Room A203 – Page 10

Smoothie love (infographic)

Hey Family!

Awhile back, I spoke about the love I have for smoothies, specifically green smoothies. I have one or two almost daily packed with spinach or kale, a banana, almond milk, and super foods like cacao, coconut oil, chia, flax and hemp seeds.

I usually supplement my healthy-ish meals (hey, sometimes you need a little cake!) with my smoothie and other times, I take it with me as I run errands or in between church services. It fills for a bit and keep me out of fast food land. This infographic, courtesy of superskinnyme.com, gives you a great idea on different types of smoothies and their effect on your body. Take a look and let me know if you have questions!

21 Sep 201316 Dec 2015

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Blen goes camping! Yes—REAL camping!

Hey family!

I hope you are enjoying what’s left of the summer..it is coming to a close quickly! While I am glad for everyday, one of the highlights of my favorite season thus far was my weekend camping trip. Yep, REAL camping! In recent years, I said I wanted to go, but no one I knew wanted to. My desire was answers when a few (well, ten) female co-workers from four different states were planning a trip to Pine Acres Camping Ground in Massachusetts. I was in!

As I arrived on Friday evening, the ladies had set up a few tents, a covered, lit picnic area and were starting a fire. As I “checked in” to my my home for the next two days, it was replete with a welcome mat, air mattresses, and even a lamp to welcome four of us in. We talked, laughed and ate into the night around a cozy fire.

Away from that fire, it was COLD–like 40 degrees of so. Initially, I thought I made a mistake packing my flannel, two blankets and a housecoat, but it was needed. The other thing was the um…the facilities.

The restrooms and showers were about a 2-3 minute walk away from the campsite. Now during the day, that was fine–it was the night that was interesting, seeing that with the exception of a few dimly lit picnic areas, the dirt road leading to restroom was PITCH BLACK. In the spirit of unity, once one of us started stirring, and some else heard, we braved the walk together, flashlights in hand, chatting, whispering and admiring God’s handiwork.

The campsite offered a pool, beach area, general store, biking, hiking, cabins and plenty of pet and child friendly activities. While we all went hiking, some of us took advantage of the beach, while others of us got back around the fire, snacked, chatted, napped and enjoyed the blessing of a stress-free Saturday.

On the food front, there was no shortage of sustenance—in addition to an assortment of dips, snacks and beverages we brought, there were eggs, toast, bagels, muffins, chicken, burgers, salads, coffee, tea, fruit, old-school Jiffy Pop and my newest favorite–s’mores! Hey, every now and again it’s okay to get off the road of eating healthy. It’s good for the metabolism! 😜

As our trip came to a close on Sunday, we worked together to pack up tents, sleeping gear, tidy up the picnic area, parcel out leftover goodies, and say our goodbyes.😞 If I had to do anything differently:

>NOT forget my flashlight (thank God for the iPhone and cell phone service. The Lord nudged me about downloading a flashlight app when I had to make a 2 a.m. visit to the loo).

>Invest in a sleeping bag. I was warm enough with what I had–a sleeping bag would have added to the overall camping experience.

>Get to the site earlier so I could experience setting up the tent. The takedown was great, I want to see how they come together.

>Take another day or so at the campsite. I’m thinking a three-day weekend would be ideal.

Overall, I LOVED the experience and would love to go camping again. In fact, we are planning a trip for next year, Lord will. If you have not had the camping experience, I’d highly recommend it. There’s something about being out in the open with God and the sounds/functions of nature that relaxes yet recharges you. Put it on the list, Family!

God bless you and thanks for reading!

Blen

25 Aug 201316 Dec 2015

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Visual: Food swap 101

Hey Family,

I often say since I’m “over 19”,😛 I have to (actually, want to in many cases) to do things a little differently. Part of my “differently” is recognizing when there is a healthier alternative for certain things, I typically do a little research and try it out.

The following infographic on healthy food swaps from MBG Wellness Expert, Jess Ainscough (WellnessWarrior.com.au), outlines 80% of the swaps I’ve successfully incorporated into my diet. (I’m not a rye bread fan, nor have I tried nut cheese, but I’m willing). 😃

When you’re used to eating a certain way, it can take some time (and nerve) to add something different–and you may need to experiment with cooking methods, herbs, spices and condiments. Once you do, you and your body will reap overall health benefits. No, we didn’t come here to stay–we do want to be as healthy as possible while we are here so we can be a blessing to others. Let me know what changes you’ve made!

Love and God Bless you!

Blen

18 Jul 201316 Dec 2015

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Hair we grow

Hey family,

I haven’t done a hair post in a bit, but am planning on it soon. After being Natural for two years, I think I finally have a routine and products that work best for me (for now–I hear that can change). I the meantime, this infographic, courtesy of Naturallycurly.com provides a great graphic about aiding hair growth.
Check it out and thanks for stopping by!

Love,

Blen

15 Apr 201316 Dec 2015

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Goin’ green for April

Hey family,

A couple of posts back, I wrote about trying out green smoothies, from a website called simplegreensmoothies.com. A month later and I have to say—IT’S A HABIT!! I actually look forward to mixing up my frozen, nourishing treat which is basically spinach, banana or berry mix with almond milk. I even branched out and “upgraded” my smoothies by adding:

Almond, walnut or pecan “nut butter” (after buying some, I started making them myself! All you need are raw nuts, a little coconut oil, sea salt, a food processor and blend till smooth!)

Cacao powder

Flax, chia & hemp seeds

Kale

Mixed greens

Collard greens (not my fav)

Mustard Greens (not my fav)

Flax seeds

Coconut water

I do I need to rotate my greens a little more, but overall I am chuffed about getting in more fruit, veggies and protein, which is highly beneficial for everybody. So…..want to get in on the action?

While I am not affiliated with the company, it just so happens that simplegreensmoothies.com is having a 30 day challenge starting next week. This will kick-start your smoothie-love and you’ll be hooked and can’t get free. Details are here.

If you are not adventurous, I recommend starting off with the recommendations from the site. This way, you’ll like the smoothie and want to continue drinking them. There is no financial obligation, no penalties, no obligation or anything. And, no, this is NOT the only thing you consume for 30 days! Feel free to eat what you typically do–you’ll notice over time that the cravings for excessive amounts of unhealthy food will dissipate, and you’ll start to make healthier food choices overall. Then you can have the cake or chips as a treat without wrecking your health! It’s a win-win situation!

Bottom line: This is a way to get more fresh produce, vitamins and minerals in your diet, Family. We want to take good care of the temple God gave us while we are here, right? Try the green smoothies out and let me know how you like them!

God bless,

Blen