Things I Love Thursday

Visiting with old friends and their kids

Reminders of how food can affect you (both good and bad)

Sunsets on my walk home

Probiotic shots
Pajama parties with my nieces

Juice Week!

I found a Jack La Lanne juicer at a Goodwill store this past November but was skeptical as to how well it would work. I figured someone donated it because a piece was broken or missing but at $15, I couldn't turn it down! It creeped me out a little bit thinking about if the previous owner cleaned thoroughly so I was hesitant until recently. Two co-workers and I decided to do a 5 day juice cleanse. I am currently on my second round of juicing-I did it two weeks ago and enjoyed it so much I am doing it again this week!

Since I had never used one prior to buying mine so I was able to look up how to clean it on YouTube. I realized it was missing a piece but another online link showed me a simple Macgyver fix. It was a great investment and another testament for buying used!!!

My colleagues had used an app to make their juices but I decided to wing it (surprise surprise). Some of the combinations have been better than others but overall-very tasty. It is actually a lot of work to prep all of the “meals” since they take so many fruits and vegetables to make one juice. Each night I prep all of my meals by washing, cutting and bagging them individually and get the bottles ready. As I had said in a previous post, I reuse a lot of glass and have a ton of kombucha bottles which were the right size for my meals. I've been taking everything to work and keep to the schedule of 8am-11am-2pm-5pm-8pm with cider (warmed, juiced apples with cinnamon) at 9pm. To maximize my cocktails, I have added spirulina powder, coconut water and soaked chia seeds to help cleanse and provide omegas and protein.

If you don’t have a juicer or don’t have the time, there are several companies that deliver such as blueprint. If you find that too pricey, health food stores like Whole Foods have juice bars. I feel great, have plenty of energy for yoga every night and have a clear head. I suggest everyone try it at least once if you are healthy enough for your body to handle it. It is an opportunity to challenge yourself and clear both mind & body.

At work

New Year, New Challenges!

You guys, 2012 is over already. It went by so fast!!! Welp, I have blogged for a year now and it has been a great experience and very rewarding-not sure how interesting it has been for you readers though. [crickets] Keeping a blog helped me stay accountable to my challenge at hand. It might sound silly but it prevented me from buying new a number of times because it meant I would have to write about it (confess to you) after. I may have slipped the last couple months but I enjoyed the challenge and felt that it really made an impact. I supported small and local businesses, elped to recycled/reuse goods, was more creative with what I could make and curbed useless spending. I also had some great adventures along the way, my favorites included:

Getting up early to hit up an estate sale

Receiving my grandma's favorite purse

Finding the perfect dress for a Dawn and Jack's wedding

There were a number of challenges and chronicled most of them but was surprised by the little things that were hard to go without. I didn't buy one magazine all year, only downloaded free iPhone apps, held off on getting a new cell phone (which I desperately need) and didn't buy any new underwear!!!! Luckily I have a small obsession with undergarments as my grandma called them so there was no shortage. ;)

2013 is starting with a bang. I thought it would begin slowly and allow me time to reflect on my year and plan for the next but it's been wild. I planned to get this post out weeks ago but work has kept me extremely busy since the 2nd. I guess that is a good thing, right? I did take time to think about how I wanted to approach this new year since my challenge was only for 2012. I've decided to continue to buy used as much as possible for a number of reasons, mainly the ones I listed above. Also, with the previous years (cutting out alcohol and coffee, changing my diet, etc) I have kept with those challenges and they work for me so why not this one? Of course I will be a little more laxed but look forward to more antique stores, online finds, swap meets and Goodwill runs. To add to my list, I have some new ones this year...I plan to volunteer my time once a month to different charities, non-profits and anywhere else that could use some help. I think it will be a great way to push myself to serve others and get me to be more productive with my downtime. Oh and I've given up swearing and plan to put $5 in a jar every time I slip. I've already had to pay $65 so I am deciding whether I will buy a house or new car at the end of the year! kidding

I figure this blog will transform into posts about great finds, adventures, volunteer gigs, baking, DIY projects and whatever else I fancy. If you have ideas or feedback, I'd love to hear it otherwise stay tuned for more nonsense. Happy New Year to all of you!!!!! xo