Foodie Pen Pals is so fun. Think about your favorite "box" delivery service (bulu box, birch box.. etc). You pay $10-50 a month to have random goodies sent to in the mail. But wouldn't it be better if it came from a real person? Hence - foodie pen pals!

Here is what my pen pal sent me this month:

• Rice Crisps - a low calorie crunchy snack
• Ramen soup with a recipe for easy stir fry! (Basically frozen veg, stir fry sauce, and cooked ramen noodles. quick, easy, and i'm not complaining!)
• Popcorn with parmesean and garlic seasoning. << I fully intend on using this topping for my kale chips i'm making this week
• Banana Chips - these are loaded with sugar, but are a nice sweet indulgence :)

Interested in joining Foodie Pen Pals? Details about the program below....

Jillian Michaels is awesome. I went to see her at the Warner Theater last night with my dear friend Katie for her "Maximize Your Life" tour. She talked about nutrition/fitness for the first half and then more life inspiration in the second half. And let me tell you... she really is such an inspiration. I left wanting to do more, accomplish my goals, improve my relationships, and improve my life.
I will also tell you she was wearing some form of spanx which I saw when she raised her hands over her head - so it made me feel better that we don't all have to aspire to have a 6 pack all the time.

Here are my top takeaways from the event:

1. Your metabolism isn't just related to what you eat - it's also related to stress, sleep, and body hormones
2. When buying fruits and veggies, eat more of the clean 15 and less of the dirty dozen
3. You can calculate how many calories you burn a day by doing "nothing" by calculating your BMR. Mine is about 1518. Plus, you can multiply that number by a lifestyle activity factor to determine how many calories you burn based on your normal activity. AKA i work a desk job - so if i don't work out at all that day, i'm probably burning about 1518 * 1.2 = 1822. So if I don't work out that day - in order to maintain my weight, I shouldn't consume more than 1822 calories. Pretty cool.
   
4. Communicate more in your relationships. If you say what you want/need and the other party can provide that/respect that, then you need to purge that relationship from your life.
5. Jillian Michaels is actually pretty funny and down to earth. She agrees that $6 for a pint of organic raspberries sounds silly.
   

So with that - I am starting my 30 day countdown to Bikini Season (Memorial Day Weekend). You can watch the clock with me in my sidebar. In the next 30 days my plan is to firm and tone my whole body so that I feel 120% confident walking out to the pool in my bikini.

My plan:

Decrease my carbohydrate intake while increasing my protein intake
Eat more plant-based meals
Decrease my sodium intake (salt increases bloating/ water retention - not good for bikini season)
Cut all soda and sweetened drinks that are not 100% juice
Increase the # of times I lift weights per week
Sleep at least 8 hrs/ night

This is not a diet - I am not trying to lose weight. I am trying to cut fat and get my body in the best shape i know how.

The reason I'm putting this all up here is because I believe if you set a goal you are much more likely to work towards it and accomplish it if you tell someone else about it. Think about it - maybe I get tired of being so particular about my work out regiment and nutrition and I give up 2 weeks in. No one will know except for me so it's easy to quit.

Say your goals out loud. Write them down. Tell a friend/relative. Tell me in the comments :)

What to do on a Saturday afternoon in Northern Virginia? Drink wine, eat food, enjoy the sunshine, and catch up with good company.

This all started because Veramar Vineyards was offering a "poor man's" wine tasting in honor of post-tax day weekend (?) What could be better than a wine tasting? A free wine tasting (with canned food donation). As savvy young women, we're always trying to save a dollar, so of course we had to go.

For our mini-tour, we went to 3 different wineries: Veramar Vineyards, sister winery Bogati Bodega, and North Gate Vineyard.

Here is my review of each winery:

Stop 1: Veramar Vineyards
We started here and were huge fans of the
free wine tasting event. They also had a gorgeous patio where we ate our picnic lunch. It was a bit chilly for our taste, but still - we could have stayed here all afternoon and had a pleasant time. The landscape was breathtaking and there was plenty of seating inside and outside.
B+ for Wine Selection
A+ for Atmosphere

Stop 2: Bogati Bodega
This winery was a bit busy when we went, so we didn't really get the attention our group desired. However, for a $7 tasting fee, the wines were quite delicious and this was the only winery we visited that had a unique Sangria for us to try. I ended up buying 2 bottles here: the Viognier and the Seyval Blanc.
We were disappointed that we weren't allowed to enjoy our own food at this location, as they only had one table outside, and all other seating was indoors only.
A for Wine selection
C+ for Atmosphere

Stop 3: North Gate Vineyard
This was a our last stop and for a $5 tasting fee + an additional $5 to pair our wines with chocolate, we enjoyed a flight of the winery's offerings. The 3 chocolates we had were very tasty and pretty! North Gate did have a fair amount of snacks available for purchase, but we were still allowed to enjoy our picnic on the back patio, which was nice. They also had live music, but it was a bit crowded inside and on the back patio. None of the wines particularly stood out to us, but a couple ladies still ordered a glass after the tasting.
B- for Wine Selection
A- for Atmosphere

I am positively exhausted - just had an amazing workout in my kickboxing class. Reason number 87 I'm addicted to this class... my instructor dropped heavier hand weights in front of me mid-class because she thought it was too easy for me. Part of me was like "ughhhhh" but now I feel super accomplished that I was able to step my game up. The other part of me feels super sore and tired. No Pain No Gain.

In other news... This is the first and only channel I have ever subscribed to on YouTube. Why? Because this guy is hilarious. Keeping it real at the gym. Try to only watch one video. I dare you.

After an amazing weekend spent with old friends at the 50th anniversary of our high school- I am exhausted. Cooking is one of the last things I want to do when I'm super tired, but I really need to a) stop eating out so much and b) stop eating convenience foods that are not good for you.

My philosophy? Taking shortcuts in the kitchen is totally acceptable - especially when you're short on time/energy.

I found this Curry Simmer Sauce at Trader Joe's and figured I'd give it a try. What I love is that I can actually read all the ingredients on the label: Tomato puree (tomato paste, water), tomatoes, onions, garlic, sea salt, coriander, cumin, tumeric, paprika, lemon juice concentrate, pepper, cinnamon, cloves. Now I could put all these in a pot, but it's a lot easier on days like this to take the shortcut.

Curried Chickpeas with Zucchini

1 T olive oil
1 onion, medium diced
2 small zucchini, diced
1 large can of chickpeas (25 oz.)
1 jar Trader Joe's Curry Simmer Sauce

in a large pot, Sautee onion and zucchini in a tablespoon of olive oil until tender crisp (zucchini skin should still be bright green). Drain and rinse chickpeas and add to pot. Add 3/4 C of water and 3/4 jar of the curry simmer sauce. If you want to stretch the recipe - add more veggies and more sauce. As written, this makes about 3-4 servings (depending on how much you eat!)

I served my curry creation over cilantro lime brown rice. Simple recipe there - just follow the directions for making brown rice (1 C rice, 2.5 C water) and add 2 tablespoons of chopped cilantro, the juice of 1 lime, and S&P to taste. If you're feeling fancy, garnish with some chopped cilantro.

Healthy, vegan, low fat, delicious!

I’ve heard a lot of people say they don’t like working out. I get it. I used to be one of those people too. Going to the gym can be really boring and hard and just overall crappy.

My philosophy is that people who don’t like working out just haven’t found exercise they love yet. I’ve done my fair share of different kinds of exercise. I hate running, but love kickboxing. You just have to find your passion! People talk about getting a runner’s high… and I have no idea what they are talking about. I can run 3 miles and feel nothing. But I do understand how certain types of exercise can give you these amazing feel good endorphins that make you feel accomplished, energized, and all over AWESOME!

Still need help? You're in luck...

7 tips for making yourself want to work out:

1. Look good while you’re working out. Maybe it’s just me – but I feel like I work twice as hard when I can look in the mirror while doing my exercise and smile at the person I’m becoming. Buy yourself a workout outfit (or ten) that you love to put on because you look good in it! I bought these pants from target and I’m kind of obsessed with them.

2. Get Motivated. Keep a list of motivational phrases/pictures by your desk, on your mirror, in the car…wherever! I keep my list of Motivation on Pinterest.

3. Nourish yourself. Some people think it’s a good idea to go to the gym on an empty stomach because they are dieting or because they are trying to burn fat. I disagree. I always have to eat something before the gym (Calories = Energy). That being said – make it light and healthy. Working out on a cheeseburger and French fries probably won’t go over too well. My favorite pre-workout snack is an apple with natural peanut butter (no sugar or salt added!) and a healthy granola bar. You want a mix of simple and complex carbs (simple carbs digest faster than complex… so think you need some energy now, and some later) plus, protein.

4. Make a killer playlist. Music pumps me up when I work out! Especially when I’m doing any sort of cardio (think push through the pain) – I prefer to listen to music. Check out my current running playlist ... even though I don't really run (we'll just pretend).

5. Get a workout buddy! A few reasons for this...
    A) it’s easier to let yourself down than it is to let someone else down. Ie. I can tell myself “meh… don’t feel like going to the gym today” but if I’ve already planned to meet someone at the gym it’s really hard to tell them I’m not going because I don’t feel like it
    B) a buddy is much more likely to push you to do your best!
    C) it makes the gym more social so it feels like less of a chore and more of an activity

6. If you have to work out alone…Create a schedule or go to a group fitness class on a schedule. It’s a lot harder to let yourself down if you say “I’m going Mon, Wed, Fri at 7am” than if you say “I’m going to go three times this week”. Once you get in the habit of going to the gym, you’ll miss it if you don’t go!

7. Reward yourself. Set a workout goal, and if you meet it – reward yourself! Whether it’s a pedicure, new pair of shoes, massage… whatever floats your boat. You’re more likely to stick with it if you’re getting something out of it. My favorite reward? Trader Joe's Soy Creamy Cherry Chocolate Chip Ice Cream with peanut butter and slivered almonds on top.

<< Dream about that. That is all. Happy Thursday to you.

Here's your Monday morning motivation...

"You're already here - you might as well work harder"

That's what my aerobics instructor said in my 50/50 class a couple weeks ago in what seemed like an endless set of burpees - and doesn't it relate to life? You're going to be around for a while, so you might as well make the best of it - work the hardest that you can, do the best that you can - and then some.

I'm challenging myself to follow my passions and channel my drive for success. Life is too short to want to do something and just never do it. And thus, I have created a blog - The F List. For all things about fun, fitness, food, friends, and Faith (that's me!). A little cheesy...I'm aware. Get used to it.

Oh... and if you don't know what a burpee is...