My city is better than yours (Neener Neener)

Since it’s Wednesday (which I hate) this post will be a list (which I love!).

The list will be………Reasons that Seattle is the best city!

REASONS SEATTLE IS THE BEST CITY (In no particular order)

 

90% of the time a hooded sweatshirt is antiquate for warmth

• Hooded sweatshirts are the best. They are comfy, warm, and cheap. Unlike other cities where you have to buy really expensive down jackets, or where it’s never cool enough to encase yourself in the cuddliness of a sweatshirt. If you’re someone who walks a lot, a light waterproof jacket may also be necessary.

Jeans are appropriate almost anywhere

• Seattle is a laid back place. Heels, nice jeans and a cute top are acceptable at even the nicest restaurants. So you can dress up, but you don’t ever really have to. That is awesome. (My old work place would be the exception to this rule. You know little man syndrome right? Self-importance speaks for itself)

Lots of different kinds of People

• Washington has all kinds of different people, which makes it great, and Seattle is no exception. It’s a melting pot of people and cultures from around the world. Plus, it’s not just international, go just outside of Seattle and you can find farms and “down home sensibilities” as my grandma would say. All of them are awesome, some of them just eat more kale and some of them have more guns. Or both.

Mountains

• Hiking, Skiing, Snowboarding, snow shoeing , snowmobiling, hang gliding, every outdoor adventure you could want, at your finger tips

Beaches

• This photo speaks for itself. That is all.

Ruby Beach - Olympic State Park

The food of the big city

• Mexican, Thai, Italian, Japanese, Cantonese, Ethiopian. You want it, we got it. It’s weird? We definitely have it. It’s delicious, it’s on every corner.

The community of the small town

• One of my favorite parts of Seattle is that it’s a big city comprised of small towns. Each neighborhood has its own vibe, its own reputation, and its own identity. There are locally owned restaurants and a corner store walking distance from my house

Music!

• Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Jimmy Hendrix, and so many others – you’re welcome world.

I could go on forever with all the things I love about this city. I’m only slightly biased. I didn't even get into the awesome shopping, the way we love our sports teams or the straight up beauty which is this city on the water

Photo Credit - ME!

Happy Wednesday Everybody!

Ranty-rant-rant

Hi Friends.

 

I have an awesome post lined up for this week, but instead I’m going to rant about something that’s been irritating me. Maybe tomorrow the awesome post will happen. It’s about why Washington is the best state. It practically writes itself.

But that’s not what this post is about. This post is about french Fries. More specifically Burger King’s new crinkle cut French fries, which they toast as being a “healthy” alturnitive (quotation marks added by me).

So this ad doesn't say it's healthy, but it's implied

Now I’m going to accept their ad at face value. Maybe the fries are all of those things, compared to regular fires. That doesn’t not make them a healthy choice and labeling them as such is misleading and really unhelpful.

Do you know what else is healthy? Fried chicken, when compared to eating Crisco straight out of the tub like ice cream.

Frozen yogurt is also really healthy compared to ice cream. Doesn’t mean you should just eat fro-yo in order to lose weight.

Gummy Bears are the best Fro-yo toping. Fact.

There is so much misinformation about losing weight and ads like this BK one just add to it. Eating french fries is not healthy. Not ever. Regardless of how you cut them, fried potates will never be good for you. I’m iffy about potatoes in general. Sure they’re delicous, but that doesn’t make them a good choice.

This isn’t to say don’t eat French fries (or potatoes for that matter). I love potatoes, or even better, pasta – made out of potates. Gnocchi for the win!

This is to say:

·         Eat them in moderation
·         Know that they are a treat
·         Don’t delude yourself into thinking they’re a good choice.

Losing weight is tough, but it’s simple. Know your calories going in and your calories burned through activity. Try and eat clean and know where the calories are coming from. Sure 2,000 calories from just bacon is still 2,000 calories, but what about fat and salt and how you feel? These are the sort of things you should also be thinking about. Finally, give it time. This is one that I still struggle with. Making the right choices and giving it time to take effect.

Thinking that you’re making a healthy choice when you’re eating fries is counterproductive. Fried things aren’t a healthy choice. Regardless if it’s fried cauliflower or fried potatoes or fried shrimp. It’s delicious. Eat it. Love it. Don’t think it’s a good choice.

 

Same with lettuce covered in bacon, cheese and blue cheese dressing. Call it a salad sure, don’t call it healthy or a good choice.

This gem (which, btw, I love) is a salad at Red Robin, that's over 1000 calories. Delicious, yes, healthy, no.

Call it delicious, don’t eat it every day, read labels and be informed.

*rant over*

Whiskey makes me sad?

Hi friends! Super fun weekend around here, now it’s onward to the week ahead!

 Friday night I went to a really fun show with some friends in Ballard. Surfer Blood is a favorite band of Baby Brother and they put on a great show. It was at a small venue so we got be right up front which was great! I also wore super fantastic hipster glasses, because Ballard. Obviously.

 

Surfer Blood @ The Sunset Tavern

yeah, sure they're prescription.....

 

 

 

 

 

 

Saturday morning I got up early to run some errands before the Seahawks game at 1:30. A bunch of friends came over and we cheered the Seahawks on to a victory over the Saints. Next week it’s the 49er’s here at home again. I love football, and watching the Seahawks in the playoffs has been super exciting!

After snacking and drinking all day we decided to go out to Fremont for a bit, to a place that’s usually happening, the Red door. It was pretty dead, and we called it an early night. I did notice that I was unusually melancholy on the way home from Fremont. I don’t know if I was just worn out from the day or if it was the whiskey ginger’s I had, but Saturday night I just wasn’t in a good head space.

 

There’s been a lot of change lately and sometimes it all just hits me at once. I am happy and maybe it’s good to have those off nights, so that I can appreciate that I’m not feeling like that all the time anymore. It was a good day, and I am so blessed with the people that I have in my life right now. I’m glad that the sad lasted for an hour and not days. Or weeks. Or months. Always a silver lining!

Sunday Morning I got up feeling pretty fantastic. I cleaned up the house, started some laundry and the dishwasher and headed out to the gym. Two things:

1.       The fact that I can press some buttons on two machines and come home to clean clothes and clean dishes is AWESOME. Sometimes with all the first world problems we forget about the first world successes! Automated cleaning for the win! Now if there was just a cleaning machine for my bathroom…..

2.       Sunday mornings are my favorite time to work out. The gym is quieter; the whole vibe is just different. I love it. Lately my Sunday morning ritual has been interrupted by church. As in a church opened next to my gym and the church people take up all the parking. Everyone has their own Sunday morning rituals, but I’m a little pouty that they are now complicating mine. It doesn’t help that it’s a church that I fundamentally disagree with. #GoBackToBallard

After the gym I went over a lovely little lady’s house for some time in the kitchen with her mom and some other fantastic lady friends. We had a great time, I learned so much about chicken, and got to bring home some really delicious food for lunches this week! We made chicken and dumplings, individual chicken pot pies, and chicken salad.

After I got home from all the cooking I went out bowling; which was super fun and a great cap to a fantastic weekend.

This week I’m excited to keep up the gym routine, I’m back to weekly weigh in’s and tracking food and work outs. There are 24 weeks until my birthday (which kicks off summer, obviously) and I have big plans for how I’m going to look and feel.

 I’m also excited to go down to Oregon this weekend and surprise my grandparents at their joint 80^th birthday party! Actually check that, maybe surprise isn’t the best idea. Regardless, it’ll be great!

Bring it 2014!

 

We’re the lucky ones

So I failed to do a new year’s post. Luckily I don’t believe in new year’s resolutions, as I’ve stated. So I guess we’re all good on that front.

I do really like lists though. As in, there were times in college that I had a list of all of the lists that I had made. That’s totally normal, right? Awesome.

So in honor of the New Year and just because they’re awesome, today’s post will be in a list format.

1)      I don’t think that I say this enough, but I should. I am so blessed. I really am the lucky one. All of the wonderful people that I have in my life, and all of the opportunities that present themselves to me. All of my problems are first world problems, and that’s really the best kind of non-problem.

2)      I started a Jillian Michaels training program again. I pretty much can’t move any part of my body. With all of the stress and change that happened this fall, I really got out of the gym habit. I’m really pumped to be back in the gym and excited to start seeing some changes in my body.

3)      Eh, I don’t really like this number, lets skip it

4)      I’ve started online dating. It’s crazy entertaining. Nothing outlandish so far. All though I have gotten some interesting opening messages. The only that stands out right now is “5’8” huh? For real?” Because, you know, it’s woman that lie about their height on their profiles. I think online dating might need it’s own post.

5)      Lately I’ve really started to feel comfortable in my own skin. I am starting to really like myself, and I don’t mean in a superficial sort of way. Just in a “this is who I am, and I’m good with that”.

6)      I’ve also gotten a lot better about letting people come and go from my life in a way that’s organic. If they’re supposed to be here, they will be. If they’re not, then I need to accept it and move on.

7)      Life is a lot less stressful now that I’m learning to just let things be what they are. I think it’s making me a better friend and a better person. My guiding principles for the last few months have been to try and be nice no matter what and to not put my expectations on to other people. I’m so much happier. You should try it. Seriously.

Overall, I’m really excited about 2014. I have incredible friends, big plans for the future and a really optimistic outlook on where I’m headed. In a word I’m unstoppable.

 

Sorry for the lack of pictures. Even getting this post up has taken me over a week!

 

Also, list posts really lend themselves to the ADD way my brain’s been operating lately. Expect more J

 

Also, also I hiked Poo Poo Point last weekend. It was amazing. Be jealous.