the joneses

Last night at small group we skipped out on our lesson and talked instead. I left feeling really happy and with a very full heart. I often wonder what I did every week before I got to spend time with these little friends.

Sometimes it's really easy to get in the habit of looking around and comparing your life to someone else's (especially in your twenties). The haves and have-nots are drawn with a very thick Sharpie these days. Have gotten promotions. Haven't gotten a job. Have a ring. Haven't found a boyfriend. Have a robust social life. Haven't quite found their niche. And so forth. And sometimes it's easy to have a whole lot, but focus on that one little thing that you feel is missing.

But last night, as I sat among a group of most beautiful women, each of which has something different happening in life right now, I was reminded how important it is to be grateful for where we are each day. These days, I may not have it all; but I have them here with me in Atlanta. And that's pretty darn great.

image

smoothie fridee


Due to some recently discovered food allergies and intolerances, I’ve been on a pretty restricted diet since December. And by pretty restricted I mean no corn, wheat, soy, oat (OK, grains.) or sugar.

For a while I didn’t want to blog about it because I didn’t want it to be perceived as complaining, but then I realized that I have been heavily relying on other people sharing their coping mechanisms online, so why wasn’t I sharing what I’d learned, too?

At first I tried to just take those things out of my diet, but now that I’m a few weeks in, I am tired of veggies, meat and nuts. Minus peanut butter. Will never grow tired of that.

This week I have been exploring more options, including the smoothie below. I was really struggling without fruit, and this one tastes almost as good as my regular morning banana smoothie. Even if you’re not grain and sugar free,  I highly recommend it.

Ingredients:
Almond Milk
Spinach
Peanut Butter
Flax
Ice
Cinnamon

I subbed the peanut butter and flax for my latest obsession, Trader Joe’s PB with Flax. Blend to taste, and enjoy! And know I did!

The magic of the Wand

I’m currently caught somewhere between desperately needing a haircut and needing to shave my head and start over. It’s high time for a trip to the salon. And this weekend, I was seconds away from grabbing some scissors and taking care of it myself, when Allie offered me the Wand. Her roommate had purchased it a few months prior, and neither of them were certain how to use it.

For those of you who are unfamiliar, the Wand boasts the ability to give curls like T Swift and Miley Cyrus, and after months of hearing all about the clamp-free contraption, I was thrilled to have the chance to use it. Because, let’s be serious, who doesn’t want curls like Miley?

I watched a quick tutorial to make sure I had the concept down, and even if you don’t plan to Wand it up, I highly suggestion watching it. Mainly because the little girl that does it is super cute, and it turns into a music video at the end. For real!

At first attempt, I put the glove on the wrong hand and burned myself. Apparently goes on the non-dominant hand. Seems kind of obvious now…
Please note I also burned myself after switching hands, because the glove is pretty thin. In the Wand’s defense, you’d need a pretty thick glove to protect against a 450-degree metal stick, and I think the ability to use my hand, and not have it trapped between an Abdominal snow glove outweighs a third-degree burn. Amiright?

The first round of curls left me looking like Britney Spears circa Crossroads (I Love Rock & Roll style). I also now understand why our friend from the music video suggested starting in the back of your head. It gets easier as you get the hang of it.
After I finished, I curled the ends with a regular iron, because I didn’t like them straight. I know that’s how Miley’s are, but I guess I was feeling more Swiftish. I didn’t love how it looked until I ran my fingers through it, and walked to the subway station. The wind loosened them up just the right amount.
All in all, I’d say I kind of fell for the Wand. Kind of magical, really.