on going unplugged

my husband religiously reads a blog called zen habits.  every so often, he'll pass along a post that he finds particularly inspirational.

last week, he passed along this post where the author deleted his facebook account.  not deactivated it.  deleted in.  g-o-n-e.

it sparked an interesting discussion among a few of us about social media and its impact on our lives.  my husband resided firmly in the camp of being leery of social media.  sure, he's got a facebook account, but you will very rarely find him posting anything.  while the man never meets a stranger, knows just about everyone in this town, and is quite the extrovert, he is extremely private when it comes to what is and is not shared about his life on social media. i seriously looked for the four horsemen when he posted a status update last summer because that never.ever.happens.

another one of our great friends, who is an avid facebook user, didn't really see what the fuss was about.  he saw facebook as a great tool for keeping in touch with friends and family, sharing photos, and that it didn't really cause him a great amount of stress in his life.

as i read each of their responses, i started thinking about how i felt on the subject.

i believe i fall somewhere in the middle.

unlike my husband, and like my friend, i am an avid facebook user and am dangerously close to being addicted to twitter.  at any given time, you'll know where i'm eating dinner, what quote is speaking to me that day, or see pictures of my adorable brown dog.

who can resist that face?  you know, minus the mud and all.

in addition, facbook has allowed me to reconnect with old friends and connect in a new way with some of my younger family members (love you, cousins)!  i am also part of several private groups on facebook, which allows us to quickly and privately share information, inspiration, and meeting notifications without blasting them to our entire friend list.  i've also found social events, such as a local yogafest, that i would've never known about without facebook.  also, facebook is the main source of traffic for this little blog.

however, i've had my share of pain, for lack of a better word with facebook, as well.  during election season, i have to walk away from facebook on the regular due to political rants that make me angry or frustrated to the point that i want to stab myself in the eye.  truth be told, i have facebook friends that use facebook year-round to share their political or social views, which is fine.  on occasion, i've done the same thing, but 99.9% of the time, i use facebook to share how much i love burritos, how gobsmacked i am at who "the bachelor" eliminated this week, and that my friends rule.

while i don't get caught up in the likes or the comments on facebook, i have to say i do fall victim to that at times with my blog, which i put my heart and soul into every time i post.

in addition, i have unintentionally hurt different friends' feelings by something i did or did not post on facebook. 

no bueno.  when i look at those elements, it makes me wonder if the cons outweigh the pros and sometimes, they do.

i find it interesting that in this world where we are (in theory) more connected than ever by technology, i often feel disconnected and lacking meaningful interactions with my loved ones.  i can't tell you the last time that i've been to a social event where someone (including myself) wasn't emailing or texting or facebooking or tweeting something.

i've been kicking around the word "intention" a lot recently.  what is the intention behind my blog?  what is the intention of my interactions with my family and friends?  i'm still figuring it all out (as i truly believe myself to be an ever-evolving creature), but i think my intention currently is to have meaningful connections with myself and those i hold close to my heart...to really be present and not distracted by a bunch of technological noise. 

for me to accomplish this, i truly believe that unplugging from the distractions of things like texts and facebook, on occasion, is crucial.  easier said than done, for sure.  i've started small though. 

it is a rare occasion that you will find me checking my phone during a lunch or dinner with a friend.  (taking a picture to demonstrate what a fabulous time we are having with a possible facebook post, maybe, but absolutely no texting.)  i try to keep it firmly stowed away in my purse.  just ask my husband.  while enjoying dinner with a group of girlfriends last week, he didn't know whether or not i had fed bogue.  since my phone was in my purse, i didn't see his text, and he had to resort to calling my girlfriend's husband to run downstairs and ask me.  i see these ladies once a month and i wanted to be engaged with them, not preoccupied with texts or facebook "likes" and i would be if my phone was within arm's reach. 

i admit that i do struggle with this more at home, where my ipad, computer, and iphone are within arm's reach.  so, that is the next hurdle for me to overcome.  maybe putting them in a different room is a good place to start.

well, maybe not the phone.  you know, in case of emergency and all.  :)

do you ever go unplugged?  

linking up with:  random wednesdays

xoxox -

soup recipe + SAD + moments

if you are friends with me on facebook, you already know that i've had a serious bone to pick with mother nature.  it has been so gray and rainy for days on end that i am about to snap.

this is typical of nc weather in february and about this time every year, i start to withdraw.  i don't want to talk.  i don't want to socialize.  i can't get motivated to do, well, much of anything.  seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a real thing folks.  i can testify to that.

it is frustrating, depressing, cyclical, and well, sad. 

apparently mother nature decided that i needed a ray of hope and she provided absolutely beautiful, sunny, 60-degree day yesterday.  hallelujah!

i made brunch for husband and then we headed out with bogue, the fearless brown dog, for a nice, *long* walk around downtown apex.

strange how a little bit of sunshine can completely change my mood.  it reminded me that this too, just like so many other things, shall pass.

rainy, wintery weather?  it is just a moment.  warm, sunny weather will return.  even though it too, is just a moment, but the good moments help when the bad moments pop up from time to time.

that beautiful day yesterday?  it too, was just a moment, as mother nature so rudely reminded me when i woke up to a gray sky and 30 degree temperatures and rain in the forecast tomorrow.

sigh.

oh well, at least i have this soup to keep me warm.

this is a bowl of pure deliciousness.  like most of my preferred weekday meals, it is super easy.  as my "real life" friends know, i am super skeptical of the 30-minute meal tag, because i don't know what clock these people use, but most of the "30-minute meals" i've tried take me an hour.

i had this from start to table in 30 minutes.  booyah.

garlicky tortellini, spinach, and tomato soup
slightly adapted from fine cooking

ingredients:

*  2 tablespoons butter

*  3 - 4 tablespoons bottled, minced garlic

*  1 9oz. package of frozen cheese tortellini

*  1 5oz. package of baby spinach

*  1 32oz. carton of low sodium chicken broth or vegetable broth

*  1 15oz. can of diced tomatoes, italian style

*  8 to 10 leaves of fresh basil or 2 - 3 teaspoons of dried basil (i used dried, because it is what i had on hand)

instructions:

1.  heat butter in a large dutch oven or saucepan over medium heat.  add garlic and saute until fragrant, about 2 minutes, being careful not to burn it.

2.  add broth to pan and bring to a boil.

3.  once the broth is boiling, add the tortellini.  cook for approximately 5 minutes, or 1/2 of the cooking time as described on the package.

4.  add the tomatoes, including their liquid, and let the soup continue to simmer for 5 minutes.

5.  add spinach and basil, stirring just until the spinach is wilted.

6.  top with parmesean and/or mozzarella cheese.  we used both, naturally.

enjoy!

xoxox -

favorite

fa·vor·ite:  [fey-ver-it, feyv-rit]

~NOUN:  A PERSON OR THING REGARDED WITH SPECIAL FAVOR OR PREFERENCE~

i spent last week in beautiful jackson hole, wyoming for our annual ski trip.  i have had the good fortune of being able to travel to many ski destinations on the west coast and i have to say, unequivocally, that jackson hole blew me away.  the love affair began as the plane descended over the grand teton mountain range.  i was breathless.  the mountains are unlike anything i have ever seen.  simply put, they are stunning and will reinforce a belief in a higher power.

for me personally, when it is time for vacation to come to an end,  i'm usually more than ready to come home.  i miss my house, my friends, and my sweet brown dog.  this time was no exception.

however, it always seems that re-entry back into work is painful and again, this time was no exception.  it has been a l-o-n-g week.

so, friday, thank you for arriving (even if it did take you f-o-r-e-v-e-r)!

besides friday, here's what i'm loving this week!

*reusable straws - unless it is coffee or wine, i prefer to sip my trusty spa water through a straw.  what i don't love?  those plastic one-use wonders.  i've used them before (quite frequently), but the environment-loving girl in my heart felt guilty.  enter reusable straws.  my mama santa put some in my stocking this year and they are awesome! sipping my spa water and iced green tea guilt-free over here these days.  i'm thinking of maybe picking up some beachy colors for the spring and summer!

santa left me this festive holiday pack, but you can find similar ones here.

 *alone time - maybe this is an only-child thing, but i need my alone time.  if i don't have it, i am one cranky girl and will take it by force, if necessary.  i need my space to journal, read a book, meditate, practice yoga, run, whatever.  i actually had a nice alone day in jackson hole, where i got to read a book, take myself out to lunch, and get a manicure.  it was fantastically lovely.  speaking of books....

*the host by stephanie meyers - when my friend, stefanie, suggested this book i was a tad skeptical.  unlike 99% of the female population, i did not get into the whole twilight series.  i read the first one and it was good, but not good enough to prompt me to read the next three books, nor see any of the movies.  plus, i'm not a big sci-fi fan.  however, stef assured me that i would love it and since she had indulged me and read gone girl, i decided to go for it.  so, so glad i did.  this book was awesome.  it took me awhile to get into it, but about a third of the way in, i was hooked and completely invested in the characters.  i even yelled at her for not warning me it was 620 pages because i wanted to know what the freak happened already!  (see - i'm warning you. it is 620 pages, but it is an easy read and well worth it.)  it made me question so many things about humanity....how we treat each other...is our nature inheirent....heck, would we be a kinder and gentler race/planet if someone/thing else took over?  go check out the host.  it is especially perfect if you are jaunting off somewhere that necessiatates a lengthy plane ride.  (did i mention it is 620 pages long?)

*my new "orioles" necklace from swell caroline - my husband is from maryland and is a huge orioles fan.  h-u-g-e.  huge as in one day i came home from god-knows-where and he announces that he has switched us from our local cable provider to directtv, because directtv is the only provider that carries the masa channel.  for those of you uninitiated, masa is the only channel that carries the orioles baseball games all season long.  (i will spare you the whole diatribe that ensued about the owner and his wicked ways that cause this to be the case.  you're welcome.)  i am all about sporting my teams colors and considering that i am now an adopted orioles fan, i knew i needed to get some gear.  however, their colors are black and orange.  black, i have plenty of but orange, eh, no.  seeing as how i am a redhead, the closest to orange that this girl is going to get is an accessory.  enter swell caroline.  i absolutely love how it turned out and of course, i opted for a monogrammed charm.  this should not surprise anyone who knows me irl.  what was even better is that this little pretty arrived on valentine's day and since husband and i were apart (as he was travelling for business) this cheered me right on up! we will be heading down to sarsota in march to check out the orioles at their spring training camp and visit friends and some of my family. i can't wait to debut this at the game(s)!

go orioles! 

*today's semi spring-like temperature - this warm-weather gal is completely and totally over winter.  my heart skipped a beat when i saw it was going to be sunny and 64 degrees today!  i can't wait to take bogue for a walk this afternoon before it, apparently snows tomorrow??  ugh.  what the heck mother nature?!?!  oh well, i guess i'll take what i can get!  (really though, mother nature, if you want to go ahead and move on into spring, i'm completely okay with that.  just sayin'.)

happy friday, friends!  have a lovely (snowy?!?!?!? gah!!!!) weekend!

xoxox -

favorite

fa·vor·ite:  [fey-ver-it, feyv-rit]

~NOUN:  A PERSON OR THING REGARDED WITH SPECIAL FAVOR OR PREFERENCE~


it has been a hot minute since i've blogged.  i have had a health snafu going on (as it seems most folks have these days), but i am on the mend and feeling lots better!

just in time for another round of friday favorites!

*  my word of the year necklace - my next door neighbor and good friend, tracey, shared the link to this lovely necklace earlier in january.  she thought it would be perfect for me and it is!  my necklace just arrived a week or so ago and i l-o-v-e it!  not only is it dainty and lovely, it is such a good reminder of my word of the year.  i decided to go with the sanskrit word for contentment, santosha, to make it a bit more personalized for me.  while i chose the silver, it also comes in gold. 

loves, loves, loves it!

*  my electric blanket - unless it is in excess of 80 degrees, i am going to be cold.  over thanksgiving, my mom broke out these comfy, cozy electric blankets.  i was in heaven!  then, she told me that we could take them home!  they were supposed to be part of our christmas gifts, but she decided we could have them on the early side.  i question how i ever survived any winter without it.  i was so in love that i actually gave one to my mother-in-law for christmas and who has called me 3 times to talk about how wonderful it is.  i am curled up under right now, while it is 25 degrees and sleeting outside.  speaking of another favorite....

*  snow days  - unfortunately, i no longer get snow days because i, fortunately, am a mobile worker and work from home 99.9% of the time.  i still love a good snow day though.  i love watching those big, fluffy flakes (which are supposedly headed this way around 4 p.m. EST) float through the sky, creating a big white blanket.  i love how quiet and peaceful it gets, at least for a little while.  i love the frequent knock at the door as one of the neighborhood kids ask if they can use our driveway and hill for sledding. (yes, sweetie.  always yes.  just be careful.)  i love that it gives me an excuse to drink one more cup of coffee, a silly amount of hot chocolate, followed by an even sillier amount of hot cider for the sake of keeping warm.  i love putting a pot of homemade soup on the burner, all warm and bubbly, that is sure to take the chill off from snowman building.  i love the fire my husband gets going in the fire pit outside.  i love how bogue tries to figure out "what in the heck is this white stuff."  i love cuddling and getting cozy.  now if this freezing rain and ice we are currently experiencing would turn to snow, well, that would be swell.  (sigh, winter in nc.  lots of ice.  not-so-much snow.)

*  homemade spa water - for probably going on 3 years now, i do not drink soda except on a rare occasion.  we are talking maybe once a year, if even that.  so, i drink a lot of water.  water on its own is okay, but it can get, well, rather boring after a while.  one day i was at the spa with my bestie, melissa, and we were commenting on how yummy and refreshing the water was.  i remember looking at her and asking, "why don't we ever think to do this at home?  it isn't hard.  all they are doing is floating some cucumbers in a pitcher of water."  now, i do this on the regular.  i've branched out as well.  at any given time, you'll find cucumbers, lemons, clementines, oranges, strawberries, blackberries, or raspberries floating in my water.  it is delicious and so refreshing!  i'm rocking the cucumbers today:

just say no to processed "fruit-flavored" water and make your own.  it tastes better and is better for you.  promise.

* gone girl by gillian flynn - i finished this book awhile ago, but i have been slowly convincing my friends to read it.  it is so much fun hearing their reactions!  even though, like many of my friends, some parts of this novel just down right ticked me off (but what good piece of literature doesn't inspire intense emotion), i loved every.single.second of it.  so many mystery/crime novels follow a certain formula these days that by about half-way through i've already got it mostly figured out.  this one?  absolutely not.  do me a favor.  if you like mystery/crime novels, please, please read gone girl.  trust me.  you'll be shaking your head at the end wondering what-in-the-hell just happened.  perfect read on a snow day!

happy friday, friends!  stay warm and have a lovely weekend!

xoxox -

net

net:  [net]

~NOUN:  ANYTHING SERVING TO CATCH~
 
i read this blog religiously (as well as her book, which has changed me in ways that are indescribable, but i'll try in another post).

she speaks of her "net."  her group of girlfriends that she can count on through thick and thin, no matter what.

as she describes it, this net seems quite large and diverse....made up of many different layers of women.

some who are mutual friends.

some who are not.

some who like each other.

some who are odds with one another.

but still, when the time calls for it, the net comes together to cradle the one in need.

i have, shall we say, "challenges" with cultivating relationships with other women.  i have been betrayed and hurt in various and sundry ways that have jaded me.

after years of work, i now enter relationships with cautious optimism.

yet, i am still slow.  very slow to trust.  to be open.  to be vulnerable.

then, this happened.

slowly...very slowly...i shared the news with my closest girlfriends.

next, i took a leap of faith and shared with a couple of girlfriends that didn't know me as well and who i kept at arms length for a variety of reasons.

but now, in the midst of chaos, i wanted to let them in...to see a very fragile, vulnerable part of me.  

i didn't know what would happen.  i didn't know what the reactions would be.

so, i waited....without expectation....

....and not very long.

now?  i struggle to find the words to express the gratitude i feel in my heart.

the abundance of support, kindness, and straight-up unbridled love i have received from these beautiful women is unparalleled and something that has touched my heart and changed me in ways that i know i still haven't fully recognized.

oh, i have a net, my friends.

it is strong.

it is amazing.

it is beautiful.

i wouldn't change it for the world.

lise, melissa, anna, teran, amy, niki, stefanie, and tracey - you each are a very special blessing in my life.  i love you.

xoxox -

favorite

fa·vor·ite:  [fey-ver-it, feyv-rit]

~NOUN:  A PERSON OR THING REGARDED WITH SPECIAL FAVOR OR PREFERENCE~


the first of (hopefully) many 2013 friday favorites.

*  black-eyed peas and cabbage:  as a born-and-bred southerner, it has been instilled in me that every new year's day you must eat black-eyed peas and cabbage for luck and prosperity.  last year, we did not do this.  this year, i was not taking any chances.  i absolutely l-o-v-e these veggies, but my marylander husband was not so convinced.  so, i did a little magic in the kitchen.  seasoning them, not in a necessarily traditional way, but a way in which would be pleasing to the hubby as well.  guess what?  he loved them!  score one for the wife!

*  the tv show, parenthood:  if you aren't watching this show, you are seriously missing out.  they manage to tackle some very serious material, which is often heart-wrenching (i've cried during the last 4 episodes), but you most always seem uplifted at the end.

* a nice, new day planner for 2013.  while i am on a computer all day and do have an iphone, i still love a good, old fashioned day planner.  i religiously use the lilly pulitzer monthly planner.  while the print i'm sporting this year is no longer available, they do have 2 cute prints remaining, which just happen to be on major sale through tomorrow.  you can find them here.

*  my first pair cowboy boots that my husband got me for christmas, with an assist from my 2nd cousin, sarah.  i am in l.o.v.e.  speaking of 2nd cousins....

*  two of my 2nd cousins got engaged over the holidays!  i'm so excited for both of them and i'm really glad that i began to deepen and strengthen my relationship with my 2nd cousins over the past few months.  of the first generation cousins, i'm the youngest by about 10+ years, seeing as how my mom is the youngest of four.  as i got older, i really started to develop a close friendship with some of these ladies and we began looking at each other as friends, instead of just "me" as the baby and "them" as my older-cousins-who-used-to-change-my-diapers.  as the second generation of cousins started coming into the world, i realized i would probably have a very similar dynamic with them.  over the past few months, they've come to tailgates, flown in from florida to visit, had sleepovers at my house, and we've exchanged lots and lots of texts and facebook posts  (it brought tears to my eyes that the 2 girls who got engaged thought to send me an individual text, even before my mom, their aunt, got the news).  i can't wait to be in attendance at their weddings (i'll be the one doing the ugly cry) and i'll try my hardest not to talk about what it was like to change their diapers, but i'm not making any promises.  :)

happy friday and hope you all have a lovely weekend!

xoxox-

soup

soup:  [soop]

~ NOUN:  A LIQUID FOOD MADE BY BOILING OR SIMMERING MEAT, SEAFOOD, OR VEGETABLES WITH VARIOUS ADDED INGREDIENTS. ~

i have a confession to make.  once the weather turns cold, and oftentimes dreary, as it has a tendency to do in the winter, i crave soups and stews.  i just simply cannot.get.enough.  there is something about a bubbly pot of goodness on the stove that just makes my heart happy.

sure, my southern girl heart would rather be in the tropics, soaking up the sun, listening to reggae, with a mojito in hand, but alas, this is not (always) possible.

i don't "do cold" very well.

however, a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do...

so, soups and stews it is to warm up my southern girl heart in the midst of a cold winter's night.

on sundays, where there seems to be a fabulously excessive amount of time to spend in the kitchen, i will whip up a concoction that requires hours of simmering, soaking up the anticipation of a hearty stew that will soon be served for dinner.

however, on a rainy, cold wednesday, i've got things to do and i need to get my soup fix with a quickness!

as a girl who has a self-processed love for tomatoes (thank goodness for my childhood neighbor's garden, as well as that of my brother-in-law, for amazing tomatoes in-season), one would think that tomato soup and i would have quite the love affair.  however, much to my dismay, i thought for the longest time that i simply just didn't like tomato soup.  i wanted to like it, but the stuff out of the can and even from my favorite sandwich shop, well, it just fell short.

until i found this recipe...and modified it....of course....because that is just what i do.

this, my sweet friends, is tomato soup perfection and is hands-down one of hubby's favorite soups (and mine too).

the best part?  it is done start-to-finish in 45 minutes.  it doesn't get any better than that for a quick night meal!

so, give it a shot.  even you tomato-soup haters.  i promise you will love it!! 

here's the scoop:

spicy tomato soup
slightly adapted from whole living magazine

ingredients:

* 1 28 oz can whole peeled plum tomatoes (i typically use muir glen, and/or organic if i can find it.  don't skimp here on quality, as this is the basis for the entire soup.  you'll be glad you spent the extra moolah for top notch tomatoes.)

* 2 tbsp of olive oil

* 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of red pepper flakes (i use 1/2 tsp, since my husband likes the spice...obviously, he's married to a redhead.  ;-) )

* 1 1/2 tablespoons of minced garlic

* 1 half of a large white onion, diced

* 2 1/2 cups of vegetable broth or low-sodium chicken broth  (i am partial to vegetable broth)

* salt and pepper

* freshly shredded cheese

instructions:

1.)  heat oil and red pepper flakes in a dutch oven or soup pot over medium heat 30 seconds or until fragrant.

2.)  add garlic and onion.  saute until soft, about 5 - 6 minutes.

3.)  add tomatoes, crushing slightly with your hands or a wooden spoon.  stir in vegetable or chicken broth.  season to taste with salt and pepper.

4.)  reduce heat and let simmer for 30 minutes.

5.)  transfer soup to a food processor or blender.  puree until desired consistency.  (we leave ours just shy of completely smooth, so you still get small bits of tomato.)

6.)  top with your favorite cheese.  we enjoy mozzarella, parmesean, and/or fontina.

we also serve it with a garlic ciabatta bread for dipping!  if fresh basil is in-season, go ahead and throw some on top.  the possibilities are endless!

give it a try and let me know your thoughts in the comments.  :)

enjoy and stay warm!! 

xoxox -