Simply B

My journey of living life fuller, better, healthier, greener & simpler- Simply B.

[andsimplyb-blog]

My No-Recipe “Recipe” for Paleo Avocado Fettucine !!

So I ALWAYS put blogging what I cook off bc I’m sorry I cannot follow a recipe. I don’t know exactly anything and I don’t care.  Even the idea of going over to the same site or pinterest pin or paper or whatever over and over, and making what it says, bc it says so, with what it says to make it with and how much it says to make it with ....makes me not even want to make anything. So I’m not and I don’t and I won’t... so why bother trying to write like that! Right? Well if you dont like it leave-

Ok -so I made this a long time ago and I’ve been craving it ever since but here’s the irony ...wait for it... I couldn’t find the freakin recipe!!!!

 So I said eff it I’ll just “wing” it and make it like I do everything else :)

This is basis of how I made this dish. Use what you got! 

Go ahead! There are NO RULES!! Open the fridge and use what you have or what needs to be cooked. If it’s all good seperate it’s probably even better together!

I cooked for one but I have tons left over so, I’d say the sauce would be enough for 4... depending on how thick or thin you make it (with the “milk”). 

The base for the sauce is this:

1 avocado - to make it creamy

a hand full of nuts- bc I didnt have pine nuts

about a handful of fresh basil (basically I bought the lil fresh herb tree at the store and I picked off as much as I could without feeling like i was ripping it to a bare twig. Ever read “The Giving Tree” ??!! Cmon!)

Fresh garlic cloves (I used 4 but whatev)

Salt/ Pepper

Some lime juice ... lemon or orange would be cool  (just cut a piece off and squeeze ...mine was pretty juicy so i’d say maybe 2-3 tablespoons?)

Non-dairy milk (I used cashew milk but almond or coconut milk works too)

Throw it all in the blender or small food processor except the “milk” and blend it on high.   Then I slowly added a little of the milk at a time to the taste and consistency I wanted.  Kind of a thicker fettucine or alfredo cheese sauce is what I was going for.

Then I threw it over my zuchini pasta!  You can literally put whatever you want in the zuchini pasta or use it on spagghetti squash is good too!

For me the “pasta and veggie part” 

Mushrooms

Carrots

Zuchini (I’d say almost 1 per person)

Salt/ pepper

Garlic

Tumeric

Paprika or cayenne or chilli powder (i needed some red color and I love spice)

I had tons of mushrooms that my awesome Momma-in-Law brought over and tons of carrotts -I accidentally bought more when I already had a whole bag (Damnit! I hate when that happens!) 

I cut the mushrooms (they were big) into like quarter size and then used a peeler with a juliene edge to shredd up the carrots. I threw all of it in the pan adding a little bit of olive oil.  Cook this until the jiuces get flowin and then add your spices... I added some garlic, salt , peppar, and tumeric  (I recently learned how good it is for you so I just sneak it in everywhere I can.  It gives it a beautiful golden yellow with nice earthy feels. Just be careful a little goes a long way!)

While that’s cooking make your zuchini pasta. My hubby bought be this awesome AS SEEN ON TV  Veggetti thing I LOVE!! I like to cut the “noodles” as they come out or you’ll have ten extremely long noodles... which unless your going for the slurping thing, I find to be annoying.

When The veggies are about done I finally threw in my zuchinni pasta and mix it all around. There is already a decent sauce going on here.

Now, you are ready for the GLORIOUSNESS!! I put the beautiful pasta with all its pretty colors on the bottom and add the sauce on top.  If you wanted you could add chicken or shrimp or whatever too.  This is super filling with the mushrooms, avocado and nuts all by itsself so a great Vegan option too (Cher!) Then take a picture DUH! I mean did you even make it if you didnt Instagram it?? lol i dunno jk

But if you are a super nerd like me use #SimplyNoRecipe ! I will be so stoked! Here are some pics of my #SimplyNoRecipe #avocadofettucine :)

ENJOY!!! 

[andsimplyb-blog]

Extreme Sore Fx!!!

I finalllyyy got my work-out DVD’s out of the boxes from my parent’s house and finallyyy got a TV and DVD player hooked up and working!!! Eureeka!! (Thank u hubby!)...  I was super excited to push play and get my workout on after being such a bum.  I did one day of 21Day Fix EXtreme from beachbody and I am so sore I can barely move! I feel kinda pathetic being so sore from something I did everyday a few months ago but atleast I know I gave it my all.

Walking... I look like an 87 year old woman.  Going down the stairs I look like a 2 year old with no certainty I am making the next step without falling down the rest.  Sitting ...I look like some kind of sad human with hemmoroids who lost their puppy ...and trying to sit on the commode is more like falling and hoping I don’t fall in or off.  

Here’s where I’m confused... How am I supposed to work out everyday if it literally hurts to even lay down? I feel like my muscles would just totally give out, fail or cramp or worse ...  I think I’ll do a couple times a week until I get back in shape and then start the actual 21 days.  

I find that every time this happens I frantically search the internet for some cure all to the soreness and I never find anything new.  I also never find exactly what to do so I figured I’d share because I think it worked pretty well.

So here is how I’m coping with being sore:

1. Start by drinking tons of water 

2.Taking some advil (I don’t normally do this and I don’t know that it helped but I’m desperate)

3.ICE ICE BABY !! It is seriously a miracle how it relieves the pain instantly!  I just went from aching spot to aching spot numbing it all!!

now that the pain is a little less intense I’m feeling adventurous...

4. a foam roller is a God sent!!!!! No for real this thing is my best friend that I have neglected it for a long long time.  I will never ever do that again!! I started slow with the smaller muscles like my calves and worked my way up, putting more and more body weight on the roller and spent about an hour really getting brave and rolling out all my muscles.... Victory!!! I can now go down stairs!!! 

5. Stretch!!! Again starting slow and without bouncing just really stayed still and got deeper into each stretch until it seemed like I was at almost normal mobility.  

6. Keep it movin buster!! Do not stay still for too long or you will stiffen back up. Even though I was dying to curl up in bed I kept it moving and went about the day suffereing through each step.  I kind of thought it was funny how ridiculous i looked, so laughing helps too (except it really hurts !!!)

Anyone else get this sore after not working out for a while?? What tricks do you have? Feels great to be back i must say!! #nopainnogain

[andsimplyb-blog]

Potay-toe... Potah-toe

This post is about my dear friend… The potato.  

Oh wonderous strange looking tuber how delicious and comforting you are.  

Seriously tho, it grows in the ground and some people eat them raw so what’s up why shouldn’t we eat this amazingly delicious- no-matter-how-you-prepare-it fruit of the earth’s loom????

Apparently there is a lot of debate about this.  Since returning to the scene of trying to eat healthier I was curious... so I did some research and here is what I found.    You can decide for yourself whether these spuds are for you.

Start with the good or bad you pick:

The Good

*Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs

1.       Protein: about 3.6 grams of protein = about 7% of your *Daily Value.

2.       Potassium: about 867 mg which = about 24% of your *Daily Value.

3.       Calories:  about 147 calories in a white potato which means it’s pretty low in fat while increases satiety (making you feel full)

4.       Acts as a Fiber (2.2 g of fiber in a white potato) not very much fiber but… due its very resistant ability to not be digested by the enzymes in the small intestine (also making you feel full). like a fiber does.  This is also a pro bc it protects again colon cancer and is not converted to sugar causing another pro which is that potatoes aid in improvement of glucose tolerance and insulin sensitivity. Which is confusing to me bc of its high GI but moving on--->

5.       17.5 Carbohydrates in a potato which are just about all starch and can really be a pro or con depending on your level of activity.

6.       Carotenoids

It is said that potatoes have also been found to have these, which may inhibit inflammation and formation of free radicals.

7.       Patatin

A storage protein with traces of tryptophan and cysteine, which may have potent antioxidant activities to protect against free radicals at a genetic level. 

The Bad

1.      Glycoalkaloids   In general Glycoalkaloids may cause headaches, diarrhea, cramps etc...

These are actually toxins… I know it seems nuts but some foods actually naturally have toxins.   Potatoes contain a few:  sapanin, solanine and chaconine.  

Solanine: Ever notice how potatoes turn green if left in the light?   It’s like a camouflage that hides the tuber and keeps the potato from being eaten.  Lots of “nightshades” have solanine and basically it acts as a natural pesticide to protect the plant from things that would cause it harm (like insects).  So it’s actually a natural poison.   Some people are sensitive to this poison and it can cause them to feel fatigue, indigestion, agitation, nervous… lots of people have various effects or none at all.

However…. Most of this is said to be located in the skin.

Chaconine:

Another natural toxin that gives the potato (especially when raw) that bitter taste.  Tubers produce this in response to stresses made when they combat fungicides.  

2.       High Glycemic Index (GI)

These little devils are what cause your blood sugar levels to rise and then fall.   When your blood sugar rises quickly (spikes) Well, what goes up must come down and here is really the problem because your left lower than you originally were- leaving you to feel tired.  

3.       Saponins as mentioned above is another type of glycoalkaloid. ( I made this a seperate number bc it has a separate issue) Another Toxin that a plant produces naturally as a defense mechanism to protect itself from insects.   There is little known about this, as far as how much of it can cause humans side effects ...however that side effect is the dreaded: leaky gut.  

Well what the hell is it?!  So it gets its name from the word soap and when shaken with water forms a “soap like foam”. Now is where I have to get a lil science geeky on your asses so pay attention… or just skip it,  whatever… Basically they exert their toxic effects by dissolving cell membranes. These membranes could be your gut lining aka making little holes in your gut thereby increasing intestinal permeability which means in lamens terms – stuff leaks out into your bloodstream.

Now to be clear this stuff is not just in potatoes but that’s what I’m talking about today.

Heres the thing… lets just sit n think about how most of eat these Irish, tuber, tater, murphys (yes I used a thesaurus and looked up potaoto).

These delicious fries, creamy buttery mashed potatoes, tasty, crunchy potato chips and everything in between: hash browns tater tots you name it.   I can’t even contain myself even thinking about much I love them…

Are those thigns all that healthy?? Probably not Is it fair to make the poor potatoes guilty by association though?   I dunno I mean they say you are only as good as the company you keep, right??

So- I figure IF I can stay away from all these other ways of eating the taters and IF the worst thing I eat is a baked potato or some mashed potaoes made with ghee and almond milk ya know what I think I’m doing ok… the problem is determining where to draw the line and how often...

BUT if there are all these gray areas and your face breaks out bc your honmonal acne goes all crazy and you feel shit... well it is worth it??

So… Should you eat potatoes in all their golden glory or no? You tell me what you think?

Life’s  a journey kids… enjoy the ride!

-B

Here’s my sources -if your yammin’ for some more tuber wrinkles on the brain & there’s a ton more info here on specific differences between sweet and white potatoes too. UW :) 

http://thepaleodiet.com/are-potatoes-paleo/#.VoqbSfkrKM8

http://paleomagazine.com/why-arent-potatoes-paleo/

http://www.marksdailyapple.com/paleo-potatoes/#axzz3wIOp8UkU

ute!��Bj

[andsimplyb-blog]

These are 3 of my favorite Measures...

ok I tried to make that sounds like a christmas spoof but if I was measuring that I’d probably have failed...

When doing Social Media for business you can post and post and either you get engagement or you don’t. I found it interesting that for some companies either is fine, it all depends on what your goals are for your social media strategy.   This is super important for determining what you measure and how successful your social media platform is performing.  

There are three things I measure in every report no matter what my goals are

1.       Audience

2.       Engagement

3.       Reach

 This is an important Key Performance Indicator to show weather or not we are meeting our goal Target Audience.

 Engagement is always important to me because if noone engages odds are no one finds it useful which means it may not be worded correctly or the content might not be of importance to our audience.  Also if there is little to no engagement is probably isn’t getting a very good reach.  

 Reach is important to me because I want to see out of how many people did we get what percentage of engagement.  For example if we have a post on Facebook that is not boosted and it gets an organic reach of 200 people with 50 likes that is great!   However if I boost a Facebook post and that post reaches 3,000 people and gets 50 likes that is not quite as good.

 Based on these 3 metrics I can change times of day, content and target audiences to get better results.  

 I measure these often and do a close analyzation every month to ensure each platform is performing at its best with the budget given.

G.��[��

[andsimplyb-blog]

Legalize it

3 Important Lessons to learn in the legal world of Social Media

In a world where anything and everything is literally at our fingetips its easy to imagine getting your hands a little dirty.  

As some of you know I do social media as a side job and I have really loved helping my clients get their name/brand out and infront of the world via facebook, twitter, instgram etc....

I love the feeling everytime we get new engagement and I hate the feeling of putting out a post and its what I call a dud...

In doing Social Media and in taking the Social Media Strategist course I have learned tons and the number one this is no #flattweeting meaning images are basically everything and without one you’ve got yourself a dud.   I have been very excited about learning the legal aspect of sharing as I of course want to be protected and certianly I want my clients to feel confident that they too are not doing anything unlawful in sharing their new shiny content.

Lessons to learn and live by:

 1.) If you did not take that picture: DON’T!!!

 Do NOT share any picture of any kind ever ..... jk but basically if you aint take it, you best not share it! 

Photos are copyrighted so you can get yourself in trouble... So go ahead invest in some stock photos and forget it.  Google and bing allow you to do a search on shareable pics which I feel okay doing but its not a guaranteed.   Wanna post that cute quote with the pretty sunset behund it??

 PLease?

 Still no.... I know,I know I don’t make the rules and trust me I’m not happy about it either but I don’t look good in orange and I have no money to pay a fine so I’m not going there.   This hit me pretty hard bc last year in a Social Media Conference I was told the exact opposit so BE CAREFUL !! 

This law also works in your favor however because once you snap that sweet pic you are technically the copyrighted owner too.. so there!!

2.) Never take a photo of a celebrity with your brand and then use it in a post...

This is an unauthorized enrdorsement and you can get in big trouble!  Not sure if I will ever happend to be so lucky to have Ryan Phillipe pop in my client’s store and walk out with a make your own 6 pack BUTTT if I do I will make sure I either ask him first or just say something specific like “look who shopped in our store today!!” And do not use it in any commercial value!

On the other hand, again it works BOTH ways so you Kardashian team are going DOWN!!! For your waste trainer, your teeth whiteners, your diet pills your stupid fat lips... you are all in big, big trouble and I for one await to see the spectacle! #itsapaidad #youareanendorser #getitrightorpaytheprice 

3.) When it comes to the Issue of Deleting comments: Your are not the father!

... basically you just have to come up with a policy and stick with it.  It’s a good idea to have this policy somewhere people can find it ie on your web page or wherever.   I don’t think I would ever want distasteful cursing on any page I manage and would delete these as a standard... 

Well folks, now that we have that out of the way I will be posting all of my own original content and I’m up for the challenge! So bust out that camera and slap on those filters cuz we goin in!

Hope this helps! Thank you @mollydibi and http://www.socialmediaexaminer.com/copyright-fair-use-and-how-it-works-for-online-images/

gluck!

if you are a small business and want to step up your social media game... I can help you b.social! email me at [email protected] for info :)

-B

http://mashable.com/2015/12/07/kylie-jenner-lip-kit-rose-gold/?utm_cid=mash-com-fb-ent-link#ZTC_MI6cVmqG

[andsimplyb-blog]

Girls on the Run DE #GOTRDE

A reflection of my experience

 Girls on the Run is an organization that helps girls learn and get ready to run in a 5k.  I had vaguely run (pun intended) into this organization a few times before but didn’t really know what they were all about.  When we found out they were going to be our “client” and how much they help girls to improve their confidence, awareness and spirit I was even more excited to work with them.

Assigned to the content team for GOTRDE, my job was to work with my team to provide content to be shared on social media.   Coming up with a strategy for this project was difficult because not only did we need to plan for the current goal but also to plan in such a way that it was manageable, after our team was finished.  

Our goal was to raise awareness for the 10th Anniversary 5k of Girls on the Run Delaware. Using what information was provided we decided to go with Platforms Facebook and Twitter.  We would have loved to utilize the visual aspects of Instagram but felt it was too much to do in the short amount of time given and that we would just utilize the hashtag provided for race day.

Coming up with the plan was one task but finding the perfect content is another.  I thought it was both challenging and exciting to find visuals that would tell the story of what we wanted to portray.   Using colors that went with the brand and finding things that were both shareable for a mom yet fun and colorful for the girls was important.

We came up with some issues right from the beginning… how do we get the info to the branding team to post? When do we give it to them?  The Branding team came up with a live document and a perfect solution to input our content at any given time.

Before we knew it Race Day was here!!!  I will admit I was really, really disappointed I wasn’t able to attend.   I have been waiting to move into our new house for about 8 months and of course the day to move was on Race Day… As a girl and a runner I can only imagine the excitement!

There was face painting, music, hair paint, crafts and of course running!  I had envisioned myself getting some amazing photos to share for my team but instead got to look at everything from the view of social media! Thank you periscope, facebook and twitter!  The excitement was not muffled in my lack of being there and I got to see firsthand how important our job in social media is.  To tell our story with all the platforms and mediums at our disclosure, the sky really is the limit!

Being someone who does social media for a few clients I definitely learned how important preparation is, especially for a big event!  Things like making tweets ready to go with what’s expected is such a great idea!  Using other mediums like storify and flipagram to cover an event you couldn’t attend was so exciting for me I have already used them in my own practice!!

All in all I’d say it was a little confusing but very exciting and I am looking forward to seeing what elements of our Strategy, GOTRDE uses in their future posts :)

�S�4

[andsimplyb-blog]

I have finished the 3 days cleanse!

It was not easy to say no to homemade bruschetta and amazing looking and smelling cheeses.

It was really not easy to say no homemade chilli.

It was really, really not easy to NOT have even 1 beer or glass of wine. (is that double negative?) But I did!  

Day 3 I had a meeting for the "Thirsty Thursday" show at Rick Jensen's beautiful home. He and his fiance had the most beautiful spread prepared.  Worst part was it washealthy too &  still couldnt eat it :*(

I was feeling kind of angry that I wasn't able to enjoy everything when someone jokingly says "well this was just poor planning on your part-youknew this was coming! "

At first I agreed but for some reason I kept thinking about this... and this is EXACTLY why I NEEDED to do this.  

There is ALWAYS SOMETHING. There are always reasons to wait another day!  But this is your life and if you do not want to keep the same path... "if you want something you've never had... you must be willing to DO something you've never done" -Thomas Jefferson

If anyone read my last blog on doing this cleanse about 2 years ago you might remember I asked myself and all of you

"could you do this on your own without spending the 60 some bucks?.... I said "probably"  

but now I know that answer is no.  I tried and failed countless time. Does the money hold me accountable? Is it the whole getting the box in the mail? Is it just because someone else is telling me what to do? Is it actually what's in the cleanse with all of its nutrients and vitamins etc?  I don't know.

But what I do know is...

Yes It was really hard

I lost 6 pounds!!!!! (my number 1 reason for feeling that those 60 bucks was well worth it)

I feel awesome

My self control is back and my ability to say no actually feels good.

I have energy

I don't feel like the fat girl in my skinny jeans (who the hell was she & how did she get in my jeans?!)

I DO  have will power (I knew I did before??)

and as clich'e as it might sound .... I'm REFRESHED!

So all in all

   if you have fallen off the wagon and you need to get back on track

   you want to lose a last 5 pounds or so

   get rid of your cravings

   kick start your weightloss

or gain some energy

I totally reccomend the 3 day Refresh!!

I am not a coach but If you want to order it Shannon Meadows is my coach (im sure she wont mind ;)

http://www.beachbodycoach.com/esuite/home/shanmeads

Thanks for reading!

-B

PS: It was also not easy to do with no actual place to live... I kep saying I'd wait till we were settled in our new house but if I can do this with no refrigerator, so can you!!

[andsimplyb-blog]

[andsimplyb-blog]

3 Day refresh 0-1

Day 0 (didnt go as planned)

 I woke up all ready to go! Been waiting to do this! Get in my car and on my way to work I heard that damn sweet, pepper bacon sandwich commercial from DD like 4 times! I get to work and its freakin Omelet Day?! This man (Hey Sherm from Sherm Catering) is making the meanest most amazing omelets I’ve ever seen.  In my dispair of not being able to enjoy this goodness I sat at my desk n got to work… when about 7 people come over like, “Brooke it’s Omelete day!! Get your Omelet!”

 I love eggs man!!! from head down to my leggs!! Dear God I looove eggs…

Soooo, I caved.

I’m sorry I know… I am weak :( so I canned the idea of not eating this delicous egg masterpiece.  I did however go healthy, with all the veggie fixins, a lil bacon and no cheese. So Still on point for a paleo perfect plate.

Later that day I go in that dreaded break room n now there's bagels , muffins n freakin coffee cake!! WTF!! I’m tryin to eat better here people!  Anyway Yesterday was good n I didn’t eat the stupid sugar covered or breaded demons.

ok so noww Day 1 

Breakfast: 

 I drank Water when I woke up: Check

Coffee is not reccomended buttt we just spent the first night in our new house n damnit im having my freshly cleaned, n filtered water keurig 8 o clock coffee (that a proudly also programmed all by ma self! Thank you very much) ok Beachbody? …

Shake for breakfast with ½ banana: Check

So far so good… Later I started to get a lil hungry so I said I think I’ll do this sweep thing and shoot! I was supposed to do tea and water first

so I drank some water and some hot tea

FIRST MISTAKE!!!! Do NOT NOT NOT let the fiber sweep sit… it says drink promptly and they mean it!!! PROMPTNESS IS KEY HERE FRIENDS!! let me tell you why…it turns into GEL DUDE!!! I just drank effin fiber lemoney tea gel???. It tastes like something that should go in my hair… ?!! But my fault bc I can’t read directions so, now I know… 

 Lunch: 

 later… I grabbed my next vanilla drink and it’s pretty tasty I must admit, with the other ½ of my bannana and oh joy!!!! I get food now!!! 4-5 baby carrots and 2 tabelspoons of hummus!!! This made me laugh… Like seriously tho…who in the hell is gonna be like oh ya know what i’ll just go with 4 carrots…5 baby carrots is too much, wayy too much … lmao 

It’s now about 4… n im feeling pretty good but starting to get hungry again… Fast forward... It's now.. Around 11pm 

 Dinner: 

 So I ended up having my two cups of spinach with olive oil and salt n pepper. Delish! I made myself some tea and left from work at 6 pm. I had to go straight to class so I also made my other vanilla shake to drink later. This did not help by hunger pangs. I was starving all class. I was starving when I got home. I drank tea and water and ate a whole can of green beans even tho I’m only supposed to eat 12 but come the Hell on…. Who eats 12 green beans for God’s sake??? I’m still starving but I’m not eating now bc of the simple fact if I did I’d waste my money and I would have also been starving all night for nothing. I’m gonna chug water and go to bed. Tomorrow’s day 2 …

Feel free to share! -b

[andsimplyb-blog]

I thought she was a gonner but the FAT came back!

So I need to come clean about something… I did exactly what I swore I would never do. I worked so hard for so long before our Wedding day and then slowly but surely returned to habits I have not had in seriously YEARS!!! or maybe even EVER!!   here is my confession:

It didn’t start out this way. I ate pretty healthy even on the honeymoon and about 2 weeks after.   I wasn’t doing my regular work-outs but really wanted to get back into running. I was doing a pretty good job of it, running about 3 times a week...

Then it happened… I was at work (I work at a radio station so there is always free food any candy everywhere)… “Cakes by Kim” had a huge oreo cake to wish our Morning co-host Spencer Graves adieu and I ate it.   Special occasion right? So what? oooh boo hoo you ate a friggin piece of cake.  Wellll it was thee best cake I ever ate in my life!!!! So I ate another  piece. Then I was hungry a litte later n short on cash so I figured well shit, I already ate two pieces I might as well eat another one.  #cakeforlunch booooyyee!

 I felt great about it.

I didn’t run that night and I did not care. Or the next day …or the next.   We were moving and the videos were the first thing I packed.

There is candy almost in every corner of this place.  I have honeslty never been too much into sweets so this was never a huge temptation but I figured “meh who cares its a piece of candy, go head girl eat some” So i did… Everytime I walked by.

Few weeks later we finally moved out of out tiny apartment!!!! To celebrate, my hubby and I went out to dinner to our Fave Italian place… I have ordered pasta mayyybe 1 other time in my whole life. So, I ordered a big ol honkin’ pasta dish WITH the creamy sauce!! (I honestly don’t think I have EveR ordered that!!) SHIT YEAH!!!  WITH THE BREAD !! We ate it all and got seconds!! UUUMMM I forgot....BREAD IS AMAZING?!?!! It was the best bread and oil ever dude!! no wonder people eat this stuff!!?? 

Fast forward....We have been living back and forth with our parents and my mother in-law bakes. Like really good Ol’ Fashion bakes from scratch bakes... like has cookies and treats and chips everywhere…  I started saying yeah, sure, why not? …. to EverythinGGG.

Old habits die hard, especially when your repeating what you ate, where you ate it and lived for decades.

Then I was like ok this is getting a little cray, I’ll start eating good tom.

Whhooops tommorrow.... ok monday! For real this time!!

 I was so used to saying Yes I couldn’t say no!! I started over like everyday! and the worst part was I didn’t care! The scale was barely even moving anyway AND I wasn’t even working out… but I knew what would happen.

weeks turned to months… and then one day… it did

The scale crept up and my pants got tight n i said sheeeeeyyyiitt… i did it again! Damnit!! 

Granted I’m still smaller than what I used to be but I’m NOT going back there!  I’m way too close to repeating what I’ve worked for years to ever return to!

 (noway fat jeans!!! ---they are packed away! I’m so scared to put them on bc if they fit I’ll die!)

So I’m starting over… this is not a blog about being fat to skinny or working-out or any of those things but it is about living a simpler life… and i’ve felt like a liar bc i’m not.  

 I’m eating junk.

 Look, sometimes that simple life can get complicated but I’m here to tell you you can get it back! 

So weather you are in the same shoes (or pants) as me and need to get back on track or have never eaten clean… let’s simplify our diet and our lives and eat real food again.

DAY ONE

Yesterday I made myself accountable and posted this on FB and I did it. It was only one day BUT that is more than I can say for every other day!  I passed by those candy bowls and secretly said -no bitch… to each and every one. every time.  I won’t lie, I picked one piece of evil,travel sized temptation up and was like “eh its only one”… and then I was like woaaahhh no its not!! its ALL the candy you ate ALL the days… put.the.snickers.down. 

When I went in the God foresaken break room… and there it was: A big beautiful halloween cake! but I got out in time! I said no! it was free (thats always my reasoning) and i said no!! and it felt good.

At home josh asked me for a snack. I handed him over a Kashi chocolate Granola.  I almost caved! just a bite? its “healthy”??  but it occured to me I ALMOST made it all day???!! oh no I will not succumb to this sugar deamon!

I quickly handed it over, washed my face and jumped in bed, whew! I made it!!!

Day 1 Mission - 0 added sugar: COMPLETE!

Todays mission: 0 bread. Soemthing I used to eat so rarely is back with a vengeance, so let’s hope I can stay strong!

If you are with me? Feel free to read along, share, like comment …we are in this simply fightin battle together!  We can do it!!

-B

[andsimplyb-blog]

Google hangouts

Today I just wanted to share something I recently discovered though my Social Media Strategy Class, called Google Hangouts.  I had never heard of it before and I still have tons to learn about it but I wanted to share it with everyone (if anyone reads my blog that is lol) bc it is so amazing and easy to use.  You can virtually “hangout” with anyone as if they were right there.

It’s a great tool for meetings without having to commute anywhere for work which is obviously a MUCH simpler alternative to traveling back and forth, especially for long distances.  

(not to mention less expensive on gas and mile-age, so momma E will thank you too! #livesimply)

It’s basically like skype, or facetime and it’s totally free.   You only need a google (or gmail) account and a front facing camera to access it.   We used it for class to actually “hangout”  with a specialist in social media, who works for twitter. Thanks @NikkiKirschner

  It was amazing to me how easy it was to have over 6 people all “hangout” with no complications at all. 

You can mute or even turn your camera off while all still on the video chat. 

For me this is a really amazing option to see my sister and niece who live in South Carolina.  She recently got rid of her apple (we used to Facetime a lot) and skype has not been working well for us ...so this is a great option to keeping in touch with friends and family. No log in or out, no password, and no username necessary.

How do you Access it?

You simply go to google which most of do 100 times a day.

Click the little app blocks icon

scroll down until you see “more” and then click “even more from google” at the very bottom - you will see the little green quotes “hangouts” 

just click video call and voila!! You are “HANGING OUT” man!!

 There are so many amazing options with hangouts and you can even down load the app on your phone!   I’d give you more info on this but my phone is having some technical issues right now so you will have to stay tuned about that for another blog ;)

That concludes my google hang-out tutorial for you all I hope you find it to be useful and simple. (see what i did there) 

have fun! Hang out! andsimplyb

-B

[sew-much-to-do]

DIY Tic Tac Bobby Pin Case

✖✖✖✖✖✖✖✖

sew-much-to-do: a visual collection of sewing tutorials/patterns, knitting, diy, crafts, recipes, etc.

[cutediyprojects]

Such a simple, cute idea!

[andsimplyb-blog]

B -the Brand

So as I said before I’m back in school and loving it so far!!  It feels great to use this ol brain again :)   So, something we are focusing on is how we are a brand in our own right.   This is a topic I have been kind of fascinated by recently and I love that we are talking about it.   Every decision you make from your sheets on your bed, the toothpaste you brush your teeth with, the coffee you drink, the clothes you wear that ultimately make your outfit for the day, your hair, your car... all of it! ...makes you exactly who you are or who you at least come across as.  Is your image a good representation of you?   What does it say about you? This is YOUR BRAND.  Is your “brand” consistent as you go in and out of personal and professional environments?

For me I think my brand is pretty consistent from personal to professional but only recently, which I find to be interesting bc that’s about the same time I first thought about myself as a brand.  I was working in admissions and really unhappy with my job and I realized that, that job wasn’t staying true to myself.  I had to act different, I had to dress different, I had to be different.  I was not happy.   I didn’t feel good about it....

  I remember one day in an effort to get back to me, I decided to spice up my makeup routine as I normally do   -outside of work.  I wore my favorite red lipstick and was actually feeling good about going to work that day!  Black pencil skirt on still 100% professional and I caught about 7 minutes of flack from my boss and co-workers all much older men... some sexual harassment some poking fun... all totally insulting and ruined allll of my vibes.

Fast forward to today, same pencil skirt, new job, desk (decorated bc i actually want to be here) and a variety of bold lipstick colors in my drawer for any spontaneous color decision, given to me by one of my amazing co-workers, Cher, (thank you and your #Avon momma) with ALL of my vibes in tact!

These are the things that make you, YOU.   When I’m posting things from myself on Facebook I think I always keep in my mind that this is going on the internet whether private or not and I try to keep light, in good fashion and good fun with a dose of poise.  I don’t try to be too rigid and I think that would ring a similar tone to myself as well my employers brand.   Again, part of why I knew I needed to be somewhere else before.  

Being your own brand is absolutely about evolving and to do that you must be a life-long learner.  Keeping up with trends and staying curious with a thirst for new things is the only way you stay on top in any field.  

In closing, I think I’m lucky to be able to say that I my brand is basically the same online, professionally, and personally and that is something I am proud of!

What matters most is that regardless of how similar or different yours are,  that you too are proud that your brand is yours and that the everyday decisions you make reflect that pride in yourself :)

-B, the brand

:) 

“What is my professional online brand, and how is it similar or different from my corporation/employer’s brand?“ (Hint: Identify what defines you as a lifelong learner and professional, and how you interact on social media as yourself versus as an employee.)  

[andsimplyb-blog]

Oh back to school.... back to school

Well, I got my boots tied tight and my lunch packed up! (5 points if you can guess this movie) and I’m ready to hit the books! 

In honor of my nostalgic vibes I bought myself a few back 2 school presents: a Vera Bradley Planner I’ve wanted for about 4 years, a matching notebook and new book bag to get myself organized and ready to go back to school :) #imadork

 Every September, reminded by the cool breeze in the air, I find myself skipping down memory lane with the old excitement of going back to school, kind of wishing I was too.  ... Well this year...I’m back baby!

Today was my first day of #SMStrategy2015 and I couldn’t be more excited!   I decided to go back to school to get my certification as a Social Media Strategist!   

Why? Well a few month ago I found myself in a job I no longer felt passion for and a dead end in my career.  I was asked at a Christmas Party “if you could be doing anything, what would you do?”   Without much thought at all I blurted out... “I’d like to do social media and get paid for it”.

... and the rest was pretty much history!  I got hired by the very person that asked me the career changing question and slowly in a bit of a hidden maze, life started falling into place.

I was telling my students every day... “do what makes you happy and the money will follow bc of your passion! ...If you love what you do you never work a day in your life...”  and I knew I needed to follow my own advice.

Since then, I’ve started doing social media for 3 start-up companies and got a new job at WSTW (Delmarva Braodcasting) as a Media Coordinator.   That part was sort of by chance but it happened the very same day I left my awful job, so I have to think it was meant to be.  

I am starting this blog bc 

1 I shouldn’t have stopped my other blog in the first place and 

2 it was a homework assignment (who knew i could love homework so much?!) and 

3 I shouldn’t have stopped my other blog in the first place!

In the past year, I’ve gotten married, bought a house, rebuilt a house, worked-out, eaten lots of great food (aka new recipes yumm), started a new job and seen some beautiful sights! There have been sooo many things I wanted to blog about!  So from now on I’ll spend my blog posts doing just that... catching up on things I hope you find interesting and shareable with your own world, from mine :)

“in a world where you can b so many things... B yourself” -unknown

-B