Today Is Simple

^pretty blooms in my bathroom^

And I don't mind.

I was wanting to share a fun DIY sewing project with you today, but I still haven't gotten around to finishing it up. You can expect that in a few days time. Such is my life. I was feeling a little crummy this morning (eh hem, thanks uterus) and because I didn't have any other commitments I decided to just have a 'me' day.

My idea of an at home 'me,' relaxing, spa kind of day includes:

1. Yummy coffee and breakfast
2. Pilates and/or yoga
3. A coconut oil hair treatment, give those locks some love 
4. All those hygiene/personal maintenance things we all tend to neglect: flossing your teeth, plucking your eyebrows (if you do), clipping your toenails (am I the only one who waits as long as possible to do this?) because getting them done will feel great
5. A long, hot shower
6. Filing your feet, lathering them in coconut oil and covering them in fuzzy, comfy socks
7. Lather the WHOLE body in coconut oil
8. Tea and Books
9. Listening to Laura Marling on repeat 

Mostly, I'm just enjoying simple things today.

Like, sometimes blurry pictures are actually really good.

^I tried to take a picture of my cozy socks and they panicked. I don't even know.^

And no matter how weird they are, there is nothing better than a pup that loves you. Even if he ruins potentially cute pictures.

I hope this finds you well and that you are taking care of yourself. xx

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My Favorite Protein Shake

Lately, I've been educating and immersing myself more into the world of fitness and I'm loving it. Getting to know your body and your strengths and challenging yourself every day is exciting. But I have also come to the realization that there are quite a few misconceptions floating around. For instance that if women lift heavy they will look soooo bulky and manly and lose their womanly curves. Number 1, that's just silly. Lifting heavy will help you tone and gain muscle. Number 2, having curves does not make you any more of a woman than someone without curves.

Another topic that I've seen a lot of misconceptions about is diet. You work hard for a healthy body, but what you are eating is equally, if not more, important. I personally don't have much of a set diet. I tend to eat pretty clean on my own, because those are the foods I enjoy. But also, I don't like being too restrictive about food. It seems silly to me. You're on your period and you really crave chocolate? Eat a brownie! I'm tired of negativity around food. You should never feel guilty about food. Guilt and negativity toward food can lead to so many unhealthy eating habits and eating disorders. I don't think there are really any "bad" foods, just bad ingredients I suppose (think over-processed food). It is all about finding a balance and what makes your body feel best.

And in finding my balance, I have been so surprised about how much protein I need. As a vegetarian, I have to be careful and make sure I am getting enough protein. And if you are working out nearly every day like me, you are going to need a lot of protein. "In order to gain lean muscle you need to eat enough protein to sustain the creation of new muscle proteins" (source and great article to help figure out your protein needs).

I tend to eat a lot of tofu and eggs and beans for protein, but sometimes it is still not enough. I will supplement with protein shakes, usually a few times a week. This is the protein powder I am currently using, if you are curious:

I love these protein shakes post workout. They are really yummy! They could even be considered a green smoothie, given the amount of spinach I shove in them.

My Favorite Protein Shake, makes one serving:

1 scoop of your favorite protein powder
1 tablespoon creamy peanut butter
3/4 cup milk (I use almond milk, because yum)
1/2 a frozen banana
2-3 handfuls spinach (but I tend to put in as much as I can)

Measure out all ingredients (don't you dare put that spoon in the sink without licking off the peanut butter, that is a crime) and using a blender, or magic bullet, blend all ingredients thoroughly. You may need to use a spatula to squish down the spinach and to make sure all the peanut butter and protein powder doesn't end up stuck to the bottom. That's it! Easy peasy. This is also delicious with 1/2 tablespoon of cocoa powder. Or leave out the peanut butter and add more fruit; it is really good with berries. Use what you have and get creative.

Your smoothie will likely be very green, but don't let that scare you. It is delicious and good for you and you can't taste the spinach at all anyway. Drink up!

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The Last Few Days (or Lazy Blogging)

Whatever you'd like to call it, I'm having one of those Mondays where all you want to do is stay in your jimjams forever drinking coffee with a puppy on your lap and a good fantasy book to read.

^morning brainstorm and Pippin snuggling up next to me and my computer ^

Or perhaps my entire week has been like that. All this rainy, windy weather has made me feel a bit locked up. I look forward to the weekends a lot, it is the only real time Will and I have to go out adventuring.

^obviously not from this weekend, or year...^

As you know, we didn't make our plans of driving out to Leslie Gulch for Easter, and this weekend was spent mostly at home. But here as some fun things we did!

Friday:
Finally watched last week's new episode of Dr. Who! Now I need to watch the one from this Saturday. I still need to catch up on Game of Thrones, too. I can never seem to keep up on TV (but who else is excited about The Voice tonight?)

Saturday:
I made a gluten free, sugar free, butter free, healthy apple crisp! I totally winged it and it turned out light and crisp and yummy. We took it over for dessert at Will's parents', where we had wine and cheese, steak and lobster (well I didn't), garlic bread, yummy salad, rice and veggies for dinner. So stuffed. Will's sister is getting chickens (jealous) and we watched/helped set up the chicken coop. We also played Canasta, which was new to me and pretty fun. Will's mom let me borrow this book (circa 1970s) which I am so excited to sit down with:

^so many fun stories, illustrations, and pictures^

Sunday:
It stormed so pretty all day! I loved the rain and thunder. I made some falafel pitas for dinner, with roasted red potatoes and asparagus on the side. So yummy! My sister and her husband came over to help us eat all the food. Thanks for the brownie, Bee. Ended the night with some wine and some reading.
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I've been feeling rather exhausted and stretched thin lately. I'm having a hard time focusing on tasks because they have become rather disorganized and jumbled. It is all so uncharacteristic of me. I'm in need of a drastic declutter and scheduling restructure. And maybe some re-imagining. But don't let me get too Debbie Downer on you. I've got some fun things planned to share this week for posts, get excited! Here's a little extra for today, since we're all just getting to know each other...

Random fact about me:

^today's breakfast^

I have some weird food/eating habits. One for instance, I like it when my food is separated, even if it is something that would be mixed anyway. Like, yogurt with fruit and granola. I will separate all the parts and just take a little from each pile and build spoonfuls. I find it much more visually stimulating and appealing and fun. I also like my food to look good, which may seem simple, but I've been told I take a long time to cook because I also take care to make it look really great. Pretty food tastes better, amiright? Perhaps I'd make a good pastry chef.

What I'm listening to today: stream the new Iron & Wine album, Ghost on Ghost here!

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Recipe: Veggie Bennie

One of mine and Will's favorite things to eat for brunch on the weekend (or anytime) is Eggs Benedict. I've always been a fan of Eggs Benedict, but I didn't try making it for the longest time because for some reason I thought it would be really complicated or time consuming. It is neither of those things, but it is delicious. Although I am pretty convinced anything smothered in hollandaise sauce is delicious. This recipe is a vegetarian twist on the classic.

Veggie Bennie, makes 2 servings:

2 english muffins
4 eggs
1 cup spinach
1 tomato, sliced
1 layer of leek, chopped (or onion of your choice)
2 slices swiss cheese
salt and pepper to taste

for the Hollandaise Sauce, makes 1/2 cup:

2 egg yolks
1/4 cup salted butter, melted
1/2 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1 teaspoon honey mustard
pinch cayenne pepper
pinch garlic
seasoned pepper to taste

Begin by making the hollandaise sauce, whisking the egg yolks and lemon juice together in a glass or stainless steel bowl. Place your bowl over simmering water, or use a double boiler if you have it, making sure the water does not touch the bottom of the bowl. You want to be careful and not heat the eggs up too much, or they could scramble. Continue to whisk and slowly add in the melted butter. Your mixture should thicken and double in volume. Add in the honey mustard. Remove from heat and whisk in the cayenne, garlic, and seasoned pepper. Keep it near the stove to stay warm until serving. If sauce becomes too thick (mine always does) slowly whisk in a little bit of milk to thin it out.

While keeping the hollandaise sauce warm, prepare the Veggie Bennie. If you are terrified of poaching eggs, like me, butter a pan and crack your eggs in like you are going to fry them up. Season with salt and pepper. Then, put a tablespoon or so of water in the pan and cover with a lid to continue cooking. The whites will cook completely and cover the yolks, but the yolk will stay a bit runny. Perfect (I cook my eggs like this, always)! Toast the english muffins. Layer the toasted muffin halves with chopped leeks, sliced tomato, spinach and pieces of swiss cheese . Top each half with an egg and then smother with hollandaise sauce. Eat immediately!

Enjoy! And just because I like you, an embarrassing picture of me licking my fingers:

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Swimsuit Shopping

I bought a new suit today! Well sort of two. And I know what you're thinking, "Really? Already? You don't even like summer..." But I couldn't resist. I was looking around for some good deals on suits. I've been sporting a plain brown bikini for awhile, and while I plan on keeping that one, I wanted a new one that would fit well and be a little more fun. ASOS has some great deals on swimwear! But you kind of have to dig through the sale section (or select your sizes from their 'refine by' side bar), as you may not be able to find the same top and bottoms in the sizes you need. But you might just luck out. And it's great if you love to mix and match!

I fell in love with these high-waisted bottoms when I saw them, I've wanted high-waisted bottoms forever and the print is so lovely. Since the matching top no longer had my size in stock, I simply found some plain tops I thought would be fun to pair them with. The best part is ASOS has free returns (and free standard shipping), even on their sale items! That takes some of the stress out of buying a swimsuit online, without being able to try it on. Did I mention I got a great deal on all of this?

The bottoms, originally $26.60 I got for $9.98. The black bandeau top, originally $24.94 I got for $12.47. And the white bikini top, origianlly $29.93 I got for $14.13. With free 6-Day shipping, that brought my total to $36.58! For quality pieces, that is a good deal in my book.

I'll let you know how my bottom and tops fit when they arrive. Woot, new suit! (See what I did there?)

What do you think of my pairings!? Do you like the black or the white top better?

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Midweek Favorite Finds

I want to try something new today. I guess it is my blog, and it is pretty freakin' new, so I'll just be trying all the new things. I do what I want. Muahaha. Just roll with it.

Like any normal, introverted homebody, I spend my far share of time browsing the internet and my favorite blogs. And I've had lots of browsing time today between snuggles and tea making sessions; the William is home from work all sick and in bed. I mean, I guarantee I have more time to spend on the internet than you do, any day. And I figure, why not share some cool things with you every so often?

Favorite Finds:

1. Smitten Kitchen shared a recipe on Monday for Lentil and Chickpea Salad with feta and tahini, and oh my. This is right up my alley, flavor wise. My flavor alley?

^image via smitten kitchen^

And it looks so good. I can't stop thinking about it, that's how badly I want to make it. Brb, going to go track down some tahini so I can.

2. As I told you yesterday, I've been getting excited with the prospects of started up a garden this year. I've been reading up, and especially since this house is a rental, I think container gardening is the way to go.

^images here, here, here, and here, via Sunset.com^

Plus, they supposedly have higher yields versus planting straight into the ground. Cha-ching! I do have some gardening experience, we had a garden growing-up and I volunteered for a bit with a great organization in Moscow, backyard harvest. But I've never built a planter box before. Sunset.com has a step by step guide for doing so here. I am excited!

3. Yesterday, The Inspired Room revealed her full kitchen remodel. Oh my god; it is amazing, gorgeous, all those good words!

image via The Inspired Room

Do yourself a favor and go look at the whole post and all the images because it is so lovely. Total dream kitchen, right there.

4. Did I mention I won a giveaway!? For reals. You know those cool blogs that actually have people who read them? Haha.

^images at Modcloth^

A lot of my favorite blogs host giveaways from their sponsors every so often, and I tend to enter when I do see them. Because, why not? And I actually won something. Chelsea, of How I Dwell Now gave away $30 to my favorite online shop, Modcloth, on Jenny Highsmith's blog. I was going to pick out a cute, cheap dress, but ended up getting some things I actually need: these sunglasses and these earrings (remember them from my thrifty thursday?)

That's all for today.
P.S. I already have something exciting planned for a giveaway for when (if I ever) I reach 100 readers for my blog. Get excited! And share the love, maybe? :)

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Hello Lovely April

I'm wearing my dresses and Toms and Chacos over here on a regular basis. Goodness, Boise, could you be any lovelier lately? Of course, talk to me again as soon as it gets over 75 degrees. Have I mentioned before how much I hate the heat? Probably. It makes me a big wimp, but I feel it is justified. Thanks rosy paleness and allergies. Anyway, for now I'm enjoying daily walks with the dogs. Today Pippin jumped in the pond and Scout rolled around on a dead fish. Success.

^He loves getting to run off his leash.^

^Taken post fish rolling, pre-Pippin pond time."

Other things I am enjoying thanks to spring weather: beginning to see flowers, all the blooming trees, planning a garden, and watching the dogs lay around in the sun.

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