Juicing

I decided a few weeks ago that I wanted to try juicing.  I'm not usually a "join the bandwagon" type of person, but this was one new trend that piqued my interest for a number of reasons.

1) I love juice.  LOVE it.  Jamba Juice in high school was an every week stop.
2) I get no where near the amount of veggies that I should.  Simply because I do not like them.  However, I think in juice form (where a vast majority of the nutrients are anyway) and combined with fruits flavors, I might be able to up my vegetable intake.
3) After eating a big meal for lunch or dinner, I always get so lethargic.  My solution?  A huge thermos of juice and a smaller, healthier lunch. 

I had my first juicing experience last night.  Although I almost broke my juicer (it started making loud noises, vibrating, and smelling like burnt rubber), I fixed the problem and we were soon back in business:

This concoction was: 5 carrots, 2 cucumbers, 3 apples, 1 lemon, and a chunk of fresh ginger root.

Although I've realized I don't like carrots any more in juice form than I do whole, it was overall not a bad taste for my first try!  I think I'll knock down the carrot deposit to 3 and amp up the amount of apples I use.  But considering this made a huge dinner drink for last night and a glass thermos worth of lunch juice for today, not too shabby!

The only downfall is that you have to clean out the. entire. juicer. every time you use it.  And there are a lot of parts.  Womp womp.  The price of being healthy...



Book Review: 30 Things Every Woman Should Have and Should Know by the Time She's 30

After reading the list of 30 things and learning it had been turned into a book, I immediately ordered my copy off Amazon.  This book, a collection of essays on each of the 30 topics, written by such women as Maya Angelou and Taylor Swift, Katie Couric and Lauren Conrad, is absolutely phenomenal.  Some of the essays were better than others, but most of them made me think "wow, that's totally true" or "hmm, I should be doing that."  A lot of them inspired me to keep reaching for the stars, and some of them were a good affirmation that I'm where I'm supposed to be.  And some of them even made me feel I was ahead of the game!  (Hey, I don't still party till dawn and I don't still have an entire apt of hand me down furniture!).

I would definitely recommend this to any woman; whether you're years away from turning 30 or it's a distant memory from your past.  I spent the entire 4 hour plane right home reading it and couldn't seem to put it down!

Thirty.

One of my friends passed along this awesome list of "30 Things You Should Have and Know Before You're 30."  Which then inspired me to forward that to several more people.  The list is inclusive, inspiring, and a huge up-lifter and wake up call.  Written by a Glamour editor over a decade ago, it is just as relevant today and something I think every woman should have pinned to their mirror as a reminder.  See below.

By 30 you should have...


1) One old boyfriend you can imagine going back to and one who reminds you of how far you've come. (Check!)

2) A decent piece of furniture not previously owned by anyone else in your family. (My white couch...)


3) Something perfect to wear if the employer or man of your dreams wants to see you in an hour (Wait a minute...is this suggesting the need for me to go shopping!?)


4) A purse, a suitcase, and an umbrella you're not ashamed to be seen carrying. (Hesitant check.  I would still like an excuse to buy my dream Louie...)


5) A youth you're content to move beyond. (I think I'll hold on to a few of these moments a bit longer...ha!)


6) A past juicy enough that you're looking forward to retelling it in your old age. (Workin' on it!)


7) The realization that you are actually going to have an old age -- and some money set aside to help fund it.  (Can I ever fully "check" this off?  Saving will be a constant on-going process; but I've been doing it since day one on the job!)


8) An email address, a voice mailbox, and a bank account -- all of which nobody has access to but you. (I-N-D-E-P-E-N-D-E-N-T do you know what I mean?)


9) A resume that is not even the slightest bit padded. (Why would you ever lie on your resume?  Even if 'dog walker' topped the list?)

10) One friend who always makes you laugh and one who lets you cry.  (I'm blessed enough to have a couple.)


11) A set of screwdrivers, a cordless drill, and a black lace bra.  (Check, Check, and Check!)


12) Something ridiculously expensive that you bought for yourself, just because you deserve it.  (I'll wait to check off both #4 and #12 when I buy my LV.)


13) The belief that you deserve it. (Soul searching is good.)


14) A skin-care regimen, an exercise routine, and a plan for dealing with those few other facets of life that don't get better after 30.  (Admittedly, I could do better with this...I often take for granted my youth!)


15) A solid start on a satisfying career, a satisfying relationship, and all those other facets of life that do get better. (Lucky enough to have all of the above!)


By 30, you should know...


1) How to fall in love without losing yourself. (Yes.)

2) How you feel about having kids. (Eek!  I got five more years...)

3) How to quit a job, break up with a man, and confront a friend without ruining the friendship.  (I think I have a good head start on this, but it's hard.)

4) When to try harder and when to walk away. (Hi, nice to meet you.  My name's Ashley and I'm extremely stubborn.  I don't walk away well.)

5) How to kiss in a way that communicates perfectly what you would and wouldn't like to happen next. (Ha! Apparently kissing is complicated...)

6) The names of the secretary of state, your great-grandmothers, and the best tailor in town.  (Uhh...)

7) How to live alone, even if you don't like to. (Absolutely.  And I do like to.)

8) Where to go -- be it your best friend's kitchen table or a yoga mat -- when your soul needs soothing.  (I'll take the ballet barre or a drive through the country, please.)

9) That you can't change the length of your legs, the width of your hips, or the nature of your parents. (...and learn to love it all anyway.)

10) That your childhood may not have been perfect, but it's over. (Mine was pretty great.  But I can appreciate it in the past.)

11) What you would and wouldn't do for money or love. (The age-old question.  I'm not entirely sure one will ever know their answer to this until they're faced with the question.)

12) That nobody gets away with smoking, drinking, doing drugs, or not flossing for very long.  (I'm an avid flosser.)

13) Who you can trust, who you can't, and why you shouldn't take it personally. (I'm trusting to a fault - because I like to find the good in people.)

14) Not to apologize for something that isn't your fault. (Yikes.)

15) Why they say life begins at 30. (Ah, yes. I'm excited for this.)

She said I think I'll go to Boston...

This past weekend I was in one of my all-time favorite cities: Boston.  I came across some cheap flights and, lucky for me, have quite a few friends who like jet setting on a whim as much as I do!  So with our Red Sox tshirts packed and our party pants on, we boarded the plane to Bean Town...

Here's a little peek into what went down during our 48 hours in Boston:

After dinner and a couple beers at Katy Trail Ice House, we booked it to the airport in time for our 1:30 AM flight:

We very quickly realized why our flights were so cheap:

No leg room.

Felt it necessary to sanitize the seats.

Also, the seats did not recline.  And they were made of stone.  And the five of us shared two checked bags because you had to pay $60.00 bucks a pop round trip for each.  And you were only allowed one 'personal item' per person that must fit under your seat.  Never travel with Spirit Airlines (unless you find $103.00 flights!!).

We landed in Boston at 6:00 AM, dropped our luggage off at our hotel, and took the T to Cambridge:

Walked through Harvard's campus for a bit....

...and then took a stroll along the Charles River:

Around 9:30-10:00 AM, the first breakfast shops opened and I munched on these little ditties:

Grilled grapefruit. Yum. 

Grilled blueberry muffin. Double yum.

We took the T to MIT and walked to the best local thrift store, The Garment District:

I scored a brand new, tags attached Michael Kors blouse for $8.00 bucks and a men's oversized button-down from the 1960s-1970s rack for $6.00 bucks.  Yeah.  Impressive.

We headed back to the downtown area to take a stroll through The Boston Commons.  We ended up at this tourist favorite:

We spent the afternoon drinking apricot beer, chatting up the bartender, eating cheese fries, and challenging each other to pull ups at the bar:

After checking into our hotel, we scooted out to the Harpoon Brewery beer tasting:

Lots of free beer = lots of happy Texans.  And I, of course, purchased my brewery glass to add to my collection!

After a marathon 36 hours of being awake and copious amounts of walking and boozing, we settled into our hotel and showered for an Italian dinner in the Northend:

Is it any surprise to you that this kid still had the energy to stay out and party while the rest of us retreated to the hotel room to crash?:

The next morning we woke up early and grabbed a bite to eat at Finagle A Bagel:

We then headed to Fanueil Hall where we spent a couple hours shopping.  And some time drinking margaritas...

...and then some more time shopping.  And then some time at a local pub:

We also ran into some street performers on the way out and Shannon got pulled into the show:

We met my sister back at the hotel for a quick complimentary wine happy hour (thank you, Nine Zero!)...

...before heading to a pizza joint in Back Bay.  Little Stevie's might be the best Hawaiian pizza I've ever had.

Soon after scarfing down some pizza, we made our way to Fenway where I experienced the deliciousness of fresh blueberry beer:

Too bad you can't tell from the picture that the blueberries are dancing in the glass!

We only had time for one before heading into our first ever Red Sox game!

Boston Beer Works, home of the most fabulous blueberry beer, in the background!

Same Raybands, red Sox shirts, hang bags, pale skin, and dark nail polish.  Think we're sisters?!

Didn't take long in the Green Giant before we staked out our places, grabbed a couple beers, and a Fenway Frank:

Matchy Matchy.

After the game, we couldn't resist heading back to Boston Beer Works for round two of the blueberry beer:

And when we realized we hadn't had anything "desserty" all trip, we knew that had to change:

Delicious doesn't even do this justice.

After a long day of being out and about, we headed back to our "neck of the woods" and stopped in a small bar across the street from our hotel, Bean Town Pub:

Thank goodness the bartender screwed me out of an honest drink - I was so deliriously tired I didn't care that my "rum and coke" was all coke, no rum:

After our quick stop at BTP, it was bedtime for us!  Well, except Party Pants Jeff who once again made it out to Sissy K's without us...

The next morning we woke up early, packed, and boarded the T for the last time.  Our trip home proved to be a lot more enjoyable than our trip there as we were all sitting together this time.  And I even finished the book I brought for the plane ride!

I think we packed just about everything we possibly could have into our weekend in Boston.  And I think the last picture taken, on the airport shuttle home, provides pictorial evidence for how exhausted we all were:

We know, it's a sexy picture.

Well, Boston, once again you treated me right.  This was absolutely one of the best, most fun, weekend trips I've had to date.  Don't worry, Bean Town, we'll be back :)