Big Moves

Well hello there gorgeous!

I hope everyone had a great weekend and is having a good Sunday so far!
My weekend was pretty good, nothing too crazy but still kept me busy.  I'm proud to say, I didn't take any days off from working out this week. I had a short workout session today but it was still a leg day and boy, was I still sweating!


The weather was ABSOLUTELY gorgeous this weekend. in the 70's and breezy and I kept telling myself, "this is why I live here".  On that note, I'm so so so excited to tell you all that I'll be moving to Charleston, SC for the summer.  I made up my mind last week when my friend who moved there has brought up the idea of me living with her and working for her at the Harbor marina store.  Something just told me that I need to do it and I know it's crazy, but I decided to follow my heart.

It might be one of the most spontaneous things I've done in my life and it scares the crap out of me but I am so excited at the same time.  The thought of me being a total stranger in a new town and starting over is so thrilling and nerve racking.

I'll just be packing up all my winter clothes and bedroom stuff and store it in the storage while I"m gone.  All I'll need to take with me is my summer clothes, beach stuff and shoes.

I am beyond excited and scared but I know I'll be so glad I did this, whether I end up liking the experience or not.  Whatever happens, I can always come back, and I need to keep reminding myself of this.

Anyway, I'll keep you posted on the status and on my journey of being the new girl. EEEEEK!

I hope you all have a wonderful week and keep on sweating people!

I'll catch you guys later!

Cheers,
J Bae

Escaping comfort zone

Happy Sunday Y'all!!

I hope you guys had a great week, I can't believe it's already Sunday which means Monday is right around the corner! Wahhhhhhhh

Today I wanted to talk about exploring outside of your comfort zone.  I know I'm bad about it but I try to do things that I've never done and make changes without knowing whether it will succeed or not.

I'm going through many changes in my life right now and there are some major decisions that need to be made in the near future and I am so scared and excited at the same time! Since I have been training with my trainer Kevin, my outlook on life has taken a big turn for the best.  I no longer feel the need to be stuck in situations just because that's what the society says what we should be doing or how we should be feeling.  I no longer care how much money I need to be making or what I need to do in order to get that money (although I do agree that money makes things easier) but my end results and the goal should be my happiness.

Whatever I do in life, I want to be happy and feel the passion while doing it.  I want to challenge all of you to do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone.  It will be so scary and uncomfortable but believe me, it will be such a liberating experience and you will not regret it.

Oh, and how could I forget,  here's a little shot from the top of Camelback Mountain from yesterday.  I was running past people to get to the top and of course this silly one didn't see a tree in front of me so we had a little accident.  Let's just say that the tree won and hopefully we won't butt heads again.

Anyway, have a fantastic rest of the week and hope you get to do something that pushes you out of your comfort zone!

Catch you guys later!

Cheers,
J Bae

Lazy Sunday..

Hello everyone!!

I hope you all had a wonderful weekend and are ready to kick this week's butt!

I'd like to tell you all that I am still going strong with this whole no drinking thing and I am so proud of myself! I thought it was going to be such a struggle since everything we do around here in Scottsdale is centered around drinking and when you don't drink, people ask you if it's for a medical reason or what not.  I wanted to go out for St. Patrick's day and day drink with people and have fun but I remembered that in order to reach my goals, that will just get in the way.

I was also very proud of myself because on Saturday, instead of going day drinking I ran to the gym, worked out then ran back home which was a bit over 6 miles total.  When I got to the gym I thought "holy crap, I definitely over committed myself" but it felt so good since I've been consuming a bit more carbs than I'd like to.  It's been so nice here in Arizona lately I've just been wanting to stay outside and be active.

Today, I had a very lazy Sunday and caught up on my sleep, ran errands and laid by the pool and soaked up some sun. It was so nice to just relax and take some time for myself and focus on myself.  I've been always on the go and keeping busy that I forget to do that sometimes.  You all should take some time out of your day to relax and just do some soul searching and find ways to be happy, it's like a cheap therapy session ;)

Anyway, I must admit it wasn't as eventful as my other weekends but it was a much needed lazy weekend.  I hope you have a great week and stay motivated!

Thanks for stopping by and I'll catch you guys later!

Cheers,

J Bae

Playing Hooky

Hello everyone!

I hope you all are having a fantastic week so far!!

Mine has taken off to a great start because I got to play hooky yesterday to enjoy probably the last day of snowboarding of the year.  The snow here in Arizona (yes, we can actually use snow and Arizona in one sentence) has been pretty crappy this year, the weather has been pretty warm all winter and they had to make snow constantly to keep the park open all season.

We went to the Snowbowl in Flagstaff which is about 2 and a half hours away from where I live so my buddy Josh and I took off around 6:30 so we can make the first chair.  It started off a bit icy and I must admit, I ate it pretty hard on my first run, ended up losing my hat and goggles so I had to climb up to grab them since it was a slow day and nobody was around to grab them on the way down.
As the day got warmer the snow got a bit softer so I was able to just let go of my fear of falling on my butt and just carve down that mountain. We got some good runs in and boarded a full day from 9 to 4 and headed back down.

Oh, I forgot how everyone's weekend was! I had a pretty eventful weekend, cooked a lot, ran and had a friend in town so we went to a spring training game and went to a BBQ after.  It's the best time of the year in Arizona if anyone wants to wander down this way!  And no I didn't drink at all this weekend, stayed strong and resisted.  It wasn't as hard as I thought it was going to be.  I just didn't have the urge to do so. I'm planning on continuing for as long as I can!

One of the nights my roommate and I made guacamole and we ended up running out of chips so we took tortilla, cut them into little triangles, tossed them in some grape seed oil and salt and baked them.  HOLY COW!! I don't think we'll ever buy them from the store ever again. They were probably the best chips we've ever had and they were so much better than the baked chips from the stores. We're planning on trying different seasonings and making chips with pita bread and see how it turns out.

Anyway, I hope everyone finishes the week strong and keep eating clean and training dirty!
I slacked a bit this weekend but I think once in awhile you are allowed to be easy on yourself and indulge.

I'll catch you guys soon!

Cheers,
J Bae

6 Months Challenge

Hello everyone!!

I know I've been slacking and I won't try to make excuses!
I'll try harder to get more blogs out there and let you all know what's going on in my life but it's been a busy busy week, or a month even!

I thought I'd write about this challenge I'm going to put myself through.  It's nothing hard or complicated at all but all I'm changing drastically is cutting alcohol out of my diet completely for at least 6 months.

What sparked this you might ask: Kevin, the trainer.  I've been training with him for a few months now and I do see the changes in my body but when he was looking at me the other day he said, "you're eating right and working out hard but there's something that's holding you back still, what is it that you're not doing right?"  And I knew exactly what it was but I was hoping that conversation would not surface anytime soon.

So, here I am telling you all that I will try my hardest, no let's start this over, I will NOT drink for 6 months and however longer I can go without booze because it is not doing my body any good.  I did get a once a month hall pass from him though, so i might be able to partake in a girls' wine night once in awhile so that will be my little treat!

I want to know, what are your tricks on staying away from alcohol? Do you guys still go out and not drink?
We'll see how this goes. It will be hard, since it's spring training time in Arizona and the weather is perfect to sit out in the lawn to watch some baseball and sip on some cold beer, but I can and I will do this!

Please wish me luck everyone!

Cheers (touche),
J Bae

Weekend Recap

We did it!!

We have survived yet another brutal, torturous Monday!! (Imaginary high fives all around)

I hope everyone had a safe and fun weekend! I had a pretty relaxed yet eventful weekend.

On Friday my roommate Vivi and I went out to Cafe Zuzu at this hotel called Valley Ho in Scottsdale for a quick Happy Hour to celebrate us finishing up a successful week and to start off our weekend right.  We got a couple appetizers and a glass of red wine to start off with and ended up meeting some funny guys who were traveling from San Francisco so we chatted up a storm with them about anything and everything.  It was quite nice to not have to think about work and whatever that was weighing heavy on our shoulders and just let lose.  We ended up going home super early and passing out at like 10PM. (I know.. I'm super lame and am getting old.. I won't fight the inevitable here)

On Saturday I woke up not feeling too well since we were drinking without barely eating anything.  We wanted to check out this farmers market right by our house so despite our sufferings, we trucked our way over to the market.  It was such a cute little garden owned by this family and they had so many fresh produce and fresh baked goods.  We couldn't resist these giant croissants glistening in the sunlight just wanting for us to take them home and oh boy, it was worth all the calories!

We laid by the pool for a couple hours when we came home since it was such a beautiful day and continued to be lazy for a bit.  I still felt crappy a bit so I decided hit the gym for some cardio and leg workout which I was so glad I did!

On Sunday I got to sleep in until noon which never happens so I woke up so confused but very rested! I think my body definitely needed it. I ran some errands and decided to hit a late hike session.  I half jogged/hiked up the mountain and made very good time since my friends wanted to grab early dinner at this place called the Yard.  It's a restaurant with a big back yard with shuffle board, corn holes, ping pong tables, lounge chairs with fire pits in the middle to sit around to eat and drink.  So it's basically a big adults' playground.  I'd been wanting to check this place out and it was more than what I'd expected.  I'm definitely going back to kick some ass in corn hole and shuffle board!

Anyway, I hope everyone has an amazing week! I'll try to catch you guys before the weekend if it doesn't eat me alive!

Cheers,
J Bae

All Tied Up

Hello everyone!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend. I know it's already Tuesday but I had Monday off from work so technically, today was my Monday.

I had quite the weekend.  Went snowboarding all day Saturday at the Snowbowl in Flagstaff then was supposed to go to my friend's show but was way too pooped so I crawled in bed pretty early.

On Sunday, it was one of my best friends' bridal shower so I spent a lovely day with a few of my closest friends, drank some mimosas and had yummy food.  The bride-to-be lives in California now so she was in town for the shower so we could all celebrate with her.  It's so hard to get the group together these days since everyone's so busy and has different schedules so we try to cherish every little moment we have together.

I went back home to get some rest and decided to continue my Sunday funday since a good friend was in town for the bridal shower.  We went out, had some drinks (I know.. I was a bad girl) and danced a little bit.

I woke up with a raging headache on Monday since my body's not used to all those drinks so I stayed in bed for awhile then i decided to head to the gym for some cardio to sweat off the hangover before my training session.  I knew Kevin would kick my butt even harder if he knew I was hung over so I had to get rid of it before I got my butt kicked.

I'm at a point of my life where my friends are getting engaged, married and having kids.. And I do feel somewhat of pressure that I should be looking for that myself but I don't want to force myself by online dating or anything.  I believe that if it's meant to happen, it will just happen.  I've been single for a little over a year now and have been spending a lot of time to work on myself and my happiness.  I feel good about where I'm at with my life and I feel as though I'm ready to share the happiness with someone special.

Anyone who's reading this, that are single and feeling the pressure to get hitched because of the age, I say screw it! Being single and loving life is way better than settling on someone just because you feel it's the right thing to do and that's what you're supposed to do.  Remember, it's for the rest of your life, why not find someone that you can't absolutely live without rather than finding someone to just live with.

Anyway, I hope you all have a wonderful week and I'll cat you guys later!

Cheers,
J Bae

Oh... the V-Day

Well hello everyone!

I hope you're having a wonderful Thursday and remember, tomorrow's Friday and on top of that, it's going to be a nice 3 day weekend! I am just ecstatic!!

Today I want to talk about Valentine's day.  It's so funny what it means to everyone and how meanings change when you're in a relationship and when you're single.  I think I always had a boyfriend for Valentine's day for the past few years and this year, that is going to change.  I've been single for almost a year now (I mean completely single, not really seeing or dating anyone) and I am loving life.  I'm taking a lot of time to work on myself and to focus on things that needs improvements in order to better myself and to prepare myself to love someone else fully.

I've always enjoyed Valentine's day. It's never been my favorite holiday or anything but I've always enjoyed being more vocal about my love for the significant other and taking that time to just really spoil that person.  I mean, getting spoiled and all the flowers, chocolates and gifts didn't hurt either ;)  

This Valentine's day, things will be a bit different. I won't have someone to pay extra attention to and to get spoiled by.  And I'm ok with it, seeing all these couples might make me a bit bitter but it doesn't make me sad or anything.  I have a couple roommates that are going through the break-up with their significant (or ex) other so the mood will be some shades of blue but we'll just watch some chick flicks and drink some wine and it will all be over before we know it.

What are your views on Valentine's day? I'm curious to see what other people think about this most romantic/gloomy day.

Anyway, I'm off to watch some more winter Olympics!

Hope you guys have a wonderful rest of the night and for my Midwest/east coast peeps, stay warm! Come visit Arizona, we'll warm you right up :)

Cheers,

J Bae

Weekend Wrapup

Yes... Sunday's here already and let's say I am not looking for the sound of my alarm tomorrow morning.

How was everyone's weekend? Mine was, I gotta say, was pretty darn good.  On Friday I had a relaxing night with my roommates and went and got sushi from this place that had a conveyor belt sushi.  I love those places because it's so cheap and you get to sample a little bit of everything.  If you haven't been to a conveyor belt sushi place I highly recommend it!

Saturday one of my roommates Vivi and I went for a quick run in the morning then volunteered at this black tie gala for diabetes that was held by JDRF in the evening.  It was for a good cause and we got to dress up and got to watch the silent and live auction which was the first time for me so I thought it was super neat.  I've been trying to volunteer more and give back to the community anyway I can and this was definitely a fun way to do it.



Today I had so much fun all day.  The weather couldn't have been more perfect.. mid 70's and no clouds in sight.  I had to get up and hike the mountain and headed to the range right after to hit some golf balls.  My dad used to get me to go with him when I was a little girl but I never found it exciting so  was never into it but lately I've been getting the itch to go (I mean, I do live in Arizona after all).  After a big bucket of balls we headed to old town to get some munchies and walk around to digest and oh man, it was just too perfect.  For those of you who haven't been to Arizona you need to come experience this from now and May, it's just a perfection.

Anyway,  I'm quite pleased with my weekend and I am so so so grateful to be able to do all the things I'm able to.  I hope you all had a lovely weekend and have a kick ass week!  Oh, don't forget to hug yourself!  Ok, time to get ready for bed.

Thank you for stopping by and listening to me ramble on, I'll catch ya later!

Cheers,
J Bae

Breaking Habits

Hap Happ Happpy Friday Everyone!!!!!!

I hope everyone had a nice productive week and is ready to just enjoy the heck out of themselves because YOU deserve it!

I don't have too many big plans as of yet, just volunteering at a black tie auction event on Saturday and maybe head out for a couple cocktails after but other than that, probably my usual hiking and relaxing.

Today I wanted to talk about breaking habits.. Whether it be your eating habits, leaving dirty dishes everywhere or biting your nails.

For me I personally am trying to change my eating habits the most.  My eating is really not that bad, but I realized that I wasn't so good at portion control.. and I snacked throughout the day a lot; whether it be out of boredom or because it was just... there.  I'm trying to portion everything I eat and drink water when I start to get a tiny bit hungry rather than automatically reaching for a snack.
I also try to snack on more vegetables and fruits rather than protein bars or shakes.  I think my body would appreciate nutrients from real food rather than from artificial substances (although I am so weird and love protein shakes and bars).

I'm also trying to break the habit of getting complacent. Complacent with an ok job, with relationships (friendships or intimate), or with anything I go through in my life.  I think we tend to settle without meaning to or even knowing because we fall into a routine of doing things and we fear change.  You know you could strive to be better and do better but you always have that dark cloud of doubt in the back of your mind 'what if it doesn't work out?' or 'what if I fail?'.  It took me my whole life to realize that I'd rather live with a whole lot of failures from trying than living with 'I wish I would have'.

So, find your habits to break. Challenge yourself and believe you can, because you can do WHATEVER you put your mind to.

If you have a few minutes, watch one of my favorite motivational video.. I used to watch this every morning when I wake up and it really is something!

Hope you guys have an amazing weekend and remember, believe in yourself! :)

Cheers,
J Bae

Weekend wrap up

Happy Monday Everyone!!

I hope everyone had an amazing weekend despite the quite uneventful super bowl.. (I'm not a broncos or a seahawks fan so I didn't care who won but I at least wanted it to be a good game).
Anyway, I had a pretty eventful weekend myself.

On Friday I went and watched That Awkward Moment with a friend since we didn't feel like going out and haven't been to the theaters in a long time.  I wouldn't have personally picked this movie but my friend wanted to watch it so we went with it.  I must admit I liked the movie more than I thought I would (and let's be honest, Zac Efron isn't that bad to look at either).  It's about three best friends and their dating relationships and how they hide their relationships to keep their friendships from tearing apart or they hide it from the simple fact that they don't want to be judged by the others.  We've all been there and I'm sure we can all relate to either one of their relationships, if not all of them.

On Saturday I went on my weekly hike and this week I decided to go conquer the camelback mountain (pictured below). I have been avoiding this one since it gets so crowded on weekends that it gives me anxiety to climb up it, but I got over my fear and went for it.  It wasn't as crowded since I went a bit later in the afternoon around 2PM so many were coming down as I was going up.  It was a breezy but beautiful day and I couldn't have been happier to be hiking up that gorgeous mountain. It's definitely steeper than the Sunrise Peak trail I go to most of the time but I didn't stop once and pushed myself to keep going.

 I know it's hard to see the view from the top but let me tell you, with everyone's energy on top and the feeling of achievement, the view is the sweetest, the most gorgeous sight ever.  If you ever come to or live in Arizona, you must check out this mountain and you'll see what I'm talking about.

On Sunday, we went to the Waste Management Open in the morning to walk around and watch golf for a little bit then had to leave early because our friends who drove us there had to go pick up their brand new puppy before the Super Bowl (he's a Vizsla puppy named Otis, possibly the cutest thing ever!).  We all went over to their house to watch the Super Bowl and hang out with the puppy.  It was a great but an exhausting day!

I feel like this weekend has gone by way too fast! I'm already ready for Friday to get here, let the count down begin!

Anyway, I better get to bed because before I know it, my alarm will go off and I'll lie in bed wondering why I didn't go to bed earlier. Sigh...

Let's make this week a great one everyone and don't forget to keep on movin!
Have a great night and I'll catch you guys soon!

Cheers,
J Bae

The weekend is upon us!

HAPPY FREAKIN FRIDAY Y'ALL!!!

Geeeeeeeesh, it's been a long weekend and boy am I glad that Friday is finally here!
I have been slacking on posting new blogs because I've been running around like a crazy woman.  I did have such a good week of training and i am feeling pretty good.  Well, except for Wednesday when I cheated and had a big bowl of rice with Thai curry and a slice of funfetti cake for one of my roommates' birthday. And... I might have ad a few glasses of red wine.

My thing is, I can indulge in something once in awhile when I'm consistently eating clean and training dirty.  I tend to get down on myself too much when I eat something I'm not supposed to but I want to enjoy the little things in life and eat a freakin chocolate cake if I want to!

Anyway, I'm super excited for this weekend. I was supposed to go to the Waste Management Open tomorrow (it's one of the biggest parties/golf tournaments that's held every year in Scottsdale) but I don't know if that will happen.. it might just be too crazy for me and it's pretty exhausting.  I think a nice long hike is in order for me instead.. Sounds more relaxing and rewarding.
Then there's the Super Bowl! The Cardinals didn't quite make it this year so I'm not too passionate about the teams but I just love the whole commercials/halftime/food/get-togethers, plus my friend is getting a Vizsla puppy on Sunday and I can NOT wait to meet him. I'll definitely post a few pics of him and I guarantee you they'll melt your heart!

What's everyone doing this weekend? Anything fun?

Well, I'll catch you guys later, have a great weekend and stay active!

Cheers,
J Bae

My little piece of heaven

Happy Beautiful Saturday Everyone!!

I felt so good waking up this morning knowing that if I wanted to be lazy and stayed wrapped up in my sheets I could.  I slept in later than usual because I got sucked into watching a Korean soap opera until 4 in the morning. I haven't watched a cheesy Korean drama in so long that I got so wrapped up in it and completely lost track of time. I must admit, I am the biggest sucker for sappy romantic movies or shows that make me want to reach for a box of tissues and a big piece of dark chocolate.

Needless to say, I was a bit groggy but that didn't stop me from getting my hiking shoes on, lather up some sunscreen and pack up for another beautiful afternoon hike.  I went up to Sunrise Peak again today since I knew it wasn't going to look like an ant trail of people trying to climb up the mountain.  It was the most perfect day; 70 degrees, clear sky with a few clouds to get me out of the sun bits at a time.  I usually find a hiking buddy to go up with me but I wanted a peaceful quiet hike where I can do some thinking and enjoy my own company so that's what I did and loved every minute of it.

It's hard to push yourself sometimes and the temptation of giving up and slack off is constantly present when you're by yourself but it's a nice challenge for me and my own battle to win against myself and man oh man, does it feel good when you win and resist that temptation to give up on yourself.

One of the main things I'm learning from my trainer is to embrace the pain and not letting the body control my mind but rather, let the mind have the total control over my body and not letting myself give up until I say it's over even when my body wants to give up.
Time is passing by whether you give it your best or not, so might as well endure the pain and make it count so when you're finished, you know that last minute you pushed yourself so hard amounted to a positive change in yourself.

Oh, by the way, I had to post pictures of my dinner from last night because it was so simple and amazing.  My friend made baked chicken with sweet marinade which consisted of sriracha, minced garlic, shallots, a dash of balsamic vinegar and about a table spoon of lemon juice and baked it for about 40 minutes.  I made steamed broccoli and blanched then sauteed green beans with olive oil, minced garlic, cayenne pepper, ground black pepper, a sprinkle of ground ginger and a dash of balsamic vinegar and let me tell you, it was so good.  The chicken was cooked so perfectly and the green beans were still crisp and the broccoli wasn't over cooked at all.  We put a few slices of avocado on top of chicken and it was so good!

I'll spare you guys and stop rambling now.  I hope you guys did something today that your future will be thankful for!  Have a fantastic rest of the weekend and don't forget to stay active and be grateful!

Thank you for stopping by, I'll catch you guys later! :)

Cheers,
J Bae

Walkout Wednesday

Happy Hump Day Everyone!!

So, today I just wanted to talk about all things outdoors.
If you've read a few of my posts, you should know that I love hiking and running outside.  I haven't been running as much as I'd like to since I hurt my left foot awhile ago and I am just itching for it to heal all the way so I can go pound the pavement and feel the wind brushing against my face.

I've been doing more hiking and jump roping outside but I feel like I'm running out of ideas of outdoor activities.  I want to go snow boarding but Arizona has been way too warm and there's no signs of snow in the near future so I need help!

What do you guys do for cardio outside of the gym? I want to get some ideas and start switching it up so I don't get bored doing  a couple things over and over.  I like the gym but I love being outside and enjoying the beautiful weather (it's in the 70's in Arizona so I try to spend as much time outside as possible).  I'd love to hear what my fellow health nuts do to get their heart pumpin' and blood flowin' outdoors so please help a sista out! :)

I hope you all had a wonderful Wednesday and remember, the weekend is just around the corner so hang tight, keep kicking and stay above the water!

Oh, and of course, don't forget to hug yourself and be grateful for today. As always, thank you so much for coming by and catch you guys later!

Cheers,
J Bae

Oh.. Mondays

Happy Monday everyone!! (It was a bit painful to type that..)

I hope most of you got to enjoy one more day off from work unlike this one who didn't get so lucky and had to work today.. Let me tell ya, it was a STRUGGLE getting myself up this morning.

BUT, I'm still grateful that I got to wake up to another beautiful day and got to have a good butt kickin training sesh with my amazing trainer Kevin. (By the way, pictures and videos are coming, I promise! He's in the process of getting his gym set up so it's just taking awhile but it's coming!)

I had just recently purchased coconut oil to see what all the hype was about (you can read all about coconut oil, and find a link for recipes using coconut oil here).  There were two types of coconut oil, refined and unrefined, and I went with refined since it seemed more suitable for cooking purposes.  I just scooped it out of the jar like peanut butter then melted it onto a pan to stir fry some tofu slices in. **Warning, do not turn the heat up too high, I learned very quickly that coconut oil heats up REALLY fast so keep the heat on medium**

My verdict is, I think I can get used to cooking with coconut oil.  I really liked a hint of nuttiness it gave to tofu and the outside turned crispy without getting too tough.  I had it with a slice of turkey breast, steamed butternut squash and some spinach sauteed in sesame oil with a pinch of sea salt sprinkled on top (oh, and how could I forget, a big squeeze-ful of sriracha sauce).  I try to minimize my carb intake at night so I keep my dinner simple and light but my usual carb choices are brown rice and quinoa.

If you haven't tried coconut oil, it's not too expensive (I think that jar was around $5.00 at sprouts which will last me for awhile), so pick up a jar and experiment. Now, don't go too crazy with it because portion control is the key to everything.  All good things are good in right amounts and measures so keep that in mind.

Anyway, cheers to surviving another Monday and think of a few things you're grateful for before hitting the hay.  It tends to always put a smile on my face before falling asleep.

Thanks for coming by and I'll catch ya later!

Cheers,
J Bae






 

Conquering Mountains

Happy Saturday everyone!! *Insert happy dance*

I hope everyone's feeling well today, I know I'm surrounded by a bunch of sick people at work and at home so I've been overdosing myself with vitamin C, water and hot teas to keep myself from getting sick.

I was supposed to train with Kevin yesterday but I could tell my body was weaker and was trying to fight something off so I had to take a day off and just veg out at home.

I am ecstatic to say that when I woke up this morning I felt 100 times better! Maybe resting and sleeping in was just what I needed.  Needless to say, I had to take my happy body outside and soak up the sun since it is a beautiful 73 degrees day out here in Arizona and that's just what I did.  I called up my friend Josh who's been my go-to hiking buddy for awhile now to see if he was up for a hike and as always, the answer was yes.

Today we picked a trail called Sunrise Trail and it's a total of about 5 mile hike that took us a couple hours to get to the top and back down on.  Josh had never been to this trail and it's usually less crowded than other popular trails like Camelback Mountain or Piestewa Peak so we decided to give it a go.   I haven't been running a whole lot since my left foot would hurt when I do (I think I over stretched something), so I had to find alternatives in terms of cardio and luckily, I happen to love hiking so it all worked out.

It gets tough sometimes though, I'm not going to lie, and there are many times where I want to give up and turn back around but I just imagine myself being on top looking down to see how far up we've come and the feeling of achieving something and pushing myself to get to the top is indescribable.

Anyway, I'm off to run some errands and be productive.  I hope you all are staying warm, active and healthy.  Don't forget to drink TONS of water and eat a lot of fruits and veggies! Don't forget to sweat it out even in the cold; your body needs to stay active and strong to fight things off!

Oh, and don't forget to be grateful today, catch you guys later :)

Cheers,
J Bae

Snackin' Healthy

Happy Hump Day Everyone!!!

How was everyone's day today? Hope you're not taking advantage of Wine down Wednesdays too much and being good at home with your healthy home cooked meal :)

Speaking of healthy meals, one of my biggest weaknesses has got to be snacking.  I love to snack and I used to snack all the time, even when I wasn't hungry, just because I was bored or because it was in front of me.  I have come to realize that even if I snack on healthy foods may it be nuts or Greek yogurt with fruits or whatever, too much is plain too much.

Now I drink water throughout the day (I try to go for at least a gallon a day) and that helps me a lot with quieting down my stomach.  If I feel the need to snack on something to hold me over until my main meal, I grab an apple or a banana, or some raw veggies with hummus.

I have been seeing posts about baked kale chips everywhere so I thought I'd try it out since chips are my all time favorite thing to snack on and if they turn out well, hopefully these will stop me from reaching into an air filled bag of potato chips.

I've tried kale at restaurants before and I liked it a lot but when I tried to make a salad with it at home, I couldn't stand the taste of it for some reason. I thought it was too bitter and rough for my liking. Maybe I didn't prepare it right and I really wanted to give it another try without dousing in salad dressing to choke it down my throat.

I gotta say, this was a winner! Super easy and super quick to make and it tasted delicious!  I found my recipe here but all you really need to do is to tear off the leaves from the thick stem, tear them into bite size pieces, spread them onto a baking sheet, sprinkle with some olive oil and some seasoned salt, bake at 350 degrees for about 10 minutes, voila! Light and crispy kale chips at your disposal!

Chips to snack on that are healthy for me.. what???? I mean granted they're not AS good as unhealthy potato chips but pretty darn good if you ask me.

So, my goal is to find more healthy snacking options to try out and if you guys have any good recipes or ideas let me know and I'd like to try them!

Thanks for stopping by and I hope you have a great rest of the night and I'll catch you all soon!

Oh, and don't forget to be grateful for something before you go to bed today :)

Cheers,
J Bae

Sunday Blues

Hi everyone!

I hope you all had a great weekend and are ready to kick next week's butt!

My weekend was pretty mellow for the most part; Despite a minor injury on my left foot, I got to go on a 3 hour hike yesterday since I was feeling better and couldn't stand to waste an absolutely perfect day.  I took a friend of mine who isn't as avid of a hiker as me and when we were done, she said "it's safe to say that I will never go hiking with you ever again." Well, I will take that as a challenge, she will conquer another mountain with me!
I mean, I guess it was a bit more than what she signed up for but I'm glad she got to be on the top of that mountain and say "I did it!" (I'm also very glad that she didn't faint of me.. it came pretty close to it a couple times but besides that I think we were golden).

Sundays... I have a love/hate relationship with Sundays.  I love it because I get to be lazy, run errands, watch football and prep food for the week but I hate it because it marks the last day of the weekend and you know when you go to bed, you'll be woken up with the reality slapping your face the next morning.

I'm still in the process of figuring things out and planning out my future.  I will find something I enjoy doing so when I turn it into work, it wouldn't have to be work for me.  It might not happen overnight, in a month, it might even take a year to figure it out but I am slowly taking the steps to achieve what I want. They say follow your passion and the money will come.  I truly believe that and I don't want to waste another day doing something I'm not passionate about just to get the paycheck.

Ok, off to more brainstorming I go before I hit the hay.
Hope you all have a good night and I'll catch you guys shortly. Don't let the bed bugs bite!

Cheers,
J Bae

Hooked on Dates

Happy Friday everyone!!

This has got to be the longest week ever and I am ridiculously glad that Friday is finally here. Phew!
It's not that I have a super duper exciting weekend planned (if any at that) but it's just been a long week at work and let's just say I'm happy to escape from it for a couple days.

Anyway, I hope you guys have some fun plans because this girl is looking forward to just relaxing and being a bum all weekend.  I hurt my left foot a few days ago and I'm hoping it will heal soon so I can go running or hiking this weekend (please cross your fingers and toes for me!).

Oh, so I've been having crazy cravings for sweets lately and I don't know what my deal is but it's been a real struggle for me. There has been many times where I wanted to pick up a family size dark chocolate bar or dive into a tub of gelato and get lost in it but thankfully I was able to hold myself back.

I was really testing myself yesterday when I was walking by the bins full of chocolate covered almond clusters, dark chocolate espresso beans and chocolate covered pretzels until I was walking by the dried fruit section and found myself these gorgeous dates.  And by dates I mean a type of fruit, not some eye candies just happened to be at the grocery store (although that would have been quite nice).  Anyway, I decided to buy a small container full to satisfy my sweet cravings.  I've had dates before but never by themselves so I was excited and nervous at the same time.

I couldn't wait to get home to try them and you guessed it. I am HOOKED.
I had to hold myself back from eating the entire container, close the lid and put it away so I didn't devour them in one sitting.

I'm so glad I found these gems and if you haven't tried these, you should definitely give them a try.  There's a place in Scottsdale where they make date milkshakes.. I am tempted but I'll stay away, for now..

Anyway, have a fantastic weekend you guys and keep on sweating! :)

Cheers,
J Bae

I'm Grateful :)

I came across this video (click on link, it will take you to it) today whilst mindlessly scrolling through the news feed on my Facebook.  It was a short 3 minute video that set my heart on fire with gratitude and hope.
It's about a pastor and his wife in South Korea taking in babies that are abandoned on the streets of Seoul and raising and loving them as if they were their own kids.

Watching this just humbled me and restored my faith in humanity.  People like this make me want to be a better person and make me wonder, "what am I doing to contribute to the community?".

I tend to get wrapped up in my own world and get too busy worrying about myself that I lose sight of things like giving back to the community and helping others.  That will be one of my goals this year; I will give more and make more people smile and I truly believe it will make me happier and stronger by doing so.

I am grateful for another beautiful day, I'm grateful that I have what I have and I'm so grateful that my parents were able to raise me to be who I am today.  I am nowhere near perfect but I stinking love my-crazy-self and will try my best to do more of what makes me happy and less of anything but that.

Did you hug yourself today? :)


Cheers!
J Bae

What are you passionate about?

So... I had a long conversation with a trainer of mine that I recently started working out with yesterday. His name's Kevin, you guys will get to know him more as I continue to get my butt kicked by him.

He asked me this one important question and it got me thinking long and hard about where I'm at with my life and which direction I wish to head towards. The question he asked me was, "If you had all your bills paid for and didn't have to worry about money, would you be doing what you're doing right now for a living?" I probably hesitated for about, let's say... 5 seconds, and said "no" without even thinking about it.

I never saw myself sitting at a desk all day doing monotonous busy work that I am not highly passionate about.  I am in a travel industry which I wanted to get into since traveling is one of my greatest passions of mine but the problem is, I'm not getting paid enough to travel nor am I free enough to travel as much as I want to be.

Travel and fitness. Those words pretty much sum up my passions and I will be doing some SERIOUS soul searching to find out how I can turn my passions into a paycheck!

Anyhow, I thought I'd share this with you because this is all I've been thinking about since yesterday and it should be interesting how I'll go about achieving my dreams.

If you get a chance, ask yourself that same question. If you had all the money in the world, would you be doing what you're doing right now for a living? What would you rather be doing?


Till next time,
Cheers!

J Bae

Pavement therapy

Happy Saturday everyone!!

Ah..... I look forward to this day all week long, I get to sleep in and get to spend all day doing whatever I want without worrying about how early I have to wake up the next day.

I wouldn't call myself a morning person, actually am far from it, but this whole day job thing has set my body clock to wake me up early in the morning even if I didn't want to.

Sleeping in until 9 o'clock has become a luxury and boy, did that feel so good today. Waking up to no alarm has to be one of my favorite things and I did just that.

Breaking up with my bed never gets easier but I knew I had to leave him for a hot date with the pavement this morning and I knew it was the right decision.

I finished my bowl of oatmeal with mixed berries, sliced up banana, and a handful of almonds and head outside.  Although it was a bit chilly (ok, chilly for us Arizonans, it was like 52 degrees this morning!) I knew that would keep me running to keep myself warm.  I didn't really keep my usual pace, I wanted this to be a relaxing nice morning jog and I was so relaxed and found myself keep smiling throughout the run. Running makes me happy (especially when I'm done, let's be honest) and that's why I call it the Pavement Therapy.

If you're not a runner, just try to start slow by running around the block. You'll want to give up but when you push out that weakness whispering in your ear telling you to stop, the rest gets easier, trust me.

Now I'm off to go get my hair did and have some fun with my girlies.  I hope everyone has a fantabulous Saturday!! Catch you guys later! :)

Cheers,
J Bae