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Kicking off month 2, yo! I can’t believe its been so long. And its been such a rough month, I kinda feel like I could use a mental makeover more than a body one right now. But that’s another post for another day…
Weeks 3 & 4 went quite well, I’ve gotta say! I’m definitely rocking a whittled waist, little by little. Or should I say whittle by whittle? Ha! Let’s take a look-see, shall we?
The Food:
Gobble Green kept it real with some new and tasty morsels for my mouth… Highlights included the “steak” with collard greens and sweet potatoes (soul food goodness), and an incredibly soft and moist banana nut muffin and (gasp) even Mac N Cheese! Lowlights included the tempeh stir-fry (snoozefest) and the southwest salad (a mixture of quinoa and veggies that left me cold). Hunter’s broccoli latkes and potato knish brought the party to his mouth, but the carrot muffin tasted like chalky pepto bismol. No bueno. The convenience of having all this food prepared is really great, and I lurve the relief from cooking in a hot kitchen and messing with all them dishes, but it is hard sometimes to “pack” a hot lunch when out and about, so we’ve had to stray from time to time.
Overall, we’re really pleased with our month of Gobble Green meal delivery. Its very sad to say goodbye to it. I highly recommend it for folks strained with a busy schedule and looking for a convenient way to keep their meals healthy without the hassle, or brides wanting to shed a few inches before their big day. Its also a great way for folks wanting to experiment with or transition to a vegan diet – you can learn a lot about balancing meals and explore the tasty varieties out there. Sometimes its hard to keep a balanced diet when testing a new lifestyle, and Gobble Green keeps things in check for you. I definitely experienced weight loss and enjoyed a more well-rounded diet without feeling deprived! Score!
They also offer catering service, which is great news for our vegan brides and grooms out there. Your guests will never miss the meat, and the variety they offer is fantastic. Thanks for everything, Gobble Green! I’ll miss ya!
I did manage to keep my diet coke consumption to a minimum for the whole month, though – which I’m pretty farking proud of. Now I’m just a weekend user, and hope to keep paring down my use until its just a once-in-a-while treat! Alls I got to say is, thanks be to jeebus for iced tea!
The Fitness:
We were challenged to find much time for workouts this time, thanks to a whirlwind apartment hunt and preparation for a 2 week trip. The good news is, we found a place! (more on that later) We did manage to work in brief forays into fitness, and Shredded it a couple times, but ultimately, we slacked it pretty fiercely in favor of work. Its just the worst when I have to choose work over workouts, but hey, only one pays the bills!
Now we’re out in Santa Fe visiting Hunter’s family, and I brought The Shred with me so we’ll squeeze in some Jillian action and long walks in the arroyo to help balance out all the delicious new mexican food we’re surrounded by. I’m shooting a TV segment in a couple of weeks and have to keep my momentum up so I don’t feel like a stuffed sausage in front of the camera! That’s pretty good motivation, even if I am on vacation. Starting tomorrow, I am determined to at least log as many push-ups and crunches as I can muster each day. I’ll be tweeting the results, anyone care to join me?
When we get back to LA, we’ll have 10 days to pack house and move, so I’m looking forward to all that activity and heavy lifting. I am such a huge puss about working out, man. It was so much easier when I had a personal trainer. I know, waah waaaaah, right?
How’s your Flab to Fab going? Hearing about your journeys is always so motivating, so keep me posted in the comments!
Oh my… another week gone already?!? I’m seriously concerned over how quickly time is passing. Am I the only one who feels like we’re being swept along in the riptide of time? No bueno.
I’m feeling much better about progress this week… mainly because I can tell that I’ve been losing weight! My belly feels flatter, my face is definitely slimmer, and my waistline is more defined than I’ve seen her in a while. Its such a good feeling, and it keeps me wanting more… I call it deflation motivation, yo! So now that I’m rocking some noticeable results, week 3 is going to be all about building fitness endurance and stamina… because whew man, I am out of shape!
The Food:
First of all, check this out. I saw my eye specialist yesterday for the first time in the 6 months since going vegan, only to discover that not only is my disease quiet as a mouse, but my eye pressure (glaucoma) is lower than ever before even though I’ve been off my drops for a month or so (my broke-ass ran out and they ’spensive). Could it be the vegan diet is actually making the difference I hoped it would? Holy crap, y’all… either way it’s freaking great news.
Speaking of vegan food…Gobble Green stepped it up this week and gave us some really good grub. My favorite meal of the week was Black Pepper “Steak” with (gasp) mashed potatoes! People, I haven’t had mashed potatoes in far too long and this meal was so comforting and satisfying, I loved every bite. The other big winner? Now bear with me, because this one sounds narsty, but the lemon “fish” fillets and broccoli were mindblowingly delish. I really wish I knew how to recreate these at home. I’d eat them all the time.
I had more scrambled eggy type breakfasts this week, which I really enjoyed. Especially since I discovered these amazing condiments, thanks to this smart lady!
Sooooo delicious on evvvvvverything! Go get you some!
Other highlights include the “chicken” salad which is great wrapped in lettuce, and the banana nut muffin which rocked my tastebuds with great flavor and texture. My lowlight of the week is still the steamed vegetables (always mushy, except the broccoli stems which were tough).
Hunter had a great week, too… pancakes, a yummy steakburger and fries (!), lasagna, and a stuffed mushroom that was probably the best we’ve ever had. His lowlights? The fruit crunch breakfast (too sweet) and the fruit salad (kind of a soupy mess, but good for dipping muffin parts into). Leave it to Hunter to object to fruit.
We must be getting used to the serving sizes because we’re much less hungry between meals and feel generally more satisfied. Are our stomachs shrinking? Maybe its the 90 oz of water I’m trying to guzzle every day. Who knows? But, I’m proud to report that my diet coke consumption is a shadow of its former self! That’s some serious diet soda detox action, but thanks to sun-brewed iced tea I barely even miss it! Have you ever brewed tea in the sun? Its the jam, you should try it. Our next Gobble Green delivery should arrive any minute, and we can’t wait to see what this week holds.
The Fitness:
Slowly but surely getting there. My stamina and patience are both pretty weak… and I have to keep reminding myself that I’m practically starting over, so I shouldn’t expect to be as strong or go as long as I used to be able to do. I don’t know why, but I always expect just to pick up where I left off. Getting hit with my monthly visitor a week early left me feeling like I’d been hit by a bus (what is that about?!)… but I’ve been working hard to keep my motivation up and take baby steps.
We’re sweating it out at Bikram yoga this morning and I think that will really help kick my metabolism into high gear after such a long, sound slumber. I’m also focusing a lot on push-ups and sit-ups to help strengthen my core and improve my scarily pathetic posture… but don’t get it twisted, I do knee-push-ups. Start small, right? But it definitely helps me feel like I’m making progress on my sausage arms.
Overall I’m feeling way more excited about the exercise portion of my plan now. That must be a good sign, right? Because for reals, I look forward to a lot in life… exercise is rarely one of them.
How did your week go? Any celebrations or setbacks you want to share?
Greetings, fellow Broke-Asses! Since I’m all marrified now… my new husband (swoon!) and I decided to join forces for today’s post and really give it to you straight about a few cheap wedding alternatives we chose, and why we may have chosen differently had we known what we know now. Don’t worry. We’re not suggesting we should have spent more money on said things. Imaginary money wasn’t going to come to our rescue. But, there are definitely a few ways in which we could have moved the budget around to make it all work.
Let’s start with DIY decor.
As you all know, we completely DIYed our wedding. From cutting the tablecloths to crafting the centerpieces, signs, chandeliers, bouquets and bouts on down to brewing the beer, we did it all. And it was certainly A LOT cheaper for the effort. However, transport for getting everything into the venue was slightly nightmarish. We didn’t expect or prepare for the enormous truckload of wedding stuff that we accumulated over the last year. It was like moving an entire apartment, almost.
Luckily, we made it through the transport storm… but the hardest part was yet to come. It was the clean-up and transport the day after our DIY wedding that was the hardest. Hangover + No Sleep + Physical Labor + Heat = No Bueno. Luckily we had the help of our amazing friends and family, but even with everyone pitching in, it took us nearly 3 hours to get everything packed up and out of the venue. And we still had to return the keg and unload everything into our 3rd floor apartment. (Craftstorm is back. Boo.)
Wait... you mean all that stuff we've been crafting for the last year has to be stored at our apartment until we find a new home for it? YUP.
Beer Bottle Chandeliers for Sale! Anyone... Anyone... Bueller?
The lesson here is simply this: If you don’t want to spend the next day cleaning, transporting, and housing your DIY decor until you figure out what the hell you are going to do with it all… then perhaps it’s a good idea to use some of the budget to hire a cleanup crew. Or, get hardy volunteers to do it for you, and have a plan ready for them so everyone knows what to do. You don’t want to wake up the next morning giving orders and making sure your keg deposit gets picked up. You might have loved ones, best buds, or kidnapped children doing your heavy lifting, but they’re all equally ignorant when it comes to your wedding — and they will attempt to escape unless you tell them what to do… and rightfully so
Next up: Lessons learned from honeymooning on the cheap.
When we got word from Mike’s uncle that he we could stay a week for FREE in his private vacation condo in Puerto Vallarta, Mexico… we jumped at it. Didn’t even think twice. We were ecstatic. The problem with that is that we failed to check the weather in PV during that time of year. Which was pretty unlike us not to do… but planning a wedding is a crazy time — and when someone offers you something for free (in an industry that usually offers you nothing for free) you feel awesome, and you jump on the offer without fully thinking it through.
When we got off the plane in Puerto Vallarta, the weather was in the 90s at 100% humidty and it was during monsoon season. Hello, heat blanket we would never escape!
The monsoon was so out of control, the river level rose up and tore down the suspension bridge near our condo.
We probably would have chosen a different honeymoon option had we known this. We would have much rather spent our honeymoon driving up the coast of California in beautiful weather, and it would have been the same price, or even cheaper, as it was to go to Puerto Vallarta. The weather would have been more comfortable, and we might have enjoyed some true relaxation after a very long and emotional wedding planning journey.
Are you guys scared that your shoestring budget might be exposing you to some uncomfortable or disappointing outcomes? Has choosing cheap ever gone awry for you? Let’s make a contingency plan together!
Paging Dr. House…. Dr. House? No? Oh. Oh! How ’bout Dr. Oz? You there? Hellloooo? …….. Well, eff. Now what do I do?
Yup, its Tuesday, which means its time for another medical mystery in my life to come out of nowhere and ruin everything.
‘Memba how for my whole adult life I’ve had an auto-immune disease which only affects my eyes? And ‘memba how in January, I had my foot filleted to remove an alien baby that came back with inconclusive pathology reports? And ‘memba how I went vegan 6 months ago to try and save myself from exactly these sorts of medical issues?
Well, I’m disturbed, annoyed, frustrated and angry to report that there is now another mass in my foot. Just one inch over from where the last one was removed. And unlike the last one, which grew very slowly over a period of 2 years, this one seems to be in a hurry.
Yesterday we went back to the orthopedist who took care of the last surgery, to have it examined. He reminded us that his best guess last time was that it looked like a rheumatoid nodule, and the lab results had included that as one of a few possible diagnoses. (Sidebar: my eye problem is very often a symptom of a bigger problem, like oh… rheumatoid arthritis, for example. So, its natural to assume my eye problems could be related to what ever is going on with my foot.) The trouble is… why my foot? Why only that foot? Which begs the (horrifying but real) question: is it possible that there are other masses like this in my body, we just can’t see them yet? The doctor poked around, concluded that this new mass is very similar to the last mass, and recommended I schedule an appointment with a rheumatologist for further testing.
Further testing. My two least favorite words in the english language.
Oh, and then he urged us to consider having kids sooner rather than later… “because your treatment may not allow it later“. Just what we wanted to hear.
What I really want is (as in desperately crave) is to see a naturopathic specialist, who will treat my whole body at once… but of course, insurance doesn’t cover that. And I’m already in enough medical debt, thankyouverymuch, so I’m relegated to western medicine. As luck would have it, we just applied for small business health insurance through Broke-Ass Media – so I should be covered. As luck wouldn’t have it, my previous plan was was the BOMB and I will miss its low copays and high percentage of coverage dearly.
Good lawd. Its just like me to get laid off one week, and develop another medical mystery the next. So, I hereby dub this quest for clarity The Medical Mystery Tour. Won’t you follow along on my (insert dramatic emotional adjective) journey?
Welp, I was laid off, without warning, this week. Thanks, economy!
So here we are. Hubby and me. Two self-employed artists in a tiny-ass apartment. Good thing we’re getting free food for the next month. Sheeesh.
Oh and naturally that naggling nasty voice is here, a’whispering at the back of my brain, trying to get all fear-mongery and pull me down. But here’s the good news: I’m not listening! Hunter and I have weighed it out, pros and cons, warts and all… and concluded that this is a good thing, overall. A big leap of faith, yes. A scary time, for sure. A risk? No question. But an opportunity, too. An undeniably legitimate opportunity. A (not-so) secretly thrilling opportunity, actually.
The freelance gig was the perfect buffer. When the opportunity landed in my lap, it felt like The Universe was helping me find my wings. I could stretch them out, admire them, preen them, and flap them around… but all while safely tucked inside my nest. At the same time, however the job was the very definition of distraction. Each hour, I had to interrupt whatever I was doing, to work for them a bit, then go back to what I was doing. It turned out to be more difficult than anticipated to filter out their work, or to fully focus on anything at all. I quickly found myself in a fretfully familiar situation: working for someone else was trumping my needs to work for myself. Isn’t that what I just tried to leave behind?
Right. Exactly. So, Hunter and I have decided to approach this twist of fate with the faith that The Universe is just finishing what she started three months ago, and is now full-on nudging me out of the nest, telling me its time to fly on my own.
Universe, I hear you. I’m flapping my little wings as hard as I can. Hoping for some warm, gentle, bouyant breezes to help keep me aloft when I tire. I’m so lucky to have the wondrous sturdy arms of my husband and business partner, Hunter to count on; the tree branches upon which I can rest and be comforted.
As for that little nasty naggling voice at the back of my brain? I offer you this excerpt from one of my favorite inspirers… and bid you a fond and forgiving “Get the f*ck out”.
Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate.
Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure.
It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us.
We ask ourselves, Who am I to be brilliant,
gorgeous, handsome, talented and fabulous?
Actually, who are you not to be?
You are a child of God.
Your playing small does not serve the world.
There is nothing enlightened about shrinking
so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.
We are all meant to shine, as children do.
We were born to make manifest the glory of God within us.
It is not just in some; it is in everyone.
And, as we let our own light shine, we consciously give
other people permission to do the same.
As we are liberated from our fear,
our presence automatically liberates others.
-Marianne Williamson
Wish me luck? As Hunter says, a trapeze act is always more interesting if you take away the net!
….not to be confused with doing the newlywed nasty. Though that might help with my flab issue
Hokay. I just got back from sticking my ego wayyyy far back in my underwear drawer so I could come write this post.
So, where to start? Um. I lost nearly 20lbs before my wedding, with a goal looking good in my dress (‘cuz, let’s be real) but also of confronting my congenital urges to overindulge and overeat, while slowly worming my way free of the long-worn cloak of laziness. It was my millionth effort to nurture a lifestyle change toward wellness, and leave behind the repetitive yo-yo pattern that I’ve battled since graduate school (when I was last in “the best shape of my life”). And the vainer purpose of my fitness worked. I look back at my wedding pictures and think, “For once, I am proud of the way I look. I felt so good that day. From head to toe”.
I couldn’t exercise. I felt spitefully entitled to eat. Maybe I was hungry. Probably I wasn’t. OK, acutally, I was just running away.
Know what I mean? Running away? I was working so hard to improve my life. To get out from behind that desk, working for the man and out into the world, working for myself. For my happiness. For my life. To run from the realities of our broke-assitude and my relentless health mysteries. I drowned myself in work and indulgence. “I didn’t have time” to take care of myself. “I didn’t have time” to acknowledge my stress. “I didn’t have time” to admit it was becoming a problem (even though I knew deep down all along). I drank 3-4, 44oz super big gulps of diet coke a day. I ate too much. I moved too little. I was the patron saint of excuses. The queen of allowance. The high priestess of rationalizing away my unhealthy behavior, ruling in a kingdom of denial.
So, yeah. In the year since our wedding, I gained most of the weight back. And I’m pissssssssssed. I am pissed at myself for repeating that pattern AGAIN. Pissed that my cute clothes don’t fit as well. That I, in a moment that should be the proudest time in my life, feel uncomfortable in my own skin. That I had “conquered a goal” and lost it. That I failed. I farking hate failing.
But I succeeded once. I can do it again. And its time. I have hit my personal rock-bottom with this unfit bullshit. To be a successful business owner I have to be strong. Be fit. Be present. To be a successful partner I have to be strong. Be fit. Be present. To fight my disease, to find joy, to manifest my destiny…. to be a successful Dana, I must be strong. Be fit. Be present. We even put it in our vows. And if, for some reason, I falter? I must fight within an inch of my life to get there. That’s just how it is for me.
So now, I know it. I’ve faltered. Which means the fight is on. But I need your help. So, welcome to Flab to Fab v2.0: Losing the Newlywed Nasty. I’m tackling one vice at a time this time. Kinda.
Finding the time to shop for, prepare and cook healthy meals is hard enough. Finding time to do that and exercise is impossible. So, our friends at Gobble Green, (a vegan gourmet meal delivery service) have generously offered to sponsor a month of full meal delivery service, including a special program of calorically customized meals to help keep my intake in check…. to get Hunter and me off on the right foot. Cats pajamas! I’ve always wondered if the convenience and health of meal delivery is worth the splurge. Now we’ll know!
Here’s how I see it: we can redirect the time and energy we’d normally put into planning, shopping for and cooking, into making exercise as much a part of our routine as any other daily duty. And, I’m hoping it will relieve me from that hammeringly insistent preoccupation with food that always comes with my first weeks on a diet.
They say it takes 21 days to establish a habit, right? So here’s to that. Making fitness… no, making wellness a habit. One day at a time.
I have a confession to make. *deeeeep breath* I’m a mess.
Working from home is hard when you have no structure. My teeny tiny, no-space-for-anything apartment is disorganized. My files are all out of sorts. I’ve gained 10lbs, barely exercised in 6 months, and have failed my diet coke and processed food rehab miserably. I don’t drink enough water. I don’t take vitamins. Our schedule runs us. I’m tethered to my computer. My brain is a cacophony of swirling thoughts, fears, goals, to-dos, haven’t-done’s, oh no’s and what ifs. It leaves me feeling like this:Stagnate. Paralyzed. Creatively Constipated. Logy. Confused. Forgetful. Weak. Exhausted. Uncertain. Droopy. Flabby. Drained. You name it.
Work-life balance? Yeah… not so much. Nope, not at all.
It takes a lot for me to admit this. As a public blogger, there can be lot of expectation projected upon me, and its easy to hide behind the mask of awesomeness that some of you readers (so sweetly) have mantled me with. But, then I feel like a fraud. I talk a lot about my goals and dreams here… the me I want to be. But I’ve been shy about sharing some of the truthier reality of my life, the me I actually am… and now I’m done with hiding. Its just as important to share my stalls as much as my successes. So here I am. Opening up.
So, hi. My name is Dana. I am a mess. And I’m over it.
But I have a battle plan. Here’s some of it:
♥ Flab to Fab… that’s back on like Donkey Kong. Are you there, Jillian? Its me, Flabby. I am proud to report that I ran two miles the other day on a treadmill. My jiggles were jello afterward, but it felt so good! My go-to excuses are that I don’t have time to exercise, or I’m too tired. The reality is, I’m just plain lazy. Regular exercise actually increases energy and productivity, yo. I have to face that truth and make it mine.
♥ I read this amazing book, which credits plant-based, low-processed diets with amazing results in people with autoimmune diseases (like mine). 4 months ago I successfully gave up all animal products (yes, even my beloved melty CHEESE) and starting this week, I am working on cutting processed foods down to a minimum. That means you, Diet Coke. God freaking help me.
♥ Our house mess and schedule mess are related, I’m sure. Our first step toward change was to buy a roll of dry-erase adhesive, cover a kitchen cupboard with it, and create a weekly whiteboard calendar that will be centrally visible and allow us to keep track of the must-do’s each day. Aside from appointments, meetings and scheduled dates, we list things like dishes, laundry and exercise in rotation through the week so they stay prominent. We’re still figuring it out, but day one has been a great success – and crossing items off makes my heart do a happy dance.
$8.99 custom whiteboard? Yes, please!
♥ The Buddhists call an unsettled, indecisive and uncontrollable brain the Monkey Mind. I love that description. My monkey is swinging from tree to tree, never resting or ceasing. To calm it, I’m prescribing myself two things: more yoga, and The Morning Pages daily writing exercise (aka braindump). I’m very curious to see what shiz my brain spits out each morning… it should be very interesting!
….and this is just the beginning. Clearly I need help. Not just health. Not just fitness. Not just organization. Not just zen. The absence of all these things leaves me with a larger need. I need wholeness. I need WELLNESS.
What are your best wellness tips? Got any ideas for me? Leave them in the comments and I’ll feature my faves in an upcoming post!
…I got to wear my favorite dress. And was surrounded by my favorite people.
I said “I do” and gave my heart, my soul, my most intimate and vulnerable self over to my most favoritest person in the whole world, joining our lives together forever.
I laughed and cried, toasted and danced, laughed and cried some more.
In the past year we’ve known joy and pain, struggle and success, more laughter and more tears. Our vows have been tested and reaffirmed. We have learned that marriage is an effort as much as it is a blessing…. an intention we renew each day when we say good morning and each evening when we kiss goodnight.
Today, at the same time we did one year ago, we will say our vows again…. to remind each other and ourselves of the promises we made and the gift we give each other every day.
And we will celebrate. For our past, and for our future. Because today, like this day last year, begins another new chapter in our lives, as it is also the first day of life working for ourselves, pursuing new dreams together as a team full-time. The beginning of freedom and fearlessness, of ambition and tenacity, of nurturing and growth, of baby steps and big leaps.
Thank you for being a such a big part of the past year and of our lives. Your support and friendship gives us more joy and satisfaction than you’ll ever know. We are so excited for the future with you, continuing to share our lives and giving you our best to you as we move forward into this new day. So that you all can have a day that is to you as personal and meaningful as ours was one year ago today…. and carry that moment over into a life equally as rich, no matter what your budget.
So here’s to my partner. My best friend. My love. My light. My husband. My Cazador.
Here’s to our family.
And here’s to marriage. To the end of our first year, the beginning of our second, and to countless more May 24ths.
Wowza, can I just say I lurve the what outta you guys? Your enthusiasm about my mystery news was so overwhelmingly heartwarming, it kind of puts my actual news to shame! But the encouraging guesses you listed in the comments made cartoon hearts bubble out of my head all day long! No one quite correctly guessed what’s up, but your answers were actually much more exciting.
The truth is…. I put in my notice at work! (insert slow fade to flashback)
Right around the time I went to Making Things Happen, I set a goal to be out of my day job by the end of May, no matter what. I said to myself, “self, I don’t know how it’s going to happen, but you and I know there’s no other choice!” As May approached, I found myself nearing critical mass as it grew harder and harder to maintain a balance between my day job and the blog. I couldn’t seem to finish anything I started, which was making me tense and angsty. I knew that if I could only dedicate the 55-60 hours/week I spend either working or traveling to/from work, toward the betterment of this site, or my book proposal (or everything) we could make up the financial difference through doing. Hunter and I kept talking about how there had to be a leap of faith, and soon, but we were both terrified of jumping without a net.
A week or so ago, a friend of a friend was looking for someone to handle social media strategy and management for a network of 3 websites… part-time, from home… and she recommended me. I interviewed, got a voice mail with an offer, put down the phone, walked into my boss’s office and put in my notice. Just like that. It was a no-brainer.
Two weeks ago, I had my heart set on a goal with no clue how I’d get there. Two weeks from today, I’ll be working part-time as a social media contractor, doing something I absolutely love, and I’ll finally have the flexibility and freedom be able to hone in on some key broke-ass improvements and ideas with Hunter and Michael that we’ve been dreaming up, making things happen in a way that feels more right than ever! So stay tuned, because we’ve got some hecka fun tricks up our sleeves! I’ve been feeling imprisoned in my little cubicle with no natural light for far too long, but call me Richard Pryor, ’cause I’m BUSTIN’ LOOSE!
Here’s me, at my new job:
Oh, hullo, I am a social media maven! rawr!
Bahahaha! Yeah…. right.
Really, I’ll probably look more like this:
Take me away again to margaritaville. / KIDDING!
But I gotta say that hopefully, sooner than later, your predictions for me will be true, too! From your guesses, you were almost completely split between thinking I was either going to have:
1. A book deal, or
2. My own TV show (this won out by 2 votes!)
The book deal I can understand, because its no secret that I’ve been dreaming of, and working toward getting one. In fact… Just last week I submitted for feedback the rough beginnings of my proposal to the agents I met with in NY. ‘Memba how I set a goal to get a book deal by my last birthday, and ended up meeting with book agents that very week? Well how ’bout that? Writing a book has been a goal for many years now, and senseless fear has held me back… but I’m going for it! Balls to the wall, baby
But, the TV thing? That sounds dope as hell! (and yup, those wheels are turning too!) So, you hear this, WeTV, WeddingCentral, TLC and Bravo? You out there Oprah? Tell your OWN network! My friends here think I should be on tv, and I could definitely get behind that! (Meanwhile, we’re plotting some fun web video segments, so hang in there for those. They’re going to be hecka fun!)
And now that I’ve popped the cork on that good news, I have bonus goodness for you too!
I’m goosebumpitty with excitement to introduce our newest Broke-Ass Team Member…. Joy! (aka HowJoyful, aka Mrs. Poodle, aka the DIY bad-ass of the universe!)
image via Next Exit photography
I met Joy through Weddingbee, but she has grown into a treasured friend who puts Martha to shame with her creativity and moxie. We went to her extraordinarily stunning DIY wedding a few weeks ago, and we’re absolutely thrilled to have her join the team! Each week, Joy will share her broke-ass crafty goodness to inspire your own creations and charm you with her Chilean sass and frass. Her first post is coming right up later today, so be sure to stop back and offer Joy a warm broke-ass welcome!
But before that, I want to thank you for all of your encouragement and kind words. It still stuns me, to be blessed with such a network of love to lean on… and I love y’all so so much right back! Without you cheering me on, I’d never have pushed it this far. Now, because of you really, I get to be my own boss and follow my dreams with all my heart and soul. Schanks, we’re gonna have lots of fun
Its me, Flabby. I am proud to report that I ran two miles the other day on a treadmill. My jiggles were jello afterward, but it felt so good! My go-to excuses are that I don’t have time to exercise, or I’m too tired. The reality is, I’m just plain lazy. Regular exercise actually increases energy and productivity, yo. I have to face that truth and make it mine.
, which credits plant-based, low-processed diets with amazing results in people with autoimmune diseases (
, cover a kitchen cupboard with it, and create a weekly whiteboard calendar that will be centrally visible and allow us to keep track of the must-do’s each day. Aside from appointments, meetings and scheduled dates, we list things like dishes, laundry and exercise in rotation through the week so they stay prominent. We’re still figuring it out, but day one has been a great success – and crossing items off makes my heart do a happy dance.
daily writing exercise (aka braindump). I’m very curious to see what shiz my brain spits out each morning… it should be very interesting!
