Cleanse.

With the holiday season in full swing, I have been indulging in treats left and right: pie, cookies, mountains of mashed potatoes, and (my personal favorite) cocktails. Now is the best time for a little detox. 

I don't think I could handle a liquids-only juice cleanse. I'd definitely get too faint especially with my very active job. However, eating strictly raw, clean foods for a day is very beneficial to reset the body's immune and digestive system. Essentially, I'm loading up on lots of vitamins and minerals and ridding the body of unhealthy fats, coffee, alcohol, unnecessary sugar, and simple carbs.

Most importantly, I'm not doing this for an extended amount of time. I'm not trying to test my body or push any limits. This is just hitting the reset button for one day. 

Kale, lemon, apples, and celery

My very first green juice with my juicer! (Feb. 2014)

So what will this "cleanse" look like exactly?

Pre-Breakfast: Green tea and water with lemon

Breakfast: Blend OJ, strawberries, banana, spinach, kale, vanilla protein, topped with chia seeds

Mid-Morning Snack: Juice celery, lemon, apple, kale, pineapple, parsley, and romaine

Lunch: Salad with spinach, arugula, and kale mix, tomatoes, red peppers, onions, and carrots. Side of roasted Brussels sprouts with a lemon and olive oil drizzle.

Afternoon Snack: Juice carrots, apple, lemon, ginger

Dinner: Vegan chili

Dessert: Herbal tea and a bowl of berries

Yum!

Winter Bucket List

Winter has definitely arrived in the Roc! Hard to believe I was outside running around with kiddies earlier this week because it was 70 degrees!

I want to embrace winter this year instead of complaining about it... although, I'll probably still complain at some point. 

• Rock Climbing
• Sky Zone (because... duh)
• Pottery class and/or painting pottery
• Post up at Java's all day with a book
• Try new workout classes at the gym (TRX, BodyPump, etc.)
• Bring camera to the park and farmers market on the snowiest day
• Memorial Art Gallery
• The Little Theater
• Snowboarding (ready to bruise my butt on the board)
• Horseback riding at the park
• Cross country skiing
• Paddle Tennis
• Public Market for food and flowers and coffee (three of my favorite things)
• Ice skating - indoor and/or outdoor

I'd like to do all of these, if not, most of them. I already played paddle tennis on Wednesday with my family and it's always a lot of fun. As long as I'm bundled up, then I can enjoy what winter has to offer! 

Hope you all had a lovely Thanksgiving! Now I'm off to eat some apple pie for breakfast because I am my father's daughter and we like to eat dessert first.

Gratitude

As I've gotten older, I have come to love Thanksgiving more and more each year. Gratitude is so underrated. This might sound cheesy but the banner on my alarm every morning is "Start each day with a grateful heart." I think those little reminder go a long way.

So what am I thankful for this year?

My Family

I love these guys. We are a weird bunch and I wouldn't have it any other way. They make me laugh, they challenge me, and they encourage me. I'm going to keep this one short and sweet because I could ramble on and on about my family.

My Friends

I'd upload a pic or two but there's no way I could choose! I am so unbelievably blessed to have friends from every stage of my life. We are all so active in each other's lives after all these years and it is truly an amazing thing. My friendships with these women are something I will never take for granted. Any lunch or coffee date, any night we are drinking tea (or coffee) in our yoga pants on the couch, any text or phone call is really special to me. 

My Education

I am so proud of the school I went to. I am so thankful to have parents that encouraged me to apply "to at least one local school." Four years flew by and I left that school a changed individual. Changed for the better. 

My Workouts

Sure, you could scoff at the fact that I consider working out as something I am thankful for... but it's true! Working out is my way of being grateful for the physical health and ability that I have been blessed with. It is a very personal experience for me and I am grateful to have this space and this blog to share my experiences with personal fitness. 


Cooking

As someone who is very Italian and very French, I enjoy food. A lot. I have been cooking a lot more lately and I really love experimenting with new recipes. I am beyond lucky that I have the world's greatest grocery store that provides me with ingredients, a beautiful kitchen, and parents and friends who are willing to try whatever I cook. (I'll get my dad to like quinoa one of these days...)


Girls Group

A few weeks ago, I started volunteering with the Girls Group at a nonprofit organization that has been like family to me for decades. Girls Group is a chance for 5th and 6th grade girls who live in the City of Rochester to get together once a week and have a discussion and activity.

Even though I am only with the girls an hour each week, I am committed to my time with them. They are incredible individuals and show so much spunk and tenacity. They really inspire me. 

Marie

This is absolutely one of my favorite pictures of all time. My grandmother is the epitome of strength, humility, and grace. Her story and the life she leads is an absolute inspiration to me. She will be 92 in a couple of months and I am grateful for every visit and phone call. According to Nana Q herself, her family is her greatest accomplishment and I am proud to be her granddaughter.

As I lay here snuggled under the covers, I look out the window to see a fresh coat of snow on the ground. It is really a beautiful sight in the morning. I am really looking forward to a day consisting of stretchy pants, pie, cocktails, and football. 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Friday Favorites 5

I can't believe it's Friday already! This week has flown by and my to-do list just keeps getting longer and longer. I've been keeping up with friends (and their mamas) all week and it's been such a blessing to be close to my people again. On Sunday night, I went to a show with some of my oldest friends. We saw a band I had never heard of before but I am officially hooked on their music. Monday night rolled around and I always like to do something on Mondays to make them a little less miserable. I went to dinner with my friend Jenn and her mama. After, Jenn and I curled up on the couch with tea and watched The Voice. On Tuesday, I went to my friend's house to have a crafty afternoon with her mom! Last night, I caught up with a friend from a previous job. 

It's been such a peacefully busy week. It's the little things, I tell ya!

Favorite Song

The Gabe Dixon Band "All Will Be Well" https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L2-3ooX_XkQ

Tell me you're not in a better mood after hearing that song. It is so calming and it's always the first song I put on in my car. 

Favorite Quote

This quote reminds me of a conversation I was having the other day with my best friend's mom. All these issues that happen in our lives seem so silly in the grand scheme of things. We have our health and each other. With the holidays coming up, it's so easy to get irritated by little obstacles or if things don't go as planned. We were saying the other day, "Ya know, if I'm stressed about XYZ and that's the biggest thing in my life right now, then I live a very blessed life." This is a month dedicated towards gratitude! 

Favorite Indulgence

Candles. Candles. Candles. My girl Jenn knows what I'm talking about. Now that the sun goes down at 5 PM, I need a little more light in my life! There is nothing like being snuggled up in bed and lighting some candles to have a romantic date with your Netflix account. Candles make all the difference! This Cozy Nights candle is a new one Jenn just picked up from Target. I have a slight obsession with it and will be getting myself one real soon. 

Favorite Beverage

After meeting up with my friend last night, I stopped by my cousins house. We went on an impromptu date to the Pittsford Dairy for hot chocolate. It was the perfect treat on a cold November night! I know these boys are getting older and more embarrassed by me but the time I spend with them is really special to me. AND they confirmed last night that they are going to Disney in February for my race! I couldn't be happier. These guys rock.

Favorite Mom

MY MOM. DUH. It was her birthday on Wednesday and I can't wait to have some quality mother-daughter time this weekend. She is everything to me. Thank you for giving me my voice, and I mean that on so many levels. 

Friday Favorites 4

Favorite Drink

The cold weather is officially here. No better way to embrace the cold weather than with a hot mug of tea! My parents picked up a pack of this Christmas Eve tea. As much as I try to hold off on anything Christmas until the month of December, it's hard to not enjoy this tea right now. I try to have a cup of herbal tea every day and I like to mix it up. This one is so good, it's hard to drink anything else! Absolutely delicious. If you really want to get into the holiday spirit, try this tea.

Favorite Workout

I'm doing everything in my power not to get into a rut at the gym. I'm constantly referring to my Pinterest board for variety. Holy soreness! This arm workout is everything.


Favorite Beauty Product

Yes yes yes. I read about this product on Thursday morning and I was so curious to see how it worked. THEN, my bff Jenn texted me saying she got a sample of this in her Birchbox. I took my booty over to Sephora to get a sample myself (it's $45, I wanted to see what all the fuss was about before buying it). WOAH. I tried it last night and it is phenomenal. My skin was so smooth and it reeeeally felt like a vacuum cleaner on my skin hah!

Favorite Quote

Bundle up, babies. 

My Favorite Blogs

As a newbie blogger, not only do I enjoy writing posts, but I love reading posts from my favorite bloggers. I have an assortment of bloggers bookmarked that I check daily.  

The College Prepster 
http://www.thecollegeprepster.com/

One of my first blogs I ever started reading! Carly has great tips on anything from organization and career goals to styling outfits and she is based in New York.

Daily Garnish 
http://www.dailygarnish.com/

My best friend, Natalie, and I have a slight obsession with this blog. Emily Malone is a former vegetarian chef, now turned stay-at-home mom based in Seattle. She posts really great recipes that I'm dying to try (although, I don't have professional cooking skills like she does) and the CUTEST pictures of her two sons. She also runs half marathons like nobody's business and I aspire to be just like her someday. But seriously, it's worth checking out just for the baby pictures.

Peanut Butter Fingers 
http://www.pbfingers.com/

I llllove PB Fingers. Julie is a fitness instructor in Charlotte, NC and she has the best workouts. I always turn to this blog for a new workout idea.

Ilo Inspired 
http://maxiemccoy.com/

Ummm talk about inspired. Maxie seriously knows what she is talking about. She talks about real issues and I read her posts when I need a little pep talk.

Fit Personality 
http://fit-personality.com/

This blog is everything. Katy writes for the younger crowd out there. I really appreciate that you can hear her voice and personality in her blog posts. 

The Small Things Blog 
http://www.thesmallthingsblog.com/

Hair. Nails. Makeup. Boom.

So there ya have it. Those are the blogs I read regularly. It is such a fun outlet to read and write about things that interest me. If you have any suggestions for me to add to my list, let me know! 

P.S. Thank a veteran today. A hug, a high five, or a handshake... but never forget to say "thank you."

Friday Favorites 3

11.07.14

Favorite Song

A couple of nights ago, I was putting together a new playlist on my phone for training. The only thing that gets me through a workout is music so my playlists are sacred to me. I add a couple of new songs each week just to keep things exciting but I still love hearing songs that have been on this playlist for months or even years. 

My new favorite addition to the playlist is Hardwell's "Dare You." Another thing I should add here is that I have an obsession with Amy Purdy, the U.S. Paralympic Snowboarder, now turned motivational speaker. She came in 2nd place last season on Dancing with the Stars and performed with this song. Needless to say, it was unforgettable.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A-gD4OxoOwc

Favorite Quote

I can say with absolute certainty that I am in a place in life that I never thought I would be. 22 years old is an age when you are bombarded with questions about what you're going to do with your life, who you're going to be, etc. And that can get exhausting... real fast. I always think to myself, do these older and established people end up exactly where they thought they'd be at 22 years old? Probably not.

This quote reminds me of why New Years is one of my favorites. I actually hate the pressure to have the coolest plans ever, wear a tight sparkly dress, sip champagne all night (ok, I love that part), and find a hunk to kiss at midnight. BUT I love the symbolism of a clean slate. A fresh start. You can do anything you want with the 365 days ahead of you! I love New Years Resolutions and having a new attitude towards the time ahead of you. But I'm not going to wait until New Years to have that feeling. 

Favorite Workout

20 squats
20 plie squats
20 donkey kicks (each side)
20 fire hydrants (each side)
20 circling donkey kicks (each side)
30 alternating lunges
30 alternating skaters
20 squats with side kick
Repeat

Yep. Still can't walk after this workout.

Favorite Drink

So have I not mentioned that my mom is my favorite? On Sunday, I was in the basement, snuggled under a blanket, watching Peyton get clobbered by the Pats (can someone throw those Manning brothers a bone, please?!) Suddenly, my mom appears with a cocktail. We were experimenting with a new signature cocktail for the holidays and I found one on Pinterest (obviously) that we had to try. She asked me to try it and HELLO it was delish. It's my new favorite drink! Plus, it's super easy to make.

1 part Caramel vodka + 2 parts apple cider + sprinkle of cinnamon = Happy Maddie

Favorite Beauty Product

Stila Stay All Day Liquid Eyeliner. The best ever. Period.