40 Days and One Recipe

Welp, today is the start of Lent for those of us who observe it. I must admit, I'm pretty darn excited. It's been a while since I've had the ashes placed on my forehead and it certainly symbolizes a lot to me this year. I love periods of time that challenge me to become better.

In previous years, I've always taken a different approach to Lent - a time of self-examination, self-denial, and amendment of life. Instead of giving up a food or sweet something, I always decided to pray more. I wanted that period of self-reflection. So, in addition to praying every night, for the next 40 days [and hopefully after that], I will be starting every morning off with a meditation, a prayer of thanks, a prayer for peace.

Prior to this Ash Wednesday, I also decided there were some things I wanted to give up. Things that, with time, had lost a lot of importance in my life. I knew that what little time I was being spent with those things could be spent somewhere much more worthy of my time. So, those things have been gone from my life and I haven't looked back since :)

Now, where were we? Ah, yes... speaking of becoming better. Since the move to San Diego, I've been challenging myself to try a bunch of new recipes. When I went home for Christmas, one of the appetizer dishes I decided to make was stuffed celery. 

Here's what you'll need:

[This makes 16 servings]

+ 1 (8 oz.) package of cream cheese, softened

+ 2 tablespoons sour cream

+ 1/4 cup chopped walnuts

+ 20 green olives with pimento, chopped

+ 1 bunch celery, cut into bite-size pieces

And here's all you have to do:

In a medium bowl, mix together the cream cheese and sour cream. Stir in the walnuts and chopped olives. Spread filling onto the celery pieces. It's also good on crackers.

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I found the recipe over here while scouring the boards for tasty treats. My sister-in-law who doesn't love olives even liked the stuffed celery. Shoot, I'd even spread that stuff on sliced cucumbers. Yum! Super easy to make and just the perfect finger food! Last Christmas, I made spinach balls and they were a hit as well!

In the spirit of Fat Tuesday and Mardi Gras earlier this week, I made Shrimp Jambalaya and, I must say, aside from my chocolate chip cookies, it is THE greatest dish I've made! Hungry now? Go make some stuffed celery ;)

I can't wait to see what positive changes will take place in these next 40 days and all the fantastic new recipes I've yet to try :)

The Mountains of Life

Yesterday, I wrote about saying "yes" to life. I have seen this theme appear and reappear lately in my life. So, I feel it's only right to write about this in greater depth.

I've mentioned briefly on here how I found a church in San Diego that I just love. It's been the church that I've searched my whole life for. And believe me, I've done a lot of searching. "Religion" or "spirituality" has always been a journey for me. A very personal one. For now, I'll just leave it at that. But this past Sunday in church, the focus was on mountains.

The passages chosen were all about mountains and then there was the sermon. There was one phrase that really hit me, "Mountains are what spiritually grow us." I started thinking about the mountains I've had to face in my lifetime. But then I started thinking about the person I was before those mountains were placed along my path. Holy cow, I have changed!

I look back at the times when I was pessimistic. The times when I questioned my own self-worth. The times when I thought I had the worst of everything and wanted what everyone else had. Who was I? I was a young teenage girl who looked at life's mountains as defeat. Instead of conquering them, I allowed them to conquer me. They broke me down until nothing was left. But then, one day, I put my foot down.

I reached deep within me. I decided to look at life - to look at those mountains differently. God [the Universe] put them there for ME to CONQUER. Those mountains were there to help me grow spiritually. Emotionally. Mentally. Physically. But it was the spiritual growth that helped me take on every challenge from that day on.

The mountains of my life...
They grew me.
For the better.

"See every difficulty as a challenge, a stepping stone, and never be defeated by anything or anyone."
-Eileen Caddy

Friends, some people settle for the path of least resistance. They settle for the ski-lift up the mountain so they can enjoy the view at the top. But isn't the view so much better - don't we learn so much more - if we are the ones that get ourselves there? It's never too late. Change today. Say "yes." Stop settling for the path of least resistance.

And like the song I always picture my mom singing to me says...

"I hope you never fear those mountains in the distance,

Never settle for the path of least resistance."

-Lee Ann Womack

Saying "Yes!"

I'm that girl that never went camping growing up. I didn't climb trees. And doing the whole Chinese Fire Drill thing at a stoplight just never tickled my fancy. I knew what things I was comfortable with in life and which things I was not. Don't get me wrong - I'm all for getting outside of your comfort zone - I mean, hello... I moved to San Diego! But what happens when we start saying "yes" to life?

I've met someone here in SD whose motto is to just say "yes" to life. To say, "Sure, why not?" After all, it could eventually be life-changing. Each time I've spent with him, I've found myself saying "yes" to something I would normally say "no" to.

Example Numero Uno:

He took me to hike Torrey Pines for the first time. Am I a big hiker? Um, no. But I had heard amazing things about hiking Torrey Pines so I was all for it. Then, he told me there was a great spot on the hike to run. Am I a runner? Definitely not.

I was skeptical. My attitude was very, "Ehhh." But sure enough, once we hiked up the cliff, it was time to run. I agreed to it and we started running. Immediately, in my head, I told myself this wouldn't last very long but hey, at least I tried it right? Well, we kept running. And talking. And laughing. And before I knew it, we finished out the entire hike with that run. The best part is that I wanted to do it again. I got SO much out of it! I felt pumped. Excited. Proud of myself.

Example Numero Dos:

This weekend we were hanging out and he mentioned that we should go dancing. I'm a dancer but I've never been one to just "go dancing." So, my "Ehhh" attitude began again and I figured I'd just have to talk him into doing something else. He starts telling me about this place with really healthy food and said we should go there. Okay, good. My plan to avoid dancing was working.

We got side-tracked and I told him the story of how I forgot how to ride a bike. [Seriously. The whole "it's like riding a bike" saying is a joke.] His response was, "Well, that's unfortunate because we are riding bikes tonight to get there." You're kidding me.

Note: I may or may not have gotten myself onto the bike, peddled once, and veered directly into his car. 

Anyway. We laughed hysterically and then I told him I would just run to the restaurant. Well, that wasn't going to happen. Much to my dismay, I rode on the handlebars of his bike. As terrified as I was of being thrown off, I ended up having a blast. We rode alongside the beach and having the salt air in my hair was the greatest feeling :)

I was pleasantly surprised when the restaurant we went to was a restaurant I went to the first time I visited my brother here years ago. That restaurant has since closed and the new one has opened up but how cool to randomly go back to visit a special spot?

It's weird coincidences like that one that make you realize you're right where you're meant to be. I felt so happy. If I hadn't said "yes," I wouldn't have felt that breeze in my hair. I wouldn't have smelled the delicious salt air. I wouldn't have watched the waves crash from that deck. I wouldn't have been reminded of a fun spot my family loved. I wouldn't have made new memories [some that we will laugh about for years.]

So, start saying "yes." You might be terrified. You might be nervous. Perhaps you doubt your own capabilities. Or perhaps you really will nearly crash your bike. But keep seeking those opportunities. It's in those "yes" moments that you really feel life.

And just in case you were wondering... I ended up saying "yes" to dancing that night too :)

February Confessions

It's time to confess.

I confess:
I've been singing "Only Hope"A Walk to Remember style on repeat.
It's pretty much my favorite movie.

I confess:
+I'm waiting until I cut my hair to get a California Driver's License. Sometimes I can be such a girl...

I confess:

+I get ridiculous anxiety before doing two things: Killing a bug and sending an email.
I have to re-read the email at least 20 times.
As for the bug... well...

I confess:

+My apartment is being fumigated today. This may or may not take care of my bug phobia. Pray for me.
And also, just know that this happened the other day:

I confess:
+I read about 4 different books at once and none of them are fiction.

I confess:
+I might actually finally watch Anchorman now that I live in San Diego.
Might.

I confess:

+Every time I'm at church and the "Peace be with you" "And also with you" part comes along, I think of Dane Cook.

Comedy Central

I confess:

+I think I'm over The Vampire Diaries [gasp!]

I confess:

+I've already caught myself saying SoCal lingo more than once... "Cruise," "Kickin' it," "Way chill." Are we seeing a pattern here? Also, am I the only one who didn't know what a "roadie" was?

I confess:

+Lesson learned in life: One wrong turn and you're in the bad part of town

[Moments before the wrong turn]

I confess:
+I walked into the coffee shop yesterday [after getting lost in the "bad part of town" looking for a library], ordered a drink, sat down and started working, and the guy comes up to tell me they closed an hour ago. 'Scuse?

I confess:

+The Carrie Diaries episode from this week has now played three four times in a row on my DVR. I put it on while I'm getting work done, don't watch it, then hit, "Start over" when the episode comes to an end. Note: I have confessed this in previous months.

I confess:

+Every time I watch Teen Mom 2 now and see one of Chelsea's dogs, I still want to cry [Did you see the episode about her dog, Frankie?] :(

I confess:
I'm getting REALLY tired of all the Blogger spacing issues.
Don't make me move to Wordpress...

I Know 2012 is Over

I was going to get started on my birthday recap but then, while going through pictures, I realized I never even wrote about the days [and New Year] leading up to my birthday. Here it is in pictures:

For Christmas, I asked for Lola by Marc Jacobs as it has been at the top of my "I want this perfume" list for a couple years. I must say, it sure looks nice alongside the rest of my collection!

When I ventured back to the East Coast for Christmas, I left Stella at my house and had my neighbors take care of her. I hated being without her and knowing she was alone for so long. I'll most likely be taking her with me next time. However, the joy in her eyes as she heard my voice the night I got home was unlike anything I've ever seen :)

Stella also has a handsome admirer, Charlie... He's in love. She's skeptical.

Upon returning back to San Diego, I really started to settle in and get acquainted with my new home. Naturally, sushi and chocolate were both involved. If you haven't tried Extraordinary Desserts, it's a must. I mean, look at the flower petals. San Diegans are such romantics...

Also, I clearly cannot get enough of the SD skyline.

I experienced my first San Diego Farmers' Market AND Swap Meet in the same day. While at the Farmers' Market, we got some delicious paninis and fresh juice. I went with the watermelon cucumber. Yum!

 I remember visiting my brother here years ago and we passed the huge swap meet on Sports Arena Blvd. It was the first time I heard the term "swap meet." Now, here I was actually going to it years later.

While at the swap meet, I was surprised to find Dave Hester standing next to me. Some of you may know Dave from the show Storage Wars ["Yuuup!"] He has a little spot set up where you can buy many of the miscellaneous finds he brings from storage units. Pretty cool stuff!

The NYE Party I went to was a NEON party. I waited until Saturday, December 29th to decide that I was going and had to throw together a NEON outfit in the middle of Winter. Lucky for me, I love bright colors. I found the below jewels at H&M. My date wore an awesome Kelly Kapowski shirt with neon pink. We looked fabulous and had a wonderful time :)

Seeing the San Diego skyline as the year went from one into the next was magical. I even hashtagged a shirt #NYE :) Cutting pink tape is not an easy task, my friends.

Woof. That post was all over the place and so were the pictures. I have taken SO many pictures thus far in California and, I must say, the pictures that are coming up in my birthday recap, are some of the best ;)

See ya later, 2012...

Next Year's Super Bowl Halftime Show

I don't know about you, but as I was watching the Super Bowl last night and saw Destiny's Child appear on the stage at halftime, I was taken back in time. All it takes is one song - whether it's Destiny's Child, Sisqo, or perhaps Edwin McCain and it's like I get transported back to a certain moment. Now that I think of it, each of those songs takes me back to school dances. That's besides the point.

I'm here today to talk about my dream Super Bowl Halftime show. Let me begin by saying that it is a well-known fact that I am a) obsessed with all-things 90s and b) still a boyband fanatic. Now, I present to you my lineup for the 48th Super Bowl Halftime Show:

[via]

With Nick's hair looking like this:

+

[via]

With Justin looking like this:

If you can name what event that picture was taken at just by looking at it, you may or may not be as in love with them and bleach blonde Justin Timberlake as I am...

Lastly, the Halftime Show would be complete with this one added bonus:

[via]

My one true love, Ryan Gosling.

I may be biased, but he really has some skill...

I can't stop swooning. Gosh, I just love him. Those 90's dance moves... don't get me started!
And that, my friends, is what next year's Halftime Show would look like if I had my say. I'm still wondering why they didn't plan this back in 1999. It would have been genius.
[As a side note, I actually do watch the Super Bowl for the football. I think I saw one commercial [the Budweiser "Landslide" commercial with the Clydesdales] and it just so happened to be the best commercial] :)

February

This is the month:

The month I lost my sweet mom.

The month I got my last advice from her.

The month I apologized to her for any stress I had caused [because we know there was a lot of that]

The month I thanked her for being the greatest mother I could have asked for.

The month I reminisced with her about when we'd go to the movies and order Mr. Pibb.

The month I put her coat on for her for the last time.

The month she walked out the door for the last time.

The month I hugged her for the last time.

The month I kissed her on the forehead for the last time.

The month I heard her say, "I love you!" for the last time.

The month I said goodbye.

This is the month:

The month I will donate my hair in honor of her.

The month I will start to write one of my books.

The month I will begin to be as strong as she was.