass pyrex dish.  They were all gone the next day.

Enjoy!

Mary

“Homemade Ingredients That Make Simple Meals Your Own.”

A Touch of Craziness!

Posted by

2

I have been feeling antsy lately. Is what I am doing important? Is this how I want to spend my time, or should I be doing something else? Sometimes I feel like I want more for myself. When I stop and really think about it, I realize I do want more. I want to create more space in my life. I want more quiet time. I have decided that following my joy is the answer. I love to stay home. I enjoy doing my own work. Painting the kitchen different shades of white makes me happy. It feels like a work of art to me. This week, I washed and ironed our linen bedroom curtains, composted, and made roasted pepper and tomato soup. I also taught 3 OutdoorFit classes. I have a great group of ladies, all over 50, who show up in crazy weather to workout. A cold and windy OutdoorFit workout brings me joy and happiness. I love the touch of craziness.

Earlier this week, I went to my friend Diane’s  house  to pick up 2 bags of composted leaves. Does that sound like an odd way to spend your time? Diane sold her beautiful home.  She is moving to an 11 acre lot to build a passive home and grow organic vegetables.  She didn’t think the new owners would appreciate her large composted leaf pile. She sent me a text, inviting me to stop by and help myself. I was so excited.

I went back the next day, and picked up 2 galvanized tubs full of compost. Why does this make me happy?

  • I love the connection with my friend.
  • I love the touch of craziness about it.
  • I love that the composted leaves will attract earthworms to my gardens. They are an indicator and creator of healthy soil.
  • I love the efficiency of using leaves to make compost for your gardens.

Gardening season is coming soon, but I really would love a good snow storm first.

Embrace your joy, step aside and watch what happens! It is contagious. What do you love to do? How do you like to spend your day? Would you like to connect with amazing women who love a touch of craziness? Come try an OutdoorFit workout! There is a fun class Saturday morning at 7:30.

Love,

Mary

My pitchfork is over 70 years old. It belonged to Dan’s Grandfather. A treasure!

 

 

My Mom ran the NYC marathon at 56!

Posted by

2

Last night my Dad sent a photo of my Mom running the NYC marathon at 56.  I love this picture of her. The Grand-kids call her Nana. I guess the printer decided to shorten it to NAN. She started running in her early 50’s. Many years ago, my husband Dan and I were running races. My Mom and Dad thought they would start running as well. It was a lot of fun.

Mom is now 88. She no longer runs, but continues to work out at the Y. She is an amazing person. She is a mother of 8 children, 23 grandchildren and 10 great grand-kids! She loves us all and remembers all of our birthdays!

My Mom is Fit and Fabulous…Aging Optional!

Have you thought of trying something new and you think that you are too old? You will never know unless you try.  I hope this short post about my Mom inspires you. Give it a try.

Love,

Mary

 

 

Wendy’s 90 Days to Fit and Fabulous!

Posted by

0

This morning Wendy came over for bulletproof coffee. She had just finished the 90 day Fit and Fabulous Gold Program, and was ready for her final weigh in and measurements.  Wendy wasn’t overly concerned about her weight. Her main goal was  to lose her menopausal pooch. She was feeling a bit matronly and pudgy around the middle. Her beautiful clothes were getting tight.

BIG NEWS! She lost 2 inches off of her waist, and 1 inch off her hips! Wendy also lost 4 pounds.  She has easily changed her habits and is confident that this will be a life long program. Wendy has committed to almost daily meditation, and is feeling centered and grounded throughout her day.

 

It has been so great to work with Wendy. She started the program in good health. She was able to change a few habits and now her daily life is even better! Wendy is the youngster in my OutdoorFit program. She is certainly Fit and Fabulous…Aging Optional!

February is the perfect month to start the 90 Day Fit and Fabulous Gold Program. How would you like to feel 3 months from now?  Energetic? Lighter? Vibrant? Reach out let’s have a conversation to see if the program is right for you.

Wendy made me a Beautiful Wendy Cettina Design thank you scarf. The yarn is by Madeline Tosh. The color is Graphite and the pattern is Fractal Danger. How cool is that?

Balance Your Hormones Day 3!

Posted by

0

For now during the 30 days of No gluten, sugar, alcohol it is important to eat 4-5 times a day to keep your blood sugar balanced and your hormones. After the 30 days, I will see how it feels to take it down to three meals a day. I want to keep everything steady especially in the afternoon. My meals are higher in protein and healthy fats so I think the transition to 3 meals will be fine. Just not right now. The point is pay attention to how you are feeling. Everyone is different.

The difficult time for me is when I go to make dinner and I am not having a glass of wine. The afternoon snack helps and I try and lay down on the floor for 20 minutes in the afternoon. Balance is the key.

Here is my recipe for Nut Fudge. It is so easy to make. Nut Fudge is a wonderful go to snack. It is very dense and lots of calories so please consider portion size.

Enjoy!

It is not too late to join in …  Gluten, sugar and alcohol free for 30 days! So much easier with friends! Dr. Northrup says we will feel changes quickly. Balanced hormones are key to fabulous health!

All you need to do is follow me on facebook or instagram. I will be posting and I hope you will be too!

Love,

Mary

I had a delicious lunch today at Kitch Organic in Red Bank, NJ!

The Super Salad!

The Super Salad!

The Perfect Christmas Gift.

Posted by

11

Do you reflect at the end of the year? Do you take time to think about what you accomplished in the past year? Do you set intentions for the New Year? I do kinda sort of…I hang out with people who take all of this very seriously. My intention is to take time to meditate and journal. I have bought so many journals and start but I don’t follow through.

I am part of a very special group and we talked quickly about what our “word” might be for 2015. I am thinking abundance, prosperity.Who doesn’t want that?  What I really want is to be inspired and creative and inspire others to do the same.  How do I make that happen? Meditating and journaling, being grateful for all the good that comes my way and taking some downtime to see what comes up. The other key component for me to remember and embrace is that everything is in divine order. I am working on giving up the chaos, control and letting God take the lead. It feels so much better when I remember that!

Christmas morning, I opened a very special present from a good friend. “A GOD BOX” On the box, it says Open for new ideas, Trust God, Life is unfolding in perfect order. WOW, it made me cry and gave me goose bumps all at the same time.

I know great things will be coming in the New Year for me and for you.

Do you set intentions for the New Year? Anything you would like to share? I would love to hear from you.

Love,

Mary

God box