Shelf cat is a happy cat. #dangercat #cats #catsofinstagram #pets #petsofinstagram #shelfcat #happycat
$LAYYYTER

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RMH
he wasn't even looking at me and he found me
Monterey Bay Aquarium

Andulka
šŖ¼

@theartofmadeline
art blog(derogatory)
One Nice Bug Per Day

ē„ę„ / Permanent Vacation
styofa doing anything
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#extradirty

Product Placement
Peter Solarz
Not today Justin
Game of Thrones Daily
d e v o n
todays bird
seen from Germany
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@hypothesizer
Shelf cat is a happy cat. #dangercat #cats #catsofinstagram #pets #petsofinstagram #shelfcat #happycat
"Innocence lost. Experienced gained." 08/08/2016
Paradise in the city. #austin #sights #ladybirdlake #latergram #atx
"We make kids confident in their words." @austinbatcave #austinbatcave #writing #storytelling #sights #austinstorytelling (at Home Slice Pizza)
Work work work. And all I wanna do is go back to this. #daydreaming #romance #weddingdance #tbt #throwbackthursday
#jackdaniels #whiskey #vintagead #airbnb #tenneseewhiskey
Lights. #lighting #sunday #sights
Silhouette. #silhouette #sights #weekend
In my memory, I was high on adrenaline at this point. And then I saw the photo evidence. I was definitely drinking Veuve Cliquot from the bottle and laughing up a storm with one wonderful woman. Shout out to @ambsakimbo for capturing this spectacular moment. @eschliss #memories #friends #throwbackthursday #tbt #veuveclicquot #happilyeverafter
I said "yes" to moderating because I love meeting people, I love interviewing people, I love getting the spotlight and then shining it on others. I didn't actually know how good it would make me feel emotionally and intellectually. There's a feedback loop in front of an audience that makes me tick. It can be terrifying, but just the kind of terror necessary to kick communication into high gear. I am grateful. And eager to continue doing more of this.
If you know me, this is obvious.
By myself yet with so much emotional support. The kind Iāve always needed.
The new approach to a healthy life is all about balance. For example, $5 Drink Before Elixir from the Wheatsville Co-op. Because nothing says balance like I'm healthy enough to get plastered right now. Will report back on its efficacy soon... For research purposes mostly.
A series of firsts I encountered & approached during my Whole 30 Challenge AKA experiment
As a reminder, the Whole 30 banned foods list includes: sugar, grains, soy, dairy, alcohol, and basically any ingredient you canāt pronounce.
- Went to a Happy Hour and didnāt drink alcohol. For four hours.
- Went to a Mexican restaurant and didnāt chips. Or salsa. Or queso.Ā
- Went to a house party with abundant alcohol and chicken wings. I neither drank the alcohol nor ate the wings. I also avoided the hummus.
- Declined all the free food and alcohol in my office. All of it. Free.
- Went to another three-hour happy hour. Didnāt drink alcohol. Didnāt eat the truffle popcorn OR fries. Ugh.
- Went to a birthday party at a brewery! For so many hours!
- Went to an Italian restaurant and found something to eat.
- Started a class calledĀ āCreated a One-person Show.ā
- Started taking Acro Yoga classes.
- Picked up boxing.
- Made cauliflower rice.
- Used my food processor.
- Sharpened my knife skills (haha!).
- Cooked Tilapia.Ā
- Made a compliant pesto.
- Drank a water-based, homemade green smoothie because at the last minute I realized the organic coconut milk my husband so graciously bought was actually organic coconut milkĀ ābeverage.ā This was a very disheartening moment.
- Got my thoughts on paper.
- Stood up for myself.
- Karaoked!!!
OK, so it wasnāt my first time doing the last three, but it had been quite a while since Iād done them and really felt confidently like,Ā āthis is the right thing to do - I am doing what my body/mind/soul is telling me to do and therefore it is right.ā I was OK with myself. With my own mind, my own words, my own body. My own skin.
So, I guess the experiment has shown me that I am a lot more open things that I thought. Also, that I really didnāt have to give up a lot to live my life in the way that makes me happy. Sure, I miss DESSERT like none other, but I got to hang out with my friends a ton, participate in a bunch of activities, and give my silly thoughts and feelings the light of day on paper, in words, and in my energy.
A dear friend of mine remarked recently that weāre living in a society where we all apologize for enjoying things too much. Youāre excited? You care about that? You want to display that youāre excited because you care? LOSER. Maybe because I am an excited and caring person, I see his observation as an AHA.Ā
Ultimately, I think itās that being vulnerable enough to displayĀ your excitement or your care for something - especially something you like or something that makes you feel proud - is what gets hounded. And thatās when people start apologizing or diminishing their accomplishment.Ā
But, in the spirit ofĀ āyou do youā culture, Iām gonna go ahead and say āthank youā to those whoāve congratulated me or said theyāre proud of me. Iām proud of me too, so much so that I wrote this Tumblr post! Which is less about the pride and more about the experiment (see, Iām apologizing already).
In the end, each moment weāre living is something weāre doing for the very first time. I think we all deserve gold stars for our bravery, and the license to be proud of what weāve done and learned along the way.Ā
Day 30 of the #whole30 challenge. Never thought I could cut out grains, dairy, sugar, and ALCOHOL for 30 days but I did it. I'd like to thank my most supportive friends, black coffee and grapefruit LaCroix for helping me achieve this distinguished honor. I feel fantastic and would do this challenge again in a heartbeat. @whole30recipes @whole30 #healthy #day30 #selflove #lacroix #blackcoffee
Clean hair. Zero makeup. Cat shirt. #selfie #selflove #shamelessselfie #bangs #hair #modcloth
Forget losing weight. This applies to basically everything.
I am reminded that for the last 19 days I have been conducting an experiment that I have completely forgotten to track. In fact, I basically forgot all about the scientific method besides theĀ āconduct the experimentā part. Frankly, that was the most important part to me so I guess Iām not failing too badly.
I am historically a person who lacks discipline. Seriously. Look at my Gallup StrengthsFinder 2.0 report and you will see itās in my bottom 10 - possibly my bottom five strengths. AKA, not a strength. Iām more the motivationĀ type. AKA, wait until the time is right. Which it never is. Thusly, it is an enormous challenge AND accomplishment that I have even commit 19 days to anything at all.*
So when I decided to do the Whole 30 I didnāt reallllly do what I was supposed to - tell someone. I didnāt announce it one Facebook or Instagram. I didnāt tell my coworkers, friends, or even my husband. Frankly, I read all the stuff about getting started but didnāt really know if I was committed to 30 days. I just figured, what the hell? Iāll try it out.
Ever read that study about the people who - upon saying theyāre going to do something - release whatever hormone it is that makes us feel accomplished? In other words, just sayingĀ āIām going to make a podcastā to several of your friends actually causes your body to process the feeling ofĀ āI make a podcastā and thusly triggers the pride about something youāve done. Problem is, you havenāt actually done it, dummy. Yep, Iām one of those people.
As a result, I hesitate to tell anyone about anything Iām doing. What if I donāt hold myself to it? Now that there are these expectations of me, Iām worried about what others will think. They will know if I fail. Now I think Iām going to fail because the possibility is out there. Yep, if I donāt tell anyone Iām even thinking about starting a challenge, it isnāt possible for them to know that I could fail at it. Falling tree, youāre safely tucked away into this forest.
Alas, here I am having completed my 19th day of the Whole 30 Challenge and people actually know. They know! They know because I have gone to multiple happy hours, parties, brunches, and dinners and completelyĀ āfessed up. Note: I have also made sparkling water/club soda as dressed up as possible (ācould I trouble you to muddle the blackberriesā?) to not draw attention to my abstinence from drinking. Surprise! Iām still having fun, yāall. My drink has fruit in it.
But really, people - especially the people who know me and my lack of discipline - are shocked to see me abstaining from what the crowd is doing. Because I ALWAYS cave. I LOVE participating. I HATE missing out. Especially when it comes to fun things I like, including but not limited to booze, smokes, carbs, and cheese. At least I still have black coffee.
The point is, I went into this thing not knowing if I could make it especially because of my history but wanting to try because I never really have. Iāve never tried something and NOT given myself an out when it gets hard. I HATE things that are hard and basically canāt handle them because Iāve never needed to (thanks, mom and dad! no seriously). Hence discipline is so unnatural to me. I say IāmĀ āwhimsicalā and thatās my excuse for changing my mind when things arenāt fun anymore.
Day 19. No alcohol. No carbs. No dairy. No added sugars. No cigarettes. No nothin except veggies, meats, fruits, water, and black coffee. And you better believe none of it is processed (except the cauliflower rice I made in my food processor - yippee!).
So, Iām more than half way through a commitment I wasnāt sure Iād really follow through with. The experiment,Ā ācan I really set my mind to something and achieve itā is moving along without glitches. I have definitely learned some solid things along the way - prep food on the weekends, keep the menu varied, oh and I feel REALLY GOOD without all the crap in my body. Yeah, I do. I feel really fantastic.Ā
Iām probably mostly surprised that I am in such a good mood even though I decline to consume the things I usually love to consume. That I am having fun even though the historicallyĀ āfunā elements have been removed from my body. That I am feeling good even though I am having to commit to something hard every single moment of every single day.Ā
I mean, really, itās only been 19 days. But, for me, it might as well be 30. I know Iām going to make it. Because my mind is already made up. I will achieve the Whole 30 Challenge. And I will learn from this experiment that I really can but my mind to anything with a little discipline.
*I have actually committed to my husband for a lifetime although it has only been less than three months of marriage. He would like you to know that I am not as fun on the Whole 30 Challenge but that I am significantly more annoying.