Wednesday Inpiration

Had to remind myself this today as I wiped the dripping sweat off my forehead this morning with my already sweaty arm!

Great Food, Great Company

Last night I was invited into Providence to share dinner with one of my very best friends, Adam Maciejewski. Adam and I became friends in high school and despite him leaving school early to take advantage of Johnston and Wales' culinary program, have remained friends since. Every time I get to see him I make him cook for me, whether he's sharing his talents while he's home for the holidays or I'm traveling down to Providence for a taste of the city, and every time it seems his culinary talents get better and better. 


This time he had planned a three course meal for my cousin and I and I couldn't have been more excited to take a bite out of the creative menu that I must admit had me a little weary. Nonetheless I'm very glad I trusted his ideas and found myself practically licking the plates of every course. Delish! 

Of course I tried to resist my urge to dive right in long enough to snap a few shots of the dinner! Here's what we enjoyed courtesy of Chef Adam! 

Adam at his beautiful table!

First Course: Mixed salad greens with almonds, goat cheese, pomegranate seeds, and a homemade grapefruit vinaigrette. 

To start 

Main Course: Pistachio crusted pork with bacon burre blanc, mushroom couscous, a carrot parmesan puree and roasted beets. 

TO DIE FOR

Dessert: Vanilla coconut panna cotta with pomegranate gelee. 

And to top it all off...

Tuesday Inspiration

Since I haven't really been on my gym grind lately I find it helpful to tell myself things like this as a friendly reminder that one mans trash is another mans treasure. Although I might not be the biggest fan of my curvy bum, who's to say my secret admirer isn't!? Holla at me Justin! If you got it flaunt it, right!?

Monday Inspiration

This is one of the hardest things for me. I often get caught up in other people's problems and worry too much about things that don't really matter. Sometimes it's best to just take a deep breath in and exhale all the negative tension from outside sources. We can only do so much, for every minute we waste worrying about our problems or the problems of others, we lose a minute of happiness from our own lives. Think about it. 

Dream On

Dreams are often complied of a bunch of confusing thoughts pieced together in a story that sometimes makes no sense. Sometimes we remember them, sometimes we want to forget them, but have you ever wondered if there was a meaning behind the dreams you have? Why is it that you always seem to be "stuck in the mud" when you're being chased by the villain of your dream? Or that you always wake up right before the worst occurs? I wondered this myself so I decided to do a little research to find out what the experts think. Here's what I found.

"I'm being chased!"
During a chase dream, you are often being pursued by an attacker or an unknown figure. Experts believe that this could signify running from stress, fears or various tension causing situations in your life. If you experience these dreams often, the experts believe it may mean you have a tendency to "run" or avoid situations that cause you stress.

If you are the one doing the chasing, it is believed that you could be running after something you want in life such as a job promotion or a better relationship with someone you're close with. This could also mean that you feel like you're falling behind in an aspect of your life and wish to "catch up" to whatever you're chasing.

"F for Effort"
If you often experience dreams where you are taking some sort of test it can signify you being put up to a challenge in your actual life. These dreams often highlight your feelings about fulfilling a specified task. Perhaps you arrive late to your dream exam or perform poorly. These dreams usually describe an inner nervousness or a feeling of unpreparedness that could cause you to fail your real life "exam". Test dreams can also indicate a feeling of being judged by others.

"I'm falling!"
Experiencing a falling dream can indicate feelings of being overwhelmed by situations in your current life. You may find that you are feeling insecure at work or in one of your relationships or as if you cannot handle a task you have been given. It is however a myth that if you die in a dream, you also die in real life...thank God!

"I Grew Wings!"
Flying dreams are called "lucid dreams" by experts which are dreams that occur when you become aware that you are in a dream. If you find yourself effortlessly flying with little turbulence you can assume that you feel very at ease in a current life situation.Turbulence, however can indicate a lack of power in your life. Sometimes it is also common to experience different scenery like trees and airplanes. These may indicate obstacles in your life.

"I See London, I See France..." 
If you find yourself naked in your dreams where other characters may not be, you might want to think about letting off some steam. These dreams often indicate that you feel like you are hiding something from others and that you are fearful of being ridiculed for your secret. Being caught in your birthday suit can also symbolize a feeling of being caught off guard or unprepared for something that is to come.

"Losing More Than a Tooth" 
If you seem to be collecting from the tooth fairy more often in your dreams you might want to pay close attention here. Teeth symbolize power. We use them to bite, knaw and chew. Losing a tooth could mean that you feel as though you have also lost some power or control somewhere in your life. Teeth are also considered to be a very attractive attribute in our society, so a loss of them may also mean that you are feeling very self conscious about your looks or how you are being perceived to others.

What do you dream about? Have you ever wondered what your dreams could mean? A few days ago I received an Iphone as a birthday gift, but still haven't ordered a case for it. Last night I had a horrible dream that my precious phone slipped out of my hands and shattered, leaving me phone-less and very upset. I think this indicates both a realization of my own clumsiness and a fear of ruining such an expensive gift! Needless to say, my case has been ordered and should arrive in a few days! No more Iphone nightmares for me! 

Frozen Fenway

Tonight the UNH wildcats take on their UMaine rivals at one of the most legendary venues in the area, Fenway Park. Although I'm not making the trip out to Bean Town tonight, there's no way I'm missing this game. After a tough losing streak, UNH is hungry for a win and playing their rival team will hopefully add some fuel to their fire. Best of luck boys! I'll be cheering loud and proud from the couch!

These are a few of my favorite things...

Since Oprah is off the air and her replacement, Ellen Degeneres (an upgrade if you ask me) is yet to air an episode of "her favorite things" I figured I'd play celeb for a post and tell you about the trivial things that i'm convinced I can't live without!

1. My Keurig

My life has changed for the better since Santa pulled this one out of his magic bag of tricks and plopped it under my Christmas tree. If you don't have one, get one and if you already have one then you probably understand why I could go on and on about how awesome these things are! Hop out of bed, push a button and you've got a steamy cup of hazelnut flavored energy waiting to make your Monday a little less manic.

2. Lululemon Yoga Pants

I'm not kidding when I say once you go lulu, you never go back. I made the mistake of purchasing these pricey pants and now i'm hooked. If you want to make your somewhat flabby ass look like it's been sculpted by the greek gods then either start doing lunges now or keep sitting on your at your computer and check out their site! Even better, go to a store and try them on! Whether you're rocking some long gams or short little stumps, they'll hem your plants for free + the $100 hard earned dollars you're already paying for them!

3. My New Running Sneaks! 

Although a new pair of kicks is a total pain in the ass to break in something in likes to think that people tend to give me a double-take when my feet are fresh n' clean...even if they're just starring at my feet, I'll take it! My shoe of choice is Asics GT 2100 Series and I just bought a pair in hot pink! Look good, feel good, be good! 

4. Women's Health Magazine

I've been obsessed with magazines since I realized they had the ability to keep me on the stationary bike for a whole half hour! Women's Health is my absolute fave because the writers are witty yet informative, can't beat that! Loaded with tips about nutrition, fitness and sexy secrets pick one up on the way to the gym and run your little butt off! 

5. Sony Noise-Cancelling Headphones 

When i'm trying to go to sleep early because I'm a total grandma and there's pretty much a party right outside my window I like to stick these little guys in for instant quiet time. Not the best for running in since they fall out easily, but they work fine for working out at the gym or studying! Get Em

6. Goetze's Caramel Cream Candies 

When I was a little nugget, my grandpa had a candy jar filled with his two favorite candies (these and hershey's with almonds). Since his house was a junk food free zone (besides the candy obviously) our snack options were a handful of oyster crackers or sneaking into his candy jar and stealing a few of these guys- guess which one I picked! 

7. Essie Nail Polish 

I am obsessed with painting my nails. Seriously. I can't have my nails and my toenails be mismatched and I like to switch things up at least once a week in the color department. After plenty of experimenting with different brands I have come to the conclusion that Essie is the best all around. It's not too thick so drying time is shortened, the colors are awesome and they're constantly coming out with new ones, and 2 coats can easily last you 4 days without chipping! If you don't believe me, try it for yourself! I have found that Target usually has the best color selections!