Oh Mr. Sun

We've finally been hit with sunshine. 78° today and I'm loving every minute of the warmth. I had to bust out the brand new maxi dress from my closet that has been waiting to be worn for the last few weeks. Hope the sun stays for my birthday!

26 poses, 90 minutes, 110 degrees

After reading up on Bikram yoga and finding a nearby place that offers an unbeatable deal for newbies, I knew I had to try it out. "The poses work synergistically and cumulatively to return the body to a balanced state. The yoga builds energy, stamina, and flexibility. It incorporates strength, challenge, gravity, balancing and most importantly the tourniquet effect. This technique allows the stretching, squeezing and massaging of the internal organs, flushing out the cardiovascular system and stimulating the endocrine and nervous systems in order to release any deficient hormones and enzymes."

So, on to my first experience at Funky Door Yoga. After hydrating and eating healthy all day in preparation for my class, I arrived in my spandex shorts and dri-fit tank. I was told people dress like they're going to the beach. What I love about this place is they really make you feel comfortable by introducing all of the newbies and they keep an eye on you during class/ offer assistance during the sessions. After finding my spot and setting up my mat and towels, I did my best to get used to the temperature (and weird odors), but really there isn't much adjusting to 110 degrees - it feels like hell the whole time. After savasana, I walked out of there with a slight headache likely due to not being hydrating enough and completely drenched in sweat. I have never sweat like this, EVER. I don't even sweat very much after running half marathons. The rest of the day, I felt completely relaxed and in a daze. The next day and entire week after I was incredibly sore in parts of my body where I never knew I'd even be able to feel soreness. Just a few days later, I found myself in class again. Being able to stretch every single muscle in your body is an amazing feeling. This type of yoga isn't for everyone, but I definitely recommend everyone try it. It's one of the most physically challenging things I have ever done and I'm so glad I was open minded and gave it a chance.

[image from FunkyDoorYoga]

Lately

 Guzzling beer for St. Patty's Day

 Surviving through earthquake weather (ie. hail storms)

 Watching Caroline complete a Das Boot challenge

Celebrating itty bitty birthdays (Happy 2nd Birthday, Tali!)

"Look at the sunny side of everything & make your optimism come true."

Shattered!

I'm officially obsessed with the new nail polish line Katy Perry has created with OPI. It's unlike any other nail polish out there. After stalking a few different places, I finally came up on a bottle of Black Shatter. You can put this on top of any nail polish in any color and it always gives that shattered effect. Just one apply one coat and let it do it's magic. Love!

DIY: Repainting an old used filing cabinet

Being the uber organized neat freak that I am, it was even a surprise to me that I still didn't own a filing cabinet. All my documents are either stored on a shelf at home or in one of my filing cabinets at work (probably not the best place for confidential information). So, in an attempt to better organize my life, I finally embarked on a hunt for something standard-sized, inexpensive and with a pop of color. Turns out, they're all drab and overpriced at about $75.

So, I took it into my own hands and found a used one on Craigslist for $10 and turned it out. Instead of paying $75 for a brand new one, I spent a total of $20 (total includes price of cabinet + supplies).

Supplies:
-1 can of primer
-1 can of spray pain
-Sandpaper
-1 paint marker pen
-drop cloth

1.) Sand it. This is optional. By sanding it down, the paint sticks better. You can also sand down any uneven areas or sand off paint if it has any already on it from a previous DIY project.
2.) Clean it. Remove any dust and residue. Wipe down and let dry.
3.) Prime it. Use a primer that works on metal like Rustoleum. Dry.
4.) Spray on paint.

*Tip: Spray one side at a time and make sure the side you're painting is rightside up/ laying flat. I made the rookie mistake of spraying the sides and had paint drip marks. I ended up having to sand these down and repainting. Avoid this time-consuming mistake!

Lent Begins

I was raised Catholic, but am definitely not practicing. Each year that lent comes around I figure if I can do something small, this is the time. This year, instead of doing less of something I decided to do more. So you heard it here first, this is what I'm doing for lent:

1.) Floss every morning and every night - I always try and do this religiously, but I fail every time.

2.) Read a book from beginning to end. - I haven't read a book since I got a smart phone in December :(

3.) Read at least one news article each day. - I have not been up to date on current events like I should be.

Hope I can do this!

Welcome to the World

Miss Kourtney Milan was born on February 17 and (after pestering) her mommy & daddy for a few days, I finally met her!

BIEBER FEVER!

Not too long ago, I started hearing about this kid. Justin Bieber this, Justin Bieber that and the whole time I was thinking, "Who the hell is Justin Bieber?" So one day, I YouTubed his name and after one video I'd click on another and another and another. Before I knew it, an hour had passed and I'd watched every single video and fell in love (with his talent of course). There are a million haters and I'm happy to say that I'm not one of them. At the end of the day, the kid has a voice, can play 3 instruments and has the most amazing fans. So people should stop saying Drake is better than him (because he's not). After watching Never Say Never 3D, I'm even more of a Believer!

$9 for TWO movie tickets via Fandango

Awesome deal that is only available today. Just purchased mine (I'm a sucker for deals, especially when it's for things I already know I'd use with or without the discount). Get yours!

https://livingsocial.com/deals/28498?ref=conf-jp&rpi=6799779

Stuffed Dates

After recently trying stuffed dates for the first time during my visit to Firefly in Vegas (details are here), I realized how simple yet delicious these bite-sized snacks are. So of course, I attempted to make them myself with the help of a recipe I found on the delishdishblog/ Bon Appetit. Enjoy!
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Gorgonzola Stuffed Dates Wrapped in Bacon

• 12 Medjool dates
• 12 pieces gorgonzola cheese (can also use asiago, manchego, percorino, etc..)
• 4 slices thick high quality bacon, cut crosswise into 3 pieces
• Paprika

Tip: Medjool dates can sometimes be very large. To prevent the date from taking over the entire appetizer, try cutting them in half before adding cheese and wrapping in bacon.

1) Preheat oven to 425C
2) Remove pits from dates
3) Insert 1 piece cheese into date
4) Sprinkle bacon generously with paprika on one side
5) Wrap each date with 1 piece bacon with paprika side against date
6) Secure with a toothpick.
7) Arrange on baking sheet and roast 6 minutes (till bacon is browned on the bottom).  Turn dates and roast 6 minutes longer till bacon is cooked. Transfer to plate and cool slightly before serving.