What I'm Loving Wednesday

Hope you are having a "spooktacular" day.

I’m loving… that today is October 31^st. I’m not a huge fan of Halloween. Don’t get me wrong, I have nothing against it. I used to love dressing up to trick-or-treat or going to parties. This year I dressed 80s style -  big hair, lots of eye shadow, fuchsia lipstick, the works.

Simple Kale Salad {w/ recipes}

Have you noticed that kale has been all the rage lately? It seems like everywhere you turn, someone is raving about the benefits of kale: everything from lowering your cholesterol to preventing cancer.

And what's not to love? Kale is nutrient rich and delicious. It is packed with calcium, vitamin A, C, and K, and fiber.

I love to add it to my morning juice, hearty soups, sautee it with a little olive oil, bake it to make dried kale chips, and use it in a salad, like my recipe today.

Kittens!!! {w/ cuteness}

Having a rough day? Feeling a bit blue? Well hopefully the pictures below will put a smile on your face.

Our friend's cat had kittens recently. They were an "accident", but adorable none the less. They all piled into the dog's food dish for snuggle time.

Poor mama Rosie, she's got her paws full. 

Hope you are having a wonderful day!

Raw Carrot Ginger Soup (w/ health}

This past weekend the husband and I visited our friends in LA. They took us out to their favorite places, which, when you're visiting two foodies, pretty much revolved around eating. We ate, and ate, and ate some more. I'm still stuffed. The food was delicious - but today all I want to do is eat fresh fruits and vegetables, to try to make up for the exorbitant amount of meat consumed at Korean BBQ and a Dim Sum brunch.

And while I can't pretend like I am always a healthy eater, because you can find evidence of the contrary here, here, and here, I do try to have balance. I love fruits and vegetables, and try to make them the centerpiece of a meal when possible, like here.

Tonight for dinner is a recipe I found a few weeks ago, when my hubby and I decided to follow a 5 day meal plan for a Reboot. Have you seen the documentary Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead? It's all about the benefits of juicing and a journey to regain health. Despite the film's name, it's not one of those stomach churning, hard to watch films. It is thought provoking, informative, but also encouraging.

The meal plan we followed had tons of great "clean" recipes for juices and meals, including a delicious roasted acorn squash and this raw carrot ginger soup.

Oh, How Pinteresting!

Honestly, what did we do before Pinterest?

It is without a doubt, my favorite social media site.

I learn more about my friends by their pins than what they post on Facebook.

Thanks to Pinterest I know how to rock a sock bun, bake bread in a crockpot, and clean everything with vinegar.

Here are a few of my favorite pins from the last week:

 

 

Butternut Squash Soup (w/ bacon)

via

 Caramel Apple Cider Cookies

via
 

New uses for bottles

via

 Essie's "Smokin' Hot" polish

via
 

 I could live here...

via

 

New Glasses {w/ reviews}

hello friends. hope you are having a fantastic start to your week.

***

Lately, I have been obsessed with my new computer glasses. I've always loved the look of glasses. I would even wear my reading glasses around the dorm halls because, let's be honest, when you're makeup-less and have bed head, you need some cute glasses to help pull the look together, even if they make anything more than three feet away a bit blurry.

But lately, I've actually been needing new glasses (not just for the fashion appeal). Sitting at a computer 8+ hours a day, my eyes ache by the time I head home. Plus, there is a wicked glare on my screen from the sun.

Amazing view from my desk = horrible glare on the screen

So, I set out for an updated prescription. I went to the optometrist and got my new prescription   I looked at the frames at the office, but wasn't too impressed. Plus I knew that all the cute ones would be $300+ and my insurance would only cover part of it.

So, I ventured out. I decided to buy glasses... online. With so many new companies offering high quality frames and lenses for less than $100, it was hard to resist. The hubby tried to talk me out of it. As someone who's worn glasses/contacts his whole life, he knows how hard it can be to find the right pair. But, I happened to stumble upon a website that has a free trial. I was skeptical, but figured even if I had to pay for shipping, it would be worth it since the glasses were so much cheaper than at the doctor's office. Turns out, the free trial... it's actually FREE.

Twine Wrapped Block Letter {w/ crafts}

well hello there, glad you could join me today.

This past week was almost cool enough to be fall in San Diego, which meant I jumped at the opportunity to craft. The cooler weather brings it out of me. Last year I tackled a dozen projects - leaf stamped gift bags, leaf mod-podged mason jars... see a theme here? It's true, I absolutely love fall. But this craft today is perfect year round.

I found my inspiration here but decided to make it as a monogram that could sit on my bookshelf.

I started out with a spool of hemp twine, a large block letter "A" from Michaels, and my trusty hot glue gun.