girl meets life. - Page 138

better late than never.

11 January, 2011 by Gracie 37 Comments

If you’re a follower of healthy living blogs, you’ve undoubtedly read about Gena’s infamous Banana Soft Serve.

I had tried making the soft serve once before in a Magic Bullet-like machine. It didn’t work. I figured I was either doing something wrong, or that everyone else was lying and actually showing photos of frozen yogurt/ice cream. Just kidding. But sort of serious.

After getting a mini food processor of my own as a housewarming gift, I finally get it!

Banana soft serve is LEGIT. And it makes me feel all healthy and stuff.

I’ve had about four servings over the past two days. I even whipped some together for my lovely lunch guest today.

She approved!

While I might not have caught onto the Kombucha or nutritional yeast trends (not sure if I ever will…just sayin’), I’m officially on the Banana Soft Serve bandwagon.

Better late than never, right?

so guilty pleasure.

11 January, 2011 by Gracie 44 Comments

I revealed some of my not-so-guilty pleasures the other day.

But, since honesty is the best policy, I think it’s important to share a guilty – very guilty - pleasure of mine.

Ali the Bachelorette and even Jake the Bachelor…NSG. But this dude? I think the above picture says it all. And it has nothing to do with his previous stint on the show (am I the only one that thinks he did the right thing by turning both girls down at the end?). There’s just something about this particular season that is so painfully amazing to watch.

I can’t bring myself to change the channel. Or stop planning my entire Monday ensuring that I’ll be home by 8pm to tune in. It’s a problem, I know.

Please tell me I’m not alone.

insomniac in the making.

10 January, 2011 by Gracie 53 Comments

Aside from the occasional tossing and turning, I’ve never really had any issues with sleep. In fact, I sort of pride myself on my impeccable sleeping skills (or should I say, skillzzz?). I might not be able to nap like a pro, but give me 10 minutes after hitting the hay and I’ll be out like a light.

(Would you like me to use more sleeping-related cliches? Because I’m sure I can think of some.)

But to my dismay, ever since moving a few weeks ago, I’ve been going to bed 2-3 hours later than usual. And I don’t like that. Not one bit.

You see, I’m that person who needs at least 8 hours of sleep to even function properly. Thankfully I’ve been able to compensate by sleeping in (one of the perks of working from home), but what am I going to do when my job doesn’t allow for that? Let’s just say I’m pretty certain that 5 hours of sleep will not result in me being employee of the month anytime soon.

You might think I’m overreacting. I mean, doesn’t the majority of society average 5-6 hours of sleep per night? I just know that I’m not and cannot be one of those people. Not to mention that I thought I’d start going to bed earlier as I got older – not later. The strange thing is that I probably could fall asleep around 9:30pm, but there’s something about my new apartment that makes me drag my feet to go to bed. I think it has something to do with not wanting to go to bed until I know I’ll fall asleep instantly…?

Whatever the case may be, I need to implement some changes to get my sleeping schedule back on…schedule. Here are some things I’m going to try.

Unplug from the computer at least an hour before bedtime (8:30pm seems like a good cut-off).
Drink a mug of “Sleepytime” tea.
Force myself to wake up earlier in the morning, hence causing me to be tired earlier in the night.

Do you have any other ideas to help me go to bed earlier??

At this point, I think #3 will be the easiest, thanks to this new breakfast favorite.

That would be a Breakfast Pizzert a la Chocolate-Covered Katie. This morning was my second Pizzert, and I don’t see the habit stopping anytime soon.

I followed Katie’s recipe, using spelt flour (because I didn’t have pastry flour) and pumpkin instead of applesauce. I can’t wait to get more creative with toppings, but for now my favorites are white chocolate and peanut butter.

You’ve got to try this! It’s like eating a huge, dense pancake. And, considering the fact that pizza and pancakes are two of my favorite foods, I don’t think I’ve ever been more excited to hop out of bed and eat breakfast.

Take THAT, impending insomnia.

not so guilty pleasures.

9 January, 2011 by Gracie 60 Comments

Bonjour, darlings! I hope that this weekend has been serving you well. Mine has been pretty low key, which is a nice change from the past few crazy-holiday-consumed weekends.

There have been some fun happenings, though, such as a trip into the city on Friday and a shopping-filled Saturday with Amanda. And along the way, I was lucky enough to have run-ins with some of my not so guilty pleasures.

For example, neutral tones might be what’s “in” these days, but I will always be partial to wearing head-to-toe black. Maybe being a New Yorker really is my destiny…?

Vintagey lace-up boots are another trend as of late, but I’ll sport my straight-out-of-the-90’s combats with pride.

“Food labeling” is a big no-no, but I have no problem with cookies = breakfast.

(Those would be white chocolate and date-filled Super Charge Me Cookies. Yum!)

Feeding a shoe addiction without remorse? Don’t mind if I do. Two pairs for a total of $38. BOOyah.

I am not ashamed that I really do love the first Twilight movie. And all of the books, for that matter.

(K-Stew and R-Patz, though? I could do without.)

I’ve gotten dinner from the Whole Foods salad bar three times last week. I guess you could say I’m making up for lost time, and enjoying every bite of it.

What are some of your not-so-guilty pleasures?

p.s. in order to change my Facebook page name, I had to create an all new page. If you’re interested, go ahead and “like” me at the new page!

10 ways: blogging tips.

7 January, 2011 by Gracie 68 Comments

Even though I am not the most seasoned of bloggers, I seem to get a lot of emails asking me for tips on how to successfully create and maintain a blog. I personally have quite a ways to go before reaching some of the goals I’ve set for GML, but I have gained a decent amount of knowledge about the blogging process over the past year that I’d like to share with you!

10 ways to create and maintain a blog.

1. Realize that blogging isn’t as easy as you might think. Before I started blogging, I used to think, “oh, that doesn’t look so hard!” Little did I know just how much time and effort would go into the hobby. The time I’ve put into blogging has definitely been fun and fulfilling, but it’s not exactly a 2-hour-per-week sort of deal. If you are keeping a blog solely for yourself, this shouldn’t be an issue. But if you intend on gaining and maintaining readership, you should be able to view blogging almost as if it’s a part time job.

2. Have a clear direction in mind. Another thing that I didn’t consider before blogging was what direction and theme I wanted my blog to have. I *thought* I wanted to maintain strictly a healthy living blog (hence Girl Meets Health), but I wish I would’ve put more thought into the decision beforehand. It turns out that I’m just not passionate or knowledgeable enough about healthy living to have an entire blog based on that alone. To come up with a direction for your blog, ask yourself questions like, What am I good at? What do I enjoy doing? What do I have to offer that can teach and/or entertain others?

3. …But don’t be too specific. This one is up for debate, but here is where I stand. While having a niche is certainly important, you don’t want to be so specific in your blog’s theme that you run out of things to write about or risk boring your readers. Decide on a general direction that you want to go in, but leave your options somewhat open as far as the content that you’ll deliver. Even if you decide to go with a very specific theme, I would suggest always being open to sharing at least some of your personal life/experiences because most readers appreciate that relatablity factor.

4. Think long and hard about your title. While taking into account #2 and #3, be sure to choose a title that you’re not going to regret in the future. If you have any doubt in your mind that the title you’re leaning towards might limit your blogging options, or that you might want to go in a different direction in the future – please reconsider! I clearly learned that the hard way.

5. Don’t be shy. If you’re going to be a blogger, be proud of it! When I started blogging, I personally made it a point to tell as many people as I could. Not only does promoting and being confident about your blog help in gaining more readers, but it also makes your voice and your story even more effective. I understand that there are some people you might not want reading your blog, but wouldn’t it be more embarrassing if they found out about it from another source? If you haven’t noticed, the Internet isn’t a great place for keeping a secret, so be prepared that anyone and everyone will have access to your blog.

6. Embrace social networks. When it comes to promoting your blog, take as much advantage of social networks as you can. Twitter is an especially great way to reach your readers throughout the day and to communicate/form relationships with other bloggers. You might not think that advertising your blog on social networks here and there is making much of a difference, but you’d be surprised. Just one new reader who might not have found out about your blog otherwise could result in multiple recommendations down the line.

7. Comment on other blogs. This is a tip that many bloggers give when it comes to successfully joining the blogging community, and I would agree. Leaving comments for others isn’t just about receiving them in return, though; it’s about showing interest and support for the blogs/posts that you appreciate. It’s the relationship you’ll form with other bloggers that will in turn cause other bloggers and readers to become more familiar with you. Be sure that your comments are thoughtful and sincere, even if they’re short. I’d personally prefer a shorter, sincere comment over a longer comment that ends in “please visit my blog when you get the chance!”

8. Have a blogging schedule. This is a tip that I first learned about from Hollaback Health, and I think it’s a priceless one. I don’t follow a strict blogging schedule all of the time, but there are definitely weeks where I have post ideas lined up and ready to go. It helps to take a lot of the stress out of blogging and also allows for you to provide fresh new content for your readers.

9. Spend time on your about page. I don’t know about you, but when I visit a new blog, I instantly go to the about page. While there are probably a million and one things you could say about yourself, I would try to at least answer the following questions: 1) what is the general point of my blog? 2) what do I really want people to come away with about me? 3) what is it about me that makes me relatable to you (my readers)?

10. Be honest with yourself. I hate to be a meanie in saying this, but sometimes I’ll visit a blog and think, “do they really think that this is interesting?” Don’t get me wrong – I’m sure that there are people who think that about my blog because good blogs can tend to be in the eye of the beholder. But really ask yourself – is my blog/this post something that I would stop and read if it weren’t my own? Oftentimes when I ask myself that question, I find myself either editing posts to death or deleting them completely. You HAVE to be able to maintain the eyes of a reader if you want to reach and hold onto the attention of others.

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You know, I actually feel like I could write ten more pieces of advice, but I think I’ve provided enough wordiness for the day Maybe I’ll do an additional blogging post in the future!

Which of these 10 do you agree/disagree with the most?

pizza for one.

6 January, 2011 by Gracie 35 Comments

Pizza is easily one of my top three favorite foods. I just love it! Now that I’m living alone, though, there’s really no point in ordering or making an entire pie. I do love leftover pizza, but nothing compares to a just-out-of-the-oven slice. And, on a strict food budget, I need to ensure that I don’t waste any food!

So, I’ve found a way to not only enjoy my single serving of pizza but also to have future single servings ready to grab in a snap.

It started with a package of (2) whole wheat pizza crusts. Earlier in the day, I cut one of the crusts into four single servings. I stuck 2 slices in the fridge to grab for dinner later and the other 2 in the freezer.

I also froze the entire second crust, in case I have company and want to make a whole pizza down the line.

When I got home around dinner time, I was able to throw together a couple of semi-homemade pizza slices in a snap. While the oven was heating up, I topped the slices simply with tomato sauce and mozzarella cheese.

I baked the pizza for 9 minutes and ate it alongside some steamed & buttered spinach.

That is my kind of dinner. The crust was on the crunchy-side, but still tasty enough.

And now - if I want the same thing for dinner tomorrow - it will be easy to do again, but I’m not forced to eat leftovers. Best of both worlds, I tell you!

I might try a different brand of pizza crust in the future. Any suggestions?

why LI?

5 January, 2011 by Gracie 36 Comments

Since sharing my decision to move, many of you have asked why I chose Long Island. It’s a good question, really. I mean, if I wanted to live/work to New York, why wouldn’t I just move right into the heart of Manhattan?

The most obvious answer is that I just can’t afford it right now. It might be an option down the line when I’m making twice the income that I am now, but to live in Manhattan on my budget is literally impossible at this point in my life.

That isn’t the only reason, though. When I first visited Long Island last summer, there was just something about it that felt right to me. I’m pretty sure I was intrigued by the fact that you can be so close to the beach and the greatest city in the world at the same time. And, as much as I love the city life, I’ve got a decent amount of suburbia in me too. So living in Long Island really seemed like the best of both worlds.

Lastly, one of the things that drew me to New York was that it’s far away from home, but not too far away. It’s comforting to know that I can hop in the car and be back in Pennsylvania in just a few hours. And, as someone who has dreamed of working in Manhattan almost all her life…well, let’s just say I’m glad I wasn’t born on the opposite end of the country.

I can’t say the entire adjustment has been a walk in the park, but I can definitely see myself calling this place home. And I’m excited to take on the next leg of the journey – working in the city. Dun dun dunnnn

you can cook what in a microwave?

I’m happy to say that I’ve been a bit more creative in the food department over the past few days. The fridge is still quite naked…

…but my meals have definitely been a step up from Hot Pockets (although, I don’t think I’ll ever retire HP’s completely. They’re stinkin’ good!). Since I so inconveniently forgot to pack my set of pots and pans, I attempted to use the microwave to cook couscous for myself last night. It worked!

Who knew? I followed the directions on the box to microwave 1/3 cup of water until it boils, then I added 1/3 cup of couscous and covered for 5 minutes. It was perfectly soft and fluffy, and I wasn’t left with a dirty pot

I rounded out the meal with some tuna salad and (also microwaved) brussels sprouts.

Thankfully my mom is visiting today and bringing me some more coveted cookware. Although I give myself props for getting at least somewhat creative with my limited options, I’m definitely looking forward to oatmeal that doesn’t explode and leave gooey residue all over your brand new microwave stovetop oats. Ahem.

How often do you use a microwave??

Trendy Tuesday: snoods.

4 January, 2011 by Gracie 43 Comments

Hello, dollbabes!

Remember Trendy Tuesday, from days of long ago? Well, I figured it was time to start bringing that series back…at least more often than I have over the past few months.

Today’s Trendy Tuesday is all about the snood, which made it’s debut over a year ago. It wasn’t until the past 6 months that snoods have become more mainstream…despite their annoying name…so if you thought that snoods were tacky or only for runway models, think again!

what is a snood?

As the name suggests, a snood is a hybrid between a scarf and hood. The original version of a snood is actually a hair net-like piece, but the title has also been applied to the more modern scarf-like piece.

Another (more popular) name for the snood is infinity scarf. I’ve found that infinity scarves are usually very long, though, whereas snoods are shorter and wider/chunkier. Depending on the size, a snood could also be referred to as a basic neck warmer.

how do I wear a snood?

There are two options for wearing a snood. First is the basic form, where you simply plop the snood over your head. This is a great option for those of you who aren’t incredibly skilled at scarf-draping. Or just lazy

Depending on the width of the snood, you can also bring the back end over your head, thus creating the “hood” look.

(To ensure that you don’t resemble a 90-year-old peasant woman, I’d suggest making sure that the rest of your outfit is on the chic side.)

where can I find a snood?

I found mine at New York and Company. The knit design (seen below in grey) came in a few different colors. They’re actually on sale right now on the store’s website, if you’re interested!

The faux fur neck warmer styles (seen below in brown and black), came in grey as well.