Friday, August 29, 2014

Fit: Yoga Girl Challenge: Days 13, 14, 15

Day 13: Be fearless.

I have semi-irrational fears like everyone else (sharks, snakes, spiders, serial killers, zombie apocalypse etc.) But one of the things that scares me on a more day-to-day basis is losing touch with people who matter to me most. Distance, time spent apart...it takes effort to stay in touch and nurture relationships. It isn't always easy.

The universe works in such mysterious ways. A few days ago, I received the sweetest card from one of my trust, best friends Katie. She sent a "just because" card to say hello since we hadn't seen each-other in far too long. It reminded me how lucky I am to have such wonderful people in my life, and how it's worth every bit of effort to keep in touch.

Plus, note the anchor card and Hermione stamp. It's no wonder why that girl and I are such good friends.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. || 

Day 14: Clean out.

Cleaning always feels good. A few days ago, I finally cleaned out my purse (it was a long time coming, and something I'd been dreading). Cleaning out felt great, both mentally and physically (my shoulder is thanking me for the smaller purse and lighter load).

Before we went to China earlier this summer, I purchased the Fossil Explorer Tote (yes, that beauty of a bag below). It was easily the best purchase I made for the entire trip. It carried everything I needed and is still in great condition after everything I put it through. Not to mention, it traveled to the other side of the globe with me on an incredible adventure. Obviously, that purse is now one of my favorites.

But for our upcoming trip to Seattle, I think my shoulders will need a break. I'll be carrying much less, and the forecast calls for rain. That's why I transitioned to my Lululemon Festival Bag. It feels so good to have less clutter and start anew for a new trip. Plus, that bag. I can't think of a better carryall for a week in the Emerald City with my boy.

 || Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. || 

Day 15: Sweat.

There's nothing like a good C2 session at Corepower Yoga to clear your mind, get you back on track and make you break a serious sweat. 

I'm just now getting back into yoga after dislocating my shoulder earlier this summer. Not being able to do yoga was easily one of the biggest challenges I've faced recently. Having to give up my primary form of exercise and stress relief was not something I want to do again. Now that my shoulder is finally healing, I'm loving every minute spent at the studio. (I can't get enough of my Yogitoes mat. You can snag it here).

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. || 

On that note, happy Labor Day weekend! Jack and I are off to Seattle for a few days to explore, relax and eat lots of yummy food. Follow our travels on Instagram by following @cocoreigh. Cheers to a fabulous weekend! Enjoy.

Thursday, August 28, 2014

Fit: Yoga Girl Challenge: Days 10, 11, 12

Day 10: Get creative.

There's nothing I like more than a DIY project. I've had my heart set on a zen garden lately, and put a thrift store bowl, some sand from our cabin and rocks from my mom to good use.

This little beauty is sitting in our windowsill in the living room. Every so often, the sun catches a crystal at just the right spot and it shines. Just looking at it brings me tranquility.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Day 11: Random act of kindness.

We got deep for day 11 of the Yoga Girl Challenge. To raise awareness for children who are victims of sexual assault, we screamed for kids to take part in the Scream for Kids awareness event taking place in Stockholm. We got shushed for screaming as loud as we did (there were to others who participated with us). It was worth it.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Day 12: Get shit done.

Sundays are one of my favorite days of the week. Not only do I allow myself to relax and prepare for the week ahead, I always seem to cross a bunch of things off my to-do list. I get shit done.

In preparation for our trip to Seattle for Labor Day (we leave tomorrow!!!), I had a lot of things on my to-do list (I'll let you in on a secret...that list had a backside). While I didn't get all of them done last Sunday (I'm no super hero), I did cross a significant portion of the tasks off my list. I fell asleep very soundly on Sunday knowing my week was going to be a lot less stressful and significantly more relaxing.

It feels good to get shit done.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Wednesday, August 27, 2014

Recipe: Clean-Eating Quiche

I have to admit, cutting out highly processed food isn't the easiest thing in the world. But with a refrigerator stocked full of healthy produce and a little creativity, it's not half bad.

Last week, I was struggling with what to make for dinner when I got home from work/yoga at 7 p.m. Truthfully, all I wanted to do was order something for dinner or just snack until I was full. But with my Yoga Girl challenge to eat less processed foods, I took to the refrigerator.

A few weeks ago, I had seen a quiche recipe made with a sweet potato crust on Fourteen Forty. Not only is it incredibly healthy and ingenious, but I never have crust on hand, nor do I have the patience to make one myself. Thankfully, in my time of need, this recipe came to mind, and I knew I had to try it out and make my own version.

While I know very little about quiche, what I do know is that, while it sounds fancy, it's so incredibly easy to make. Trust me; I had never made a quiche in my entire life until last week. Not to mention, I was hungry, impatient and restless; and it still turned out fantastic.

A must make for any meal, any day of the week.

Ingredients

Sweet potato: One large or 2-3 small
Olive oil spray
Mixed vegetables of your choice: 3 cups (I used baby kale, dinosaur kale, grape tomatoes and zucchini)
Olive oil: 1 tablespoon
Garlic: 1 teaspoon minced
Eggs: 5 total
Feta cheese: 1/2 cup
Parmesan cheese: 1/4 cup
Herbs: 1/2 cup (I used Thai basil and parsley)
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Slice the sweet potato into thin pieces, and line the edge of your pie pan to mimic a pie crust. It should cover the sides and the bottom of the pan, but it doesn't need to be perfect!

Once the sweet potato is sorted, spray with olive oil and bake for 15 minutes on 400 degrees fahrenheit. After crust is baked, reduce to 375 degrees fahrenheit.


While the crust is baking, chop mixed vegetables and herbs. Set aside.


After the vegetables are chopped, sauté olive oil and garlic until lightly browned. Next, stir in mixed vegetables until wilted/mildly cooked, about 5-7 minutes.


Blend eggs and goat cheese in a bowl. Add the sautéed vegetables, olive oil, garlic and herbs. Stir until combined.


Add egg, cheese, vegetable and herb mixture to baked sweet potato pie crust. Top with parmesan cheese and bake for 40 minutes at 375 degrees.


Once the egg is fully cooked (this should take nearly 40 minutes), remove from the oven and allow to cool.


Cut and serve.


Enjoy!

 || Photos are property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Friday, August 22, 2014

Fit: Yoga Girl Challenge: Days 7, 8, 9

Day 7: Thank you.

As a culture, I don't think we take enough time to say thank you and to be grateful. I know I could reflect much more often than I do.

Today, and every day, I am grateful. For my family and friends - their immense, unwavering love and support that truly never ends is humbling and inspiring. For this beautiful earth - the beauty, comfort and peace I feel in the presence of a silent forest, tranquil ocean or stoic mountain range reminds me how interconnected we are. And for my body - allowing me to practice yoga, meditate, travel, love and live a truly wonderful life. So much to be grateful for.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Day 8: Manifesting dreams.

I usually don't like to say my goals and dreams out loud. If I do, what happens if I can't accomplish them, or if they don't come true?

I think the opposite effect is really happening. I'm not accomplishing my goals because I'm scared of what will happen if I don't. Doesn't make any sense, right? I agree. 

My dreams are important to me, and I am so excited to pursue them! I'm working on relaxing more and let the universe work in its magical and mysterious ways (a little more on that below), so I'm not giving myself a hard timeline. Ideally, I'd like to make these dreams a reality over the next five years. I've got some great things ahead of me!

 - Travel as often as I can
 - Adopt a dog from a local rescue
 - Participate in yoga teacher training
 - LIve more sustainably and utilize every inch of our outdoor space for a seasonal garden
 - Put down our roots somewhere by purchasing a house or condo
 - Become involved with a local volunteer organization that I'm passionate about and give back to our community
 - Attend an international yoga retreat
 - Visit my family every chance I get
 - Write, write, write
 - Do yoga every damn day

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Day 9: True forgiveness.

I hope it's not tacky to forgive yourself, because it's something I need to do. I'm really hard on myself - always trying to be perfect, needing to please everyone, making sure things are always on track. And when something goes wrong? I blame myself. And then I go crazy and take things out on others. It's a vicious cycle.

I forgive myself for doing that all these years. It's time to let the universe have the control it needs. Because when you let life be as it should, good things happen.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

xo,

Monday, August 18, 2014

Fit: Yoga Girl Challenge: Days 4, 5, 6 + Maha Music Festival

Day 4: Random act of kindness.

Over the weekend, I was in Omaha with a few of my favorite gals for Maha Music Festival. While my body is stiff and sore from the 12+ hour roundtrip drive, I feel so revived and at peace. Sometimes, a weekend with your girlfriends is the best medicine there is.

While we were in Omaha, I made each of us a woven anklet to celebrate our mini road trip, endless laughter, new adventures and lasting friendships. While the colors were completely different to signify our varying personalities, the design and length were all the same, tying us together and serving as a reminder of a truly incredible weekend. 

Man, I just love those girlies (more photos and DIYs from this trip coming soon!)

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Day 5: Get rid of a bad habit.

It's no secret I love food. While I consider myself a healthy cook, I fall off the healthy food wagon whenever I do any sort of traveling or out of town weekend activity. I've learned that if there's one thing my body doesn't appreciate, it's bad, highly processed foods. 

Especially because I expect my body to do so much (yoga, working, running, blogging, cooking etc.), I can't be filling it with highly processed foods that just do me no good (or in most instances, more harm than good). I'll admit it, it's not easy eating healthy and eliminating highly processed foods. Eating healthy takes money (produce can be expensive), time (cooking for each meal) and creativity (finding new ways to eat healthy foods in place of highly processed foods). Not to mention, I think it takes an incredible amount of courage to eat healthy and say no to some of the delicious but terrible-for-you foods out there!

Moving forward, I'm going to consciously cut out as many highly processed foods as I can. This includes artificial ingredients, refined sugars, low-fat and fat free products, sugary cereals, sodas, fast food and basically anything else I wouldn't cook with at home. 

It won't be perfect. I won't be a 100% "clean eater." But I will make healthier, more conscious decisions each day to eat foods that are "clean" or less processed.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

Day 6: Start a new routine.

Since I got rid of a bad habit, it only makes sense to start a new one, right? Recently, Jack and I began saving money, but not in the conventional way you think. Each time we come across a $5 bill, we save it. But only when it's a $5 bill! We don't save any other denomination of money.

It's fun for us to always be on a hunt for $5 bills (trust me, you won't see either of us spending a $5 bill any time soon; we'll be saving it!) While we don't have a lot saved up yet, we're excited to see our savings grow as the weeks and months go on.

We've decided we're going to combine our $5 bill savings with our change jar savings and will spend the money traveling to visit some of the places on our list (read more about that here!) Traveling is one of the most important things for us, especially during the next few years. Can't wait to see where this new little saving routine takes us.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

xo,

Friday, August 15, 2014

Fit: Yoga Girl Challenge: Day 3

Day 3: Rise & shine.

It's Friday (thank goodness), and I woke up well before the sun today. Day 3 of the Yoga Girl Challenge called for getting up an hour earlier than usual. That meant 5 a.m. for me (it could have meant 4 a.m. depending on the day). 

Jack wasn't awake yet, and our apartment was pitch black. When I drew the curtains, the sky was completely dark; I think I even saw stars. I'm a morning person by nature, but this still felt like night; like I was living by the moon. 

My body wasn't ready to be awake yet, so I sat on the couch and sipped hot water and lemon. When I was feeling ready, I meditated. During that 10 minutes, I heard the birds chirp, and I heard Jack roll out of bed. I heard our air conditioner, creaking of our handmade coffee table, and subtle cracks and movements in my body as it settled. It felt good.

Then, I unrolled my yoga mat and moved. I did sun salutations and whatever else felt right with my body. Then, I saluted the sunrise, and by golly it was a beaut.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

By 6 a.m., I was ready to be awake. I made a pot of coffee, and started working at our kitchen island while the sun continued to rise. Being truly awake to greet the day was incredible, and the 5 a.m. wake-up call was worth it.

...that being said, I'm excited to sleep in tomorrow morning in Omaha! This afternoon, I'm off to Omaha for Maha Music Festival and a weekend with the girls. My blogging will likely be sporadic, but if you'd like to keep up with me in this challenge (and see all Omaha has to offer, of course!), make sure to follow me on Instagram (@cocoreigh).

Cheers to Friday. Namaste, xo

Thursday, August 14, 2014

Fit: Yoga Girl Challenge: Day 2

Day 2: Meditate.

Yoga every damn day, I think I can handle you. Meditation every damn day? Let's give it a whirl.

To start day 2 of the Yoga Girl Challenge, I did some yoga, which wasn't easy for me (I stayed up a little too late prepping this post, watching yoga videos and getting sucked into some gorgeous Instagram accounts). While I was tired, yoga felt so good. My body was craving the movement, stretching and serenity. Yoga every damn is feeling damn good.

After a quick 15 minute practice, I did my first meditation (yay!) I set a timer for 10 minutes to allow myself to fully relax, focus on my breathing and be still. It was time all for myself.

One of the main reasons I love yoga is because it helps calm my busy mind. The mixture of breathing and postures creates the perfect balance of relaxation for me. Before I began my meditation, I was nervous that my busy mind wouldn't be able to focus on breathing only. This hindered me for the first few minutes of my meditation. All I could think was "this isn't working!" mixed with "how much time has passed?" and "I should have started the coffee pot" and "stop thinking!" 

Not the best start to a "peaceful" meditation.

However, I was so glad I gave myself the full 10 minutes to meditate. Eventually, I was able to relax. I settled in to my seat, got comfortable, and began to acknowledge each of my thoughts, but to not focus on them. Near the end, my meditation was incredibly peaceful...so peaceful, that I think I was almost at that stage of being in-between sleep and awake. Maybe that's not good? Either way, it felt great.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

While meditating was a lovely start to my day, I think I'll see the biggest benefit from meditation during times of high anxiety, stress, big decisions or worry. I sometimes find it difficult to be at peace with my own thoughts during these situations, and I think meditating, focusing on my breathing and finding inner peace is a great place to start.

Do you meditate? If so, send all your pointers my way! 

Namaste. xo,

Wednesday, August 13, 2014

Fit: Yoga Girl Challenge: Day 1

I love a good challenge, especially when it comes from Yoga Girl herself (and personal role model of mine), Rachel Brathen!

The Yoga Girl Challenge isn't just about yoga. Quite the contrary, it's a 21-day challenge focused on personal improvement, universal compassion and inner transformation. 

Each day of the challenge has a specific theme and purpose (I'm not sure what each day will bring just yet [the full challenge is outlined below], but according to Rachel, we'll be focusing on small things to practice, old habits to let go of, new routines to create, random acts of kindness, moments of silence, expressions of love). Basically, it's going to be 21 days of pure love, and I'm so excited and honored to be a part of the global movement she's created.

|| Photo is property of Rachel Brathen. ||

Day 1: Do yoga. Every damn day.

For the next 21 days (and hopefully longer than that!), I'm going to make it to my mat each and every day. Time for myself, to reflect and find peace.

I say it a lot on this blog (probably too much), but I'm a busy girl. Yes, I take too much on sometimes, or don't prioritize what I should do during the little "me" time that I have. Sometimes, yoga doesn't make it onto that list of to-do's. But it should.

I've said it before and I'll say it again, there's just something about yoga that I feel so deeply drawn to. Every time I get back to my mat after days (or sometimes weeks away), I feel comforted and at peace. Even if only for the 15 minutes or hour that I'm practicing, my worries, ambiguous thoughts and everything else filling my head melt away. It fills me up, reignites my spirit. It's like magic.

So here we are, day 1. I'm a morning person, a lover of the light, so a morning practice is just what I needed to kick off this challenge. I headed to the studio in our apartment building and took some time for myself in the peace and quiet. 15 minutes was all I needed to jumpstart my morning.

|| Photo is property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

I hope you follow along with me on this journey (and maybe even participate, yes?)

Namaste. xo,

Monday, August 11, 2014

Recipe: Summer Trail Mix

Let me preface this post with this: it's a huge stretch to call this a recipe by any means.

A few weeks ago, we went camping with our friends Nick and Caitlin. With hiking and swimming on the agenda, I knew we'd need a healthy snack that packed a bit of a punch (protein, natural sugar and lots of energy). I couldn't find any pre-made trail mixes that caught my eye, so I decided to make one instead.

I'm definitely not a pro when it comes to making trail mixes, but this turned out to be a really yummy summer mix. The mix of dried fruit with dark chocolate and nuts was so, so good. Not to mention, it yielded a HUGE batch of trail mix. It took us nearly a week after the camping trip for us to finish it all. Needless to say, I'll be making another batch very, very soon.

Ingredients

Almonds (we chose lightly salted and roasted)
Raisins
Dried strawberries
Chocolate (we chose dark chocolate nut clusters)
Peanuts (we chose honey roasted)
Banana chips
Sunflower seeds

Directions

This one's easy. Mix it all together and enjoy.









|| Photos are property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. || 

xo,

Friday, August 8, 2014

DIY: Wood Photo Transfers

A few weeks ago, my dad celebrated his 50th birthday (happy birthday, poppy!) To celebrate, my sister and I surprised him at our cabin for a few days. It was the perfect gift for his milestone birthday.

But of course, I still wanted to get him a real gift. Since I've been on my DIY kick lately, I took to the web to find the perfect gift for him that had a tie-in to our cabin. Thank goodness for Free People (I feel like I say that often). Last spring, they posted a fantastic wood photo transfer DIY that I knew would look great up at the cabin. A quick trip to the craft store and a few hours in our kitchen, and these bad boys were done!

If you're only making one photo transfer, you're looking at less than two hours from start to finish. If you're making more (I ended up making five total), set aside a few hours over 2-3 different nights to finish the project. While it takes a little longer than most, I promise you, the end result is absolutely worth it.

Materials

Wooden slab
Photo printed on thin computer paper (make sure you print it horizontally as it will be mirrored once it's transferred)
Modge Podge
Sponge paint brush
Rag

Directions

Get all the goods.



Apply a thick coat of Modge Podge to the front of your photo.


Carefully place the photo face down on the wooden slab.


Remove all of the air bubbles using a credit card, drivers license etc. You'll want to make sure the photo is entirely flat on the wooden surface.


Tear the edges of the paper around the rim of the wood.


Allow the photo to fully dry for an hour.


Wet the rag with water. It shouldn't be dripping wet, but it should be damp.


Leave the rag atop the wooden slab for 10-15 minutes, or until the photo is transferred and the paper has softened. You should be able to see the photo through the paper at this point.


Using the damp rag, very lightly peel the paper away. Do this gently; if you peel the paper away too rough, the photo could come with it.


Removing the damp paper will take between 30-45 minutes. Once the paper is fully removed, you should be able to see your photo clearly on the wooden slab (you're almost done!)


Cover the photo with a thin layer of Modge Podge and allow it to dry. Once it's dry, the project is finished!

|| Photos are property of Twentyapolis. Must give credit. ||

xo,

Wednesday, August 6, 2014

Life: Presently

Well hello there. Happy Wednesday.

It's been a busy few weeks, that's for sure. So busy in fact, that I didn't have a chance to share all the DIY projects I had planned! To accommodate, I'll be posting a few throughout the months. August is still a great time to DIY, in my opinion. 

But for now, it's time to play catch-up.

Making: distressed denim shorts (on the blog here), a zen garden (coming soon), and wooden photo transfers (also coming soon!)
Watching: Sons of Anarchy. Totally random, but we're hooked.
Doing: SO many things. Catching up on committee work, freelancing, attending baby showers and weddings galore. My head is spinning!
Thinking: that a massage is definitely in order between my shoulder and stress. Right?
Visiting: my family cabin this weekend with Jack and our best friends. It should be a wonderful weekend with friends and family!
Rocking: Wavy, natural hair. Sleeping in and keeping my hair healthy is such a great feeling.
Spending: as much time outdoors as possible.
Shopping: at Urban Outfitters to buy boyfriend jeans. I just bought these yesterday afternoon.
Eating: this recipe for kale and chickpea salad. Now that I've nearly mastered how to make it, I'll have to do a blog post about it soon (with a few tweaks).
Drinking: Summit Summer Ale. A favorite summer brew of mine.
Missing: my sister! That pretty lady needs to move here, stat.
Planning: our upcoming girls trip to Maha Music Festival! Bring on some Death Cab for Cutie and Head & the Heart.
Working: on training for a 14K I signed up for in September. That means going running nearly every day (woof).
Reading: the latest issue of Minnesota Bride (article by yours truly inside!)
Wanting: a long, long weekend to catch up on sleep.
Enjoying: Quiet time alone in our apartment. It's the best time for me to be productive and get things done.
Writing: blog posts! It's time to get back on track.
Pinning: recipes for chickpea veggie burgers, yoga poses, Harry Potter spells and traveling apps.
Cooking: Amy's frozen pizzas (I'm pathetic, but this one is so, so good). Does that even count as cooking?
Pondering: a good date night idea for Jack and me. For our last date, we jogged to Sociable Cider Werks and had dinner at AZ Canteen. A tough one to beat!
Listening: to Death Cab and the Head & the Heart. Maha's coming up so fast!
Liking: evenings spent catching up with girlfriends (drinks in hand).
Feeling: so lucky to have spent a few days at our cabin with my mom while surprising my dad for his 50th birthday with my sister. A great, great time!
Noticing: the little things. Pretty wildflowers, and how Minneapolis looks as the sun rises on my morning run.
Going: crazy with anticipation to see our family dog Boone this weekend!
Debating: Not watching episode two of Bachelor in Paradise. It's totally pathetic, but I couldn't tear my eyes away.
Loving: weekends spent with our best friends (camping, softball, patios and more!)
xo,
 
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