Sweet Potato Recipes

Being busy at the salon has made me super excited for all of the good changes that could come in the next couple of months. I have a 2nd interview this week for a job in the beauty industry. I will keep you posted on how everything goes!

Even though I have been busier than normal for this time of the year, I have kept up my healthy  vegetarian lifestyle and still on a workout kick! Bathing suit season is right around the corner!!

My boyfriend is currently on the Paleo diet and I have been having fun incorporating my vegetable and fruits to his daily diet. I found some interesting sweet potato recipes that I will definitely have to try out this week. Here are a few that I thought sounded soooo yummy.

Sweet Potato Casserole

Sweet Potato Cupcakes

Twice Baked Sweet Potatoes

Sweet Potato Souffle

Grilled Sweet Potato Fries

Baked Sweet Potato Wedges

Sweet Potato Empanadas

Fabulous Five

Five things that cheered me up today!!!!!!!!

Graduation

Its been a busy week for me. Between squeezing in clients this week and obtaining new clients, eating healthy and working out 5 times this week, AND school, its no wonder I almost went crazy having two jobs and going to school!! I am now looking at the calendar as it is already February 11th and think OMG! 3 more months and I graduate! Ahhhh! I find it funny when people ask me what I am going to do after I graduate because after being self-employed for the last 6 months, I feel like there is no turning back!! I want to start my own Wedding Planning business...hence the Little White Dress idea......hmmmmmm.......SOOOO much to think about!! So some ideas about my graduation party....Here are a few of the ideas for it and I am very very open to any suggestions my friends :)

My vision: Chico State Graduation for Business Administration majors is on Sunday May 20th, 2012! I picture it possibly being at the Chico Grange Hall....(Still researching ideas) with farmer's market flowers everywhere, summer salads with grilled salmon (For me of course) and grilled chicken and I really want to make cake pops with little graduation hats on them!!

I Hate Running. Period.

Today was a wonderful and very productive day at the salon. While talking to my first client this morning, we always manage to discuss some form of working out because I know she loves working out as much as I do. I was telling her I added a variety to my workout this week by adding in a "Pump" class which involved weights and other strength training. And my muscles are still aching! I also tried a Step class (and when I say TRIED...that is exactly what I mean) because I looked like such a fool trying to do the choreography. My instructor told me to try it 3 times and I will catch on. So, cross your fingers for me! I also managed to fit in two sessions of High Intensity Training and one Kickboxing class so I was a happy girl that got 5 workouts in :) 

My next topic...that I am so bored to death with. Running. I need to learn to love it. Period. After a discussion with my client today, we are both in the same boat of loving cardio, but just hating running itself! I have decided to put together a list of running tips that just might help with getting me out of the running rut and getting me into maybe running a 1/2 marathon (no way on the 26.2 miles) someday!

Choose a goal, be it an event, a weight, or anything else that motivates you.  Don't make it a reasonable goal; reasonable goals don't get you out the door when it's raining.  Make it unreasonable, something that will make your friends laugh at you when you tell them.

That said, don't hurt yourself.  If you're new to running and want to do a half marathon, you had better make sure you have many months until the race.  Do research and figure out how long you need.

Find a good training plan online or at the bookstore.

Run slowly!  This is the biggest thing I can think of that will make running tolerable if you currently hate it.

Increase your weekly mileage by no more than 10 percent each week, even less in the beginning.

Put a bunch of different types of songs on your iPod and see what works for you.  Having good music is key!

Happy Running....and Wish me Luck! xoxo

Pink Friday

Thank goodness today was Friday. My work week still has one more day to it, but I am just super excited for this weekend. I have a super busy day at the salon on Saturday, time well spent with the boyfriend in the evenings that I always look forward to and a hike planned with a friend in Upper Bidwell on Super Bowl Sunday. I was feeling a little under the weather this week with allergies but felt much better today so I apologize for the lack of posts this week! I will definitely post some hike pics from this weekend and other fun stuff next week :) Here are a few of my favorite things from today!

1. Cheetah is the New Black's blog inspired me to wear my MAC Impassioned bright pink lipstick today!
2. Mama's Steve Madden boots I wore that I stole out of her closet....
3. Mr. Smee the cat...relaxing on a Friday afternoon.
4. Heart mailbox decoration the room mate put up in honor of Valentine's Day <3
5. Yummy Whole Wheat Penne with zucchini, fresh herbs and lemon zest on the menu for a Friday night!

Have a good weekend Friends!

Juice!

Today marks the one week anniversary of my blog! This will be my fifth post and I must say, I appreciate all the feedback I have been getting on my blog. Makes me happy and proud to be writing my own blog and to know that people are enjoying it!

I was able to work out 4 times at the gym this week. I switched it up with Kickboxing, Zumba, eliptical and High Intensity Training. This weekend after working at the salon on Saturday, my boyfriend and I were able to sneak away to Redding (his hometown) and hang out with his mom. Dinner at a sushi place, going to the movies and relaxing was on the agenda. And I must say, it was a wonderful mini-vacay and as I always say to his mom, it is nice that such a peaceful and cozy home away from home is only an hour away from Chico. This morning Sam and I were able to fit in a Kenpo P90x workout DVD which I found so much fun because it is just like my kickboxing workouts I do at Chico Sports Club. I will admit, I missed the normal music I use when working out because I am so used to having very loud, upbeat jams while working out.

We made it back to Chico this evening and I was looking through Sam's fridge and found fruits and vegetables that I have bought over the last week or so that I knew needed to be used as soon as possible. That is when I had the brilliant idea to break out his Jack La Lanne juicer....(amazing by the way) and start juicing! Now for all of you that have no idea what this juicer is all about....read here.

Tonight I took: Green apples, Carrots, Oranges and Kale to make a yummy concoction! Cheers!

Love. Amor. I love Love.

While I am a sucker for watching cheesy chick-flicks, cry at romantic things, its all because love makes me happy.... I love Love! And with Valentine's Day right around the corner, I felt like a Love post was necessary. I got my inspiration for this blog while listening to music in the car on my IPod. I define myself as a good listener and would never think of myself as a know-it-all on relationships, but I do think that I know what true happiness is. For all those countless hours I have spent crying, laughing, being mad about boys over the years has made me the person I am today. From those teenage girl years in high school of thinking I knew everything about love to the 26 year old woman I am today, I laugh to think I even had a clue about what real relationships were when I was 16. I believe that love is about growing and finding yourself. Sure, it is different for everyone, but I would like to share my experience. I have had three serious relationships. I am now 26 and look back at the times my dad would tell me "You are a beautiful and smart 21 year old, but a stupid 25 year old." I always looked at him with the same puzzled look every time. It all makes sense now! Love is finding that someone to grow with and you have to remember that no relationship is perfect. 

Love Rules to Live By:
#1 That both of you are on the same page about your relationship. Love is all about communication.
#2 No matter what, be loyal and truthful. 
#3 Always be happy and positive. 
#4 Talk openly about your hopes and dreams with each other. 
#5 Share every feeling with one another.


In no way am I saying my relationship is perfect (But pretty darn close!), I can't stress enough to girls and women out there that you should never sacrifice your own happiness no matter what. Do what is right for you, the rest will follow just how it is supposed to. I have learned to be more patient, I don't stress about the small things anymore in relationship and of course, jealously is never a good thing! Love is all about being yourself, finding yourself and growing and learning from experiences together.