So maybe I'll start blogging again....

So much has changed since I took my hiatus so long ago.  I needed some time to acclimate to being a new mother of my son (now 3) and just life in general!  So I'll start with what has been on my mind lately.  Baby names! Ugh! I'm expecting another boy in July and have been trying to find the perfect name.  So here's what links have been distracting me lately:

Of course a baby name generator (http://www.parents.com/parents/xfile.jsp?item=/quiz/babyname/findname-new&ordersrc=googlecontent65991DCO-Baby-Name-Quiz&gclid=CNuh7qC9-8MCFRAjgQodqpsAVQ)

But this one was a waste, because at the end they ask for your email to get the results.  I just finished this whole quiz but now I get no name. Boo.  I don't want to be added into another emailing list. I already get tricked trying to save paper by opting to send my reciept to my email address--only to later find out I'm now on THAT store's emailing list too...I've even asked "will I be put on a list?" And the answer is always "absolutely not!" Double boo. The tricksters...

If you really want a baby name helper (for a boy anyway) try http://www.fitpregnancy.com/baby/baby-names/cool-and-unique-boy-names/slide/10 

I give it 5 stars!

Love, Rose

REALationships: Never Fight Fire With Fire

So I saw this quote while reading my Youversion plan this week and I couldn't agree more, so I wanted to share.  A little background: I'm married. And I feel like its a very healthy and marriage, although far from perfect I'm sure.  But when people ask my husband and I what makes it work so well--this is one of the first things that we say--it is also one of the hardest things to do in the beginning of a relationship, but SO worth it. 

You can't fight fire with fire. 

In ANY relationship.  And if it is more important for you to be "right" than you've got a long (lonely) road ahead of you. Just wanted to pass this along in case it helps someone. #loveisreal #andpatientandkind

Check out the reading below:

Love,

Rose

Fashion Fridays: Things I Love: Black , White and Color

This is a classic combination and a good transition out of winter and into spring!  Here are some looks I have been crushing on lately and using myself:

from Atlantic-Pacific

from Atlantic-Pacific

from Atlantic-Pacific

from Atlantic-Pacific

TGIF!!

Love,

Rose

My Green Thumb!

Now that its spring, I have been thinking of starting a vegetable garden and had no idea where to start, until I stumbled upon SmartGardener. This site helps you:

1. Set up your garden
2. Select your garden plants &
3. Create your plan

It even sends you weekly reminders for what to do.  I know that in times like these more and more people are valuing where their food comes from and that we are trying to cook with the freshest, healthiest ingredients.  At least I know I am.  What is fresher than food from your own garden? Cheaper, better tasting, and full of nutrients.  Don't have a space to have your own garden? Check into community gardens in your area--many places have them and you can rent a plot for as cheap as ten bucks.

If you want to track my progress, check in on my garden here, or follow my Green Thumb pinboard on Pinterest.

Happy sprouting, and happy spring!

Love,

Rose

Safety First

I received the following e-mail and wanted to pass it on. In modern times, one must always be on the forefront of new developments--and here is a relatively new shift in crime. Don't know how true this is, but there are some great procedural safeguards to consider.

Be safe!

Love,
Rose


A very interesting article. The electronic age has produced electronic criminals.

1. A family left their car in the long-term parking in San Jose while away, and someone broke into the car. Using the information on the car's registration in the glove compartment, they drove the car to the people's home in Pebble Beach and robbed it. So I guess if we are going to leave the car in long-term parking, we should not leave the registration/insurance cards in it, nor your remote garage door opener. This gives us something to think about with all our new electronic technology.

2. GPS.
A couple of weeks ago a friend told me that someone she knew had their car broken into while they were at a football game. Their car was parked on the green which was adjacent to the football stadium and specially allotted to football fans. Things stolen from the car included a garage door remote control, some money and a GPS which had been prominently mounted on the dashboard. When the victims got home, they found that their house had been ransacked and just about everything worth anything had been stolen. The thieves had used the GPS to guide them to the house. They then used the garage remote control to open the garage door and gain entry to the house. The thieves knew the owners were at the football game, they knew what time the game was scheduled to finish and so they knew how much time they had to clean out the house. It would appear that they had brought a truck to empty the house of its contents.

Something to consider if you have a GPS - don't put your home address in it...
Put a nearby address (like a store or gas station) so you can still find your way home if you need to, but no one else would know where you live if your GPS were stolen.

3. MOBILE PHONES

I never thought of this...

This lady has now changed her habit of how she lists her names on her mobile phone after her handbag was stolen. Her handbag, which contained her cell phone, credit card, wallet, etc., was stolen. 20
minutes later when she called her hubby, from a pay phone telling him what had happened, hubby says 'I received your text asking about our Pin number and I've replied a little while ago.' When they rushed down to the bank, the bank staff told them all the money was already withdrawn. The thief had actually used the stolen cell phone to text 'hubby' in the contact list and got hold of the pin number. Within 20 minutes he had withdrawn all the money from their bank account.

Moral of the lesson:

a. Do not disclose the relationship between you and the people in your contact list. Avoid using names like Home, Honey, Hubby, Sweetheart, Dad, Mom, etc...

b. And very importantly, when sensitive info is being asked through texts, CONFIRM by calling back.

c. Also, when you're being texted by friends or family to meet them somewhere, be sure to call back to confirm that the message came from them. If you don't reach them, be very careful about going places to meet 'family and friends' who text you.

*PLEASE PASS THIS ON

* I never thought about the above!

Food 101: Chicken/Eggplant Parmesan

I made this for dinner the other night--it's one of my favorites!

Rose's Chicken or Eggplant Parm

Ingredients: Chicken and/or eggplant, an egg, italian bread crumbs, olive oil, spaghetti, marinara or your favorite spaghetti sauce (or you can make your own sauce)

1. Get the ingredients together for the chicken or eggplant slices so you have a little assembly line.

2. Put the chicken breasts side by side on a cutting board and lay a piece of plastic wrap over them (or put inside a ziplock).

3.Pound the chicken breasts with a flat meat mallet, until they are about 1/2-inch thick. Then season with salt and pepper.

4. In a wide bowl, combine the egg and a bit of water or milk- and , beat until frothy.

5. Put a cup of Italian bread crumbs on a plate.

6. Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil over medium-high heat in a large oven-proof skillet.

7. Lightly dredge both sides of the chicken cutlets in the egg wash to coat completely, letting the excess drip off, then dredge in the bread crumbs.

8. When the oil is nice and hot, add the cutlets and fry for 2-3 minutes on each side until golden and crusty, turning once.

9. Ladle your favorite marinara or spaghetti sauce over some cooked spaghetti and add the chicken and sprinkle with mozzarella, Parmesan, and season to taste.


Enjoy!

Love,

Rose

Fashion Fridays: Prabal Gurung for Target

So I know it's Monday, but the widely anticipated Prabal Gurung line for Target is here! Check out my favorites ranging from $12.99 to $44.99. Shop here before they are out of stock!

Don't forget to share with a friend!

Love,

Rose

TMRW: Are You Ready to Be a Wife?

So I know its been ages, but there is so much going on that I haven't made time.  But I have gotten so many comments on wanting TMRW back that I am making the time!!

I started writing this post to talk about an awesome cleaning schedule that I found on Pinterest, but then I had to give some background on how I was on that topic and it evolved into a post about being a wife (well really a mother, and a wife, but I'll break it up into two posts).  So here goes:

I suppose some modern renaissance women eventually get married and some eventually have kids (although not necessarily in that order)!  Well, it can be an especially difficult transition for both roles even if you have the perfect s.o. (significant other) and/or the perfect baby.  Moving from single woman to wife is something that most women assume and think they are ready for--and often times we plan an obsessive amount for the wedding, but do we plan for the marriage?

We think we are ready to be engaged before we are truly 100% ready to be ok by ourselves.  And its an important step to be ok with being by yourself.  It doesn't mean anything is wrong with you!  Before you jump into a relationship, you must be comfortable with yourself. And confident in who you are.  Otherwise you run the risk of having someone else define who you are and what you stand for.  Now on the next level (marriage) we also tend think we are ready to have a husband--but are we ready to be a wife?

To be a good wife is an especially difficult role because you take on the weight of--well, everything.  And many women aren't ready for that.  We are trained to have this image of prince charming sweeping us off our feet and riding off into the sunset with him taking care of your every need.  Well women react three different ways to this--

1. "Well I don't need a man to do anything for me! I can take care of myself thankyouverymuch.  I have done it all myself before and I will be fine doing it myself!!" And guess what-- men will agree with you and you will continue to be "BY YOURSELF"

or

2.  "Yes my prince charming is coming and we are going to be perfect, and ride off into the sunset, and he will buy me flowers every week and spoil me and all I have to do is get spoiled.  And we will have 2.5 kids...if I wait long enough, he will arrive.  Any minute now....any minute!"  Yeah go ahead and pop in a Disney flick and he sure will arrive, honey.

or

3.  Realistically-- "Okay, I'm sure that fairy tale is not 100% true, but I'm sure I will find someone that appreciates me for who I am and is willing to work on the rest."

So let me quickly tell you about men (from asking men)  Most will say they need a variation of these three things:

1. To feel like a man
2. To feel needed
3. Sex.  Consistent sex.

That is it! They really are simple.  (ask a man if this is true) It's us as women who tend to be more complex and to need a lot more--but that's another blog.  The perfect person is out there for you--right now. Alive and well.  So maybe say a prayer for them.  Ok, back to being a wife.

The role of wife is honorable--if you make it so.  You set the tone of your household.  It's actually a lot like chess--yes they say "the husband is the king", but the queen is the most powerful in the whole game.  And with that power comes a lot of responsibility!  My first experience of wife came from watching my mother-- who was nuts, but passed on many good lessons to me for how to be a good wife (from her mistakes and from her triumphs).  It was a blessing to have a mother who is also a wife to model that for me, and that is why I am passing this onto you--who may have not had the role of wife modeled for you.  This model could be anyone though--aunts/uncles, grandparents, close family friends.  In speaking with many of these women in my life, it helped me accurately see what being a wife was really supposed to encompass.  Of the many lessons, I will share the few that have proven to really solidify my marriage:

1. Communicate (with respect).  Everyone says this and it is so true!! And communicating isn't feeling some type of way and then telling your closest girlfriend about it--its telling your significant other directly!  It is hard at first but so rewarding.  Communicate what your expectations are of each other, and of your household. Communicate what you love about each other and what you don't love, and what may never change even though it bothers you!  Communicate how you want to clean up--or how you would rather pay someone.  Or how you want to throw a party or how you like your eggs cooked--or how you hate steak because you think of the poor cow!  Communicate about money and what you would do with a million bucks--or how you would punish or reward your kids (or not reward?!).  Communicate about having one vs. two bank accounts...or how you can't stand some family members--but why you want to fix that relationship with their help.  As much as you communicate--your relationship will only get stronger.  You truly have to open up though--people can't read your mind, and you shouldn't feel bad for what's on your mind.  You also have to deliver your message in a way that it is received in an "I'm telling you because I care about you" type of way.  More on that later.  In fact, if you want to know more--read the book Communication (you can buy it on amazon for a penny)!

2.  Let home be home.  When your s.o. gets off work and has been fighting through bosses, and projects, and deadlines and deadbeats and you name it--be the warmth that greets him and allows him to woosah.  That can be a simple "hey!"  or "how was your day"   or even if its time by himself to just relax and re-group--he deserves it.  Don't have him fighting and arguing as soon as he walks through the door because YOU had a bad day.  He may have had a bad day too.  And if he knows that is home waiting for him--he won't go home.  There is a time and a place to have those discussions but try to have home be a warm and caring place as much as possible.  That will certainly set the tone of the house, and he will then treat you warm in return--and rub your feet and do whatever else you have communicated to him that you like ;)...

3. Make sure he gets the things that he needs.  And he will make sure you get what you need in return.  If you can't figure something out--ask for his support and let him feel needed or to be a man--something as simple as opening a jar or as complex as letting him figure things out on his own when he confesses a problem that he is having--many times men tell you because they want you to say "I understand" or "that's messed up" or they just want your support.  NOT because they want to hear your advice.  So it doesn't hurt to ask "do you want my advice or just to listen?"

There are many other lessons, but this blog is already pretty lengthy, so that's all I have for now--please feel free to leave comments or questions.  I would love to hear some feedback on what stage you are in--or how you feel.

Until next time--work on loving yourself--no matter where you are in life.

Love,

Rose

Fashion Fridays: Things I Love: Midi Skirts

Midi skirts: not too short, not too long...perfect transition from summer to fall--just add some tights in a rich color--navy or wine. This look and color palate sums up what I'm loving right now for fall. Check out my latest pins on pinterest! Pinterest.com/roseexperience

Happy Fashion Friday!

Love,
Rose

Food 101: Bistro Shrimp Pasta

So I never go to Cheesecake Factory, but my friend Elliott always talks about his favorite dish--the bistro shrimp pasta, so naturally I had to look the recipe up! Of course I changed a lot of it partly for my taste and partly to try to make it a bit healthier than it is (lots of butter and cream involved in this one folks!😱). So here is my version of the dish:

Erin's bistro shrimp pasta:

Servings: 3-4

Ingredients:

Veggies:

1 small onion (chopped)
1/2 cup quartered cremini mushrooms (optional)
1/2 cup grape tomatoes (chopped)
1/2 cup frozen spinach (eyeball it)
2 tablespoons olive oil

Pasta Portion
1 lb thin spaghetti
1/2 teaspoon salt

Lemon Basil Cream Sauce:
2 tablespoons butter, divided
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup heavy whipping cream
1 cup chicken broth
1/4 cup lemon juice or juice from 2 lemons
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon pepper
1 cup chopped fresh basil
1 tablespoon spicy steak seasoning
Salt to taste

Shrimp Portion:
1 lb raw shrimp, deveined and with shells removed
1 egg beaten
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup whole wheat Italian breadcrumbs
1 teaspoon garlic powder
1 teaspoon italian seasoning
1 tablespoons butter
3 tablespoons olive oil

Directions:
1.) sauté onions and mushrooms in oil. Add tomatoes and spinach until warm. Set aside.
2.) Add salt to water and boil for pasta until al dente. Set aside covered with a little oil so it doesn't stick together.

3.)Start the sauce. Melt butter in large skillet. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes. Add cream and chicken broth. Bring to a boil and cook about 8 minutes

4.) Whisk together fresh squeezed lemon juice and corn starch until smooth. Add pepper.

5.) Whisk lemon mixture into cream mixture and whisk constantly for 2 minutes. Add basil and turn down to lowest heat just to keep warm.

6.) Dip raw shrimp in eggs and then transfer to coat with breadcrumb and flour mixture ( I shake them up in a ziplock bag all at once). Fry in butter and oil for a few minutes until golden brown. Allow them to drip on paper towel covered plate and cook the remainder of shrimp this way.

8.) Add all veggies and cooked pasta into the sauce and toss to coat. Add additional 1/3 cup of chicken stock to thin sauce if desired. Top with shrimp.

9.) Enjoy!

Love

Saw this and loved it.

Pass it on!

Love,
Rose

Food 101: 4 Cheese Black Bean Pie

So I thought how can I come up with a filling meatless meal, and I found a recipe similar to this (shout out to Great Food Fast- one of my cookbooks), but of course I added my own flair. It is delicious, filling and has a kick! Enjoy!

Ingredients:
4 large whole wheat flour tortillas
2 cans black beans drained
8-10 oz frozen corn
1 bottle of beer or 12 oz or 1.5 cups water
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 large onion diced
1 tablespoon sliced jalapeño chilies
Fresh or from a jar
3 garlic cloves sliced thin
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
4 scallions thinly sliced
2 1/2 cups shredded cheese blend: I mixed Monterey Jack, cheddar, Parmesan, and mozzarella

Directions:

One. Preheat the oven to 400°F using a pairing knife, trim the tortillas to fit in 9 inch spring form pan and set aside.

Two. Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, jalapeño, garlic and cumin season with salt and pepper cook stirring occasionally until the onion is soft about 5 to 7 minutes.

Three. Add the beans, and the beer and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium; simmer until the liquid is almost evaporated- about 8 to 10 minutes. Stir in the corn and scallions and remove from heat. Season with salt and pepper.

Four. Fit tortilla in the bottom of the springform pan; Layer a quarter of the beans and half a cup of cheese. Repeat three times. Use one cup of cheese on the top layer. Bake until hot and the cheese is melted about 20 to 25 minutes. Unmold the pie, sprinkle with scallions. Slice into wedges and serve immediately.

Yum yum!

Love,
Rose

Food 101: Combining Two of My Favorite Desserts

I love cake. But not the frosted confections you see in bake shop windows...I love the ooey gooey kind--like pineapple upside down cake and rum cake. So I thought, why not combine the two!

These days who wants a whole cake? Hand me a cupcake! So here is what recipe I came up with (and it tuned out amazing!):

My Famous Pineapple Upside Down Rum Cupcakes

This recipe will make a batch of 12 cupcakes.

Sauce:
1 cup brown sugar
6 tablespoons butter (3/4 of a stick)
1/4 cup rum and water mix--you pick the ratio. I do half and half.

Cake Ingredients:

2 Eggs
Splash of vanilla extract
2/3 Cup white sugar
4 Tablespoons pineapple juice
2/3 Cup all purpose flour
1 Tsp baking powder
1/4 Tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spray your muffin tins with non-stick cooking spray.

In a mixing bowl, add eggs, white sugar, and pineapple juice. Beat for 2 minutes. In a separate bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and turn mixer back on for 2 minutes.

In a small sauce pan, melt the butter and add the brown sugar, water and rum. Stir on low heat for three minutes. May boil over so watch it!

Place a pineapple ring in the bottom of each muffin tin (you may have to cut down the ring so it will fit or use pineapple tidbits). Add a cherry in the middle of each pineapple. Spoon over a spoonful of the warm brown sugar mixture. Pour cake mixture over to fill muffin tin 3/4 of the way full.

Bake cupcakes for 20 minutes.

Remove from the oven. Let cool in pan for 3 minutes.

Run a knife around the edge of each cake to help loosen in case it sticks a little. Place a wire cooling rack on top, and quickly flip over.


Place wire rack of cakes on baking sheet to cool for 10 minutes

Serve and spoon remaining sauce over cupcakes after you plate them - about a teaspoon.

Yum-my!

Love,

Rose

Fashion Fridays: Things I Love

A trend I am loving right now is sheer sleeves (and I always love French Connection!).  All of these are on www.asos.com and whadyaknow?  They are on sale!  See what I have been crushing on lately:

French Connection Lace Mini Dress

$155.77 

sale $93.11

French Connection Lace Dress With 3/4 Sleeve

RRP $196.96

sale $103.85

French Connection Pleated Ruffle Neck Dress

RRP $277.53

sale $134.29

French Connection Feather Look Dress With Embellished Neck    

RRP $232.77  

sale $85.94

 

French Connection Silk Beaded Neck Shift Dress

RRP $241.72

sale $146.82

Happy styling!

Love,

Rose

Food 101: My Famous Teriyaki Chicken Bowls

So I had a craving for a spicy teriyaki chicken bowl, but not with all that MSG (and overcooked veggies)! So here's what I came up with (it turned out pretty tasty!):

Serves 2-3
Ingredients:

1 head broccoli/broccoli crown
1 bag frozen mixed peppers
1/2 onion, thinly sliced
1-2 chicken breasts grilled and sliced
1 cup rice

For sauce:
1/2 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon flour
1/4 cup brown sugar or maple syrup
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1/4 cup water
1 tablespoon minced garlic or 2 garlic cloves chopped
1 tablespoon spicy steak seasoning

Instructions:

1. Prepare rice according to package instructions

2. Steam broccoli until almost cooked but still crunchy, and in the last minute or so add the peppers and onions and sprinkle with the spicy steak seasoning. Cover with a lid for 5 minutes with heat turned off.

3. Pour soy sauce, flour, brown sugar and garlic into sauce pan and cook over low heat for a few minutes. When sauce thickens add water to thin and ginger, stir to Combine and remove from heat.

4. Pour sauce over veggies and add chicken. Stir to combine.

5. Serve over rice and enjoy!

Happy cooking!

Love,

Rose

Food 101: Healthy Tomato Basil Chicken Pizza

So I made this the other night and I wanted to share the recipe:

Ingredients:
1 cup grilled chicken cubed
1 large beefsteak tomato chopped
1/2 of an onion chopped
1 cup or one handful of basil Roughly chopped
3 tablespoons herb de Provence or Italian seasoning
2 cups of mozzarella cheese shredded
1/2 of a cup tomato paste or tomato sauce
1 can of Pillsbury pizza dough Thin crust

Directions:

1. roll out pizza dough to thin layer across the cookie sheet

2. Spread pizza sauce or tomato paste
3. Top with ingredients
4. Salt and pepper to taste
5. Sprinkle cheese across ingredients 6. Sprinkle herb de Provence on top
7. Bake at 400° for 10 minutes or until bubbly and brown!

Food 101: Three Ways to Wake Up Side Dishes

So I love to cook, but sometimes I don't have time to make everything from scratch. I thought I'd share a few of my go to sides and "wake up" tips to add flavor and a "made from scratch" taste:

1. Frozen Corn - try heating it up in basil butter (use food processor to chop 2 cups of fresh basil, add some softened butter and mix together, then toss it in the pan and add the corn, and salt and pepper to taste--delicioso!

2. Frozen Mixed Vegetables (green beans, corn, carrots, peas)- add a few tablespoons of pesto (I love Classico brand) and a few sprinkles of parmesian cheese. BOOM!

3. Couscous/Rice Pilaf/Brown Rice - add some herb de provence/dried Italian seasoning, fresh diced tomato, and/or fresh chopped Italian parsley, salt and pepper to taste.

4. Frozen Pizza (I use Kashi because they are whole grain) - I'll add fresh sliced tomato, basil, fresh cracked pepper and my own selection of other veggies (mushrooms, red pepper, baby spinach) to make it more healthy.

5. Eggs- Add fresh chopped rosemary, salt and pepper to taste--its a very posh way to have gourmet flavor in a quick breakfast staple.

These are just the ones I can think of that I use most often. If you can think of any other quick tips...add them in the comments! I'd love to hear some more good ideas!

Love,

Rose

I've Been On A Hiatus!

Dearest followers,

I know I have been dead silent on my blog, and for that I appologize! I am currently 9.5 months pregnant and the last 9 months have been into nothing but baby prep/baby stuff--which I'm sure not everyone wants to hear about! I have mentally blogged so many times, but never gotten the chance to write them for you all. BUT, I promise I will be back soon! Continue to write me with feedback on what you like to hear the most about, and I will do my best to get this back up and running! Muah!

Love,

Rose

Food 101: Healthy or A Play On Words?

Hola!


These days it is "in" to be a healthy eater, and trust me, every company in the food industry knows that! This is why many companies skate around the topic of true nutritional content and use "consumer friendly" labels to trick us like "all natural". Yeah that means absolutely nothing--and if you read a little farther on the label, it is usually full of processed ingredients and things you can't even pronounce! Another trick is "whole wheat" when what you really want is "whole grain wheat".

Although learning how to decipher labels/nutrition facts is integral if you are going to eat well, I'm just going to focus on a little trick I just learned the other day.

Ever heard of The Whole Grains Council? They make it easier for us shoppers (especially in a rush) to quickly locate foods that are truly good for us. They do this by slapping on a "Whole Grain Stamp" (see photo) which means that what is inside has been approvel by the council and truly has whole grains.

As expained on their website, there are two different varieties of Stamp, the Basic Stamp and the 100% Stamp. If a product bears the 100% Stamp, then all its grain ingredients are whole grains. If a product bears the Basic Stamp, it contains at least 8 grams – a half serving – of whole grain, but may also contain some refined grain.

Each Stamp also shows a number, telling you how many grams of whole grain ingredients are in a serving of the product. BOOM! So start checking your boxes for this magic little stamp. Be sure to look thoroughly as sometimes its on the bottom of the box or the top/side/back.

This stamp applies to more than just breads, but also: cereals (hot and cold), pastas, rice, tortillas/wraps, dairy, frozen/prepared entrees, flour, baking mixes, soups, waffle/pancake mix, snack bars and a bunch of others!

Here are some of the brands that I found to have these labels:

Nature's Pride breads
Ronzoni pastas
Post/Kellogg cereals
Kashi products
Annie's homegrown
Barbera's bakery
Quaker Oats
Sunbelt
Earth's Best
Nature's Path
Otis Spunkmeyer
Whole Foods Markets


Eat well and prosper!

Love,

Rose

REALationships: What About Me?

I know you have heard that quote: "If you don't love yourself, how the h--- are you gunna love somebody else?"

I heard it most recently by Ru Paul (yeah, I'm a Drag Race fan). But I really think people hear this and it goes in one ear and out the other. So often people are worried about what significant other they need to find fast, when it really should be, "am I my best self right now?".

Are you living up to your full potential? Do you truly love yourself flaws and all (and not obsess about weight, hair, etc.)? This is just something to think about. So often people have baggage that they aren't even aware of, and it affects potential relationships. Baggage could be from past relationships--with a previous S.O. or even a parent or sibling. Think about if there is any baggage that you are carrying around right now. Maybe you have been hurt by a friend or someone you confided in and you haven't ever confronted the situation. All of these things affect you and hinder you from being your best self.

So...I am going to give you a love yourself challenge. I came across this website the other day called FutureMe.org and it allows you to send your future self an email! You can even choose the date for when you want it to be sent (a year from now, 2 years from now, next month).

I won't tell you what to write yourself, but it can be about anything--a love letter to yourself--expressing all of the things you love about you, an encouraging letter or even a congrats for making it this far letter. Anything you want to say to your future self--give it a try! If you need some more ideas--there are tons to read on the website. You can even write more than one.

Feel free to share what you are going to write about in the comments. Maybe it will inspire somebody else :)

Love,

Rose