MISSING INGREDIENTS?

I wish I would have found this list sooner! I hate starting a recipe only to find I'm short on ingredients. Never will I make a late night run to the grocery store again!!! HUZZZZAH

(diagrams found at The Secret Yumiverse)

MENAGERIE

"Life is as dear to a mute creature as it is to man..Just as one wants happiness and fears pain, .just as one wants to live and not die, so do other creatures" - The Dalai Lama

Menagerie by Jonathan Hodgson takes us on a journey through a common zoo, letting us see things through the animal's perspective. Though some zoos are better than others, this is what is must be like for them day in and day out. It made me sad, especially the part with the gorilla. It's hard to see all these amazing creatures that were meant to roam the wild freely, live in such small spaces. This is beautifully done, please watch!  

MONDAY HEALTH & FITNESS: SWIMMING

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After 15 years of competitive swimming I usually find other ways to work out. Swimming makes me miss doing it competitively too much, and I get sad. But for most people it's an awesome workout. My advice for people who want to swim for a workout is to not think of it like going for a run. Think of it as more of a track workout, even if you are training for a triathlon or longer swim. Do a long swim to warm up then do sets depending on your goals. Try something like 10x100's (4 lengths) or 200's (8 lengths) on an interval you can hold but not by much, maybe 10 seconds. This type of training will keep your heart rate up and make you hold a certain level of intensity (or you'll miss the interval). When you just swim laps continuously you have no way to know if you're slowing down or slacking off. 

(photo from a friend)

SUNDAY POSTS FROM AROUND THE WEB

This weekend went by too fast. :( I can't believe it's over. Even though it was busy I still managed to find some neat posts from around the web. Enjoy!


Bensimon sneakers in pretty pastels.


LOVE this white bikini.


How your fur coat can help an animal. 


Yum yum yum chocolate and hazelnut.


What a pretty staircase.


MUAHAHA: please use for good, not evil.


Beautiful dresses.


PLEASE think twice before going to a circus.


Spanx made this woman a billionare!

(photo by Luc Viatour)

BEACH HAIR

Love love love beachy waves. In celebration of warm weather I'm putting away my straightener and letting my hair be au naturale...with the exception of this spray ;)  other beach texture sprays I've tried left my hair feeling heavy and gross. This one smells fresh, is light, and leaves your hair feeling touchable.

(photos from here and here)

REAL HOUSEWIVES OF DISNEY

"Be our guest, be our guest, Rolls Royce, Versace" - Princess Belle

This SNL skit is one of the funniest I've seen in a long time. Enjoy!

QUICK AND EASY (DELICIOUS) PASTA SAUCE

Tonight I tried a new recipe for pasta sauce I saw on the incredible blog, A Cup Of Jo via the wednesday chef. It only takes about 30 minutes to make and is simple and delicious! The only ingredients are a good tomato sauce (like San Marzanos), ricotta cheese, garlic, olive oil, and basil. Find the full recipe here. 

(photo from A Cup Of Jo and Smith & Ratliff)

DINNERWARE FROM THE DEEP

For at least the last 10 months I have been obsessed with this dinnerware from Anthropologie.  I don't know why, but I'm a sucker for anything with sea creatures. I already have this octopus coat holder. I don't exactly need new dishes right now, so hopefully these will still be around by the time I do....or someone could get them for me for my birthday. Maybe ;)

THE HAPPIEST DAY

(photo from here)

MONDAY FITNESS: BIKRAM YOGA

My experience with bikram yoga (or hot yoga) has been one of extreme highs and lows. For those of you not familiar with bikram it is a type of yoga done in a heated room usually between 98 and 105 degrees. Each class you do the same 26 poses designed to strech your entire body and distribute fresh oxenegated blood to all your muscles, tendons, and organs. I did bikram pretty religously for over a year and I have to say it made me feel amazing...AFTER each class. During class I would experience a wide range of emotions from raging anger to extreme euphoria, but after class I felt refreshed and relaxed. It must have been something about the 100+ degree room that would bring to the surface all the emotions I had been trying to surpress during the day. Eventually I decieded to take a little break from bikram to try different types of yoga, my first "regular" yoga class in a "regular" air conditioned room felt like a trip to Disney World. But the truth is...I miss bikram. Well, maybe I don't miss bikram exactly, but the way it made me feel after I did it. I think I'll look into finding a hot yoga studio out here. If  your in the Miami area this studio is awesome. Below are the 26 poses of bikram:

Look easy? They aren't.

PS - 10 funny things they don't tell you about hot yoga. All SO true.

(photo from here)

SUNDAY POSTS FROM AROUND THE WEB

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. It was sunny and beautiful out here so I went shopping Venice, took Ernie on long walks, and lounged by the pool. Here are some fun posts from around the web to start out your week. :)


Awesome photos from the National Geographic Photo Contest


March 1st was Dr. Suess's birthday


Texts From Bennet  made me laugh


 5 fun nights out in LA (no car needed)


What would you do with your pets if you got a divorce?



So many pretty earrings from anthropologie


Beauty school secrets



The real Fox and Hound



I'm going to try this new workout


This would be yummy on a cold night

(photo of Ernie)

DIAMONDS ARE A GIRL'S BEST FRIEND

I LOVE old movies and last week I watched Gentlemen Prefer Blondes for the first time. It was cute, and all the outfits were so glamorous. Hence, the recreation of Marilyn's "Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend" costume. If you haven't seen it yet and have some room on your netflix queue I recommend it for a rainy day. 

(Tacori Earrings, Kenneth Jay Lane Necklace, J Crew Dress, Essie's Knockout Pout Pink, Christian Louboutin Shoes)

THE BACHELOR

I usually hate unscripted television but watching The Bachelor is my guilty pleasure. It's like a train wreck I just can't look away from. This season has been especially controversial because of Courtney, the house "mean girl". When I saw these funny pictures matched with some of her quotes from the show I couldn't help but laugh out loud (at work oopps). If you are following this season you may appreciate these. 

(photos from The Bachelor facebook page)

ERNIE UPDATE

Ernie is now 7 months old and it has become very clear to me he is past his "baby" phase. He doesn't take as many naps anymore, ALWAYS wants to play, and is becoming more mischievous every day. He is now a toddler. Even though I look forward to every new day with him, sometimes I miss baby Ernie. Here is a look into the past for old times sake.

Ernie's first picture -5 weeks. 

First month in LA

Guarding our apartment

First Halloween - and not loving it

Probably sick of me taking pictures...

PRETTY IN PEPLUMS

 Last Friday my amazing grandparents celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary! This was them at their wedding, where my grandma wore a pretty pale green dress with a peplum (A short overskirt or ruffle attached at the waistline of a jacket, blouse,dress etc). And now they are back in style! I'm not sure if I could pull one off as well as Nana, but there sure are a lot of cute options...

(dresses from alice & olivia)