Monday, January 31, 2011

why can't boys wear pink?

When I am not teaching kids cooking classes, I often work at the store next door, which sells toys.  I do a lot of deep thinking when I am pricing or displaying products. 

For example, why do girls play with beautiful dolls (ie Barbie), pretend purses, and mirrors?  Why do boys play with trucks and trains?

Have Barbies given girls low self esteem and body image issues?  Not many girls can compete with the plastic form of a Barbie doll.

And why is pink a feminine color? (A quick history on gender specific colors here.)

The extent to which gender is/has been exaggerated according to popular societal values is almost impossible to measure.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

throwing in the towel,

not an option.

exactly a year ago, I started a crazy journey; working in the food industry. 

about five months ago, I started an even crazier journey; chemistry as a pre-requisite towards a masters in nutrition.

the hardest aspect of this venture is that I feel like I am taking about ten steps backwards and there aren't too many people to talk with about it; following an unconventional path is challenging.

(I am humming John Michael Montgomery's song, Life's a Dance, in my head as I write this, haha.)

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Jack Lalanne

Rest in peace, Jack Lalanne.

streamlining

the last semester of my bachelor's degree, I took business policy to fulfill my marketing degree. one thing that really stuck with me from that class was the concept of streamlining; businesses should strive for their operations to be as efficient as possible.

this reasoning can be applied to life; although I am so happy that I have built my schedule in a way that allows me to work on many projects, I run around town getting everything done. for the moment, I just have to breathe through what I can't change; having class MWF instead of TTH, for example.

I am learning to enjoy the journey.

Monday, January 24, 2011

favorite ingredients

with food, I tend to crave things in cycles; for a few weeks straight I'll want hummus at every meal, for example, and then without any notice I can't stand the sight of hummus.

my current obsession:

cocoa and natural ricotta cheese. as a simple satisfying dessert, sometimes I add a sprinkle of brown sugar, sometimes I add a bit of blackstrap mollasses.

I have been wanting to make my own for a long time, recipe here.

Friday, January 21, 2011

an ode to my Jetta

This morning I hopped in my frozen Jetta to find that she had reached exactly 65,000 miles last night!  My Jetta has spent most of her 8 years in Texas, and this morning at 5:30am she was completely covered in thick frost.  I had to get to my 6am bodystep class, so in 20 degree weather, with my head hanging out and all of the windows down so I could see, I drove the quarter mile to my Gold's Gym. 

Here's to you, my lovely Jetta.

Monday, January 17, 2011

Friday, January 14, 2011

Body Step

82! Launch was awesome this quarter; we even decorated the studios.  Next week I will be able to try the new releases of pump and attack, too.

Find a Les Mills class near you.

ps it has been freezing in Dallas; nothing compared to the northeast but still really cold:


"if

we are going to build a restorative economy, an economy that values preservation and restoration as much as it values extraction and consumption, an economy that heals broken social and ecological relationships while it creates wealth and commercial opportunity...we are going to need investment capital and investors of an entirely new kind."

via Civil Eats

Thursday, January 13, 2011

no impact

Towards the end of last year, I was buying a lot of things (for gifts and myself); finding balance between having things and consuming in a non-detrimental way is a challenging.
I really got distracted from my goal of living simple.  My brother got me this book:




which I found inspiring and has some awesome ideas, I highly suggest it!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

New Year

Happy New Year! 

I am starting with a clean slate this year; yesterday I got a new computer AND I got my teeth cleaned. 

I read a really great book that I got for Christmas:



Also, check out the nesting hedgehogs from one of my favorite sneakpeaks:


via designspongeonline.com