Laurel's April Challenge: The Stretching Struggle PART 2

Well here we are! It's almost half way through May already? Where does the time go?! That month definitely went by a lot faster than I was expecting! But.............(drumroll please)...............I accomplished my challenge!! Am I right up there with those ladies in Cirque de Soliel? Definitely not! But I definitely have set a great foundation for myself on my path to strength and flexibility!

Just in case you forgot, I'll remind you what exactly I did every day!

1. I stretched in the morning after I ate breakfast.
2. I went to Yoga as much as possible.
3. I stretched every night before going to sleep.

Even though this doesn't sound like a big challenge, it definitely was for me. It forced me to make time for myself, which I don't think many of us really do! We are always go-go going and our way of decompressing is streaming Facebook and Pintrest while watching TV show re-runs. These two times during the day gave me at least a couple minutes, if not more, to focus on myself, appreciate what I had done for the day, and just breathe.

As for the Yoga, I had purchased a Groupon for Freeman Yoga in Downtown Fullerton. It was a yoga studio I had never tried so I was excited/nervous to see what it was like! IT WAS AMAZING! I always walked out of class feeling invigorated and ready to take on the day! The teachers were all so inspiring and encouraging, I would recommend it to anyone interested in yoga, beginners and advanced students!

So, what did I learn from this challenge?:

1. How important it is for you to take time for yourself everyday. We are always thinking about a million things a day and most are very stressful. To be able to focus your mind on just yourself and your breath is a truly beneficial thing.

2. To not be so hard on myself. I had my good days and I had my bad days. I have learned this month that sometimes your body might not be able to do what it did yesterday, AND THAT'S OKAY. That just happens to be where I am today and that is just fine.

3. To be grateful. We only have one body. We only have one life. Everyday there are a million things to be thankful for and we sometimes forget this (I know I do a whole lot). Having this time for myself everyday made me realize how much I have and how incredible my life is. We are always focusing on what else can we do, what else can we get, who else can we be? To be able to just sit down and realize that I am enough. right now. in this moment, was amazing.


When I went into the challenge I was just expecting to get a little bit more flexible and feel responsible for a change in my body. But, I got so much more! Yes, there were days when I was tired and just wanted to go to bed, but I still got up and stretched. And when I did, I realized how much I needed that little 10 minutes to myself.

So to sum it up: I got so much more than I had hoped for out of this challenge. I learned how to find inner peace within myself and about the importance of taking time for yourself. I hope, if you're reading this, you try it! What have ya got to lose? :)

Cheers!
Laurel 

Amy's April Challenge: Guitar Guru PART 2!

So believe it or not, April has come and gone in the blink of an eye and May has arrived (and so have the Santa Ana winds...)! 

I know we've all seen this
but it's still great!

Although it's scary how fast time flies these days, I gladly welcome the new month because this marks the beginning of my...wait for it...BIRTHDAY MONTH!!! May 11th ya'll! The big 2-3! I get to share it with my mommy this year because it's also Mother's Day!! But I also have to work my muggle job that pays the bills, SO I'll be slingin' BBQ by day and hittin' the town by night :) Ahh the glamorous life of the post college, twenty something, starving artist...

My musical theatre people
will appreciate this one :)

Okay, back to what I should actually be talking about in this post. I get so easily distracted...

If you recall, my personal challenge for the month of April was to teach myself how to play the guitar! I was tired of just staring at it, mocking me from the corner of my room so I decided to make a change. I'll do a little recap for you and just say that I have zero experience with guitar...like all I ever did was try to play a chord but it hurt my fingers so I gave up. I not only challenged myself to teach myself how to play, but also to practice every day, even if it was only for a few minutes. I never realized how difficult it is to actually make a commitment to do something every day. A month really isn't that long of a period of time, but it's so easy to let things slip to the way side. That being said, I practiced almost every day. I missed two random days, but you know what, life goes on! Some days I practiced for hours and some days I practiced for 15 minutes. It's the consistency that counts! I was sooo happy when the callouses on my fingers finally started to form from playing every day because then it didn't hurt as badly to play! It's the little things in life...

How did I go about teaching myself, you ask?! WELL the internet holds quite a wealth of free information. It's truly amazing how many great teachers there are out there with free tutorials on youtube. My friend Tony told me about a guy named Marty Schwartz  who is seriously a guitar god. Click on his name right there and it will take you to his youtube channel! I've watched other tutorials but no one breaks it down as easily and efficiently as he does. Also, he's super nice so it makes the sometimes frustrating and painstaking process of learning guitar fun! 

That's another thing I learned: Don't play something if you don't enjoy it. I'm not out there to be the next Jason Mraz killin' it on the guitar (even though that would be awesome)! I just wanted a new creative outlet to feed my soul. Sometimes I'd be learning a song and realize after a few days that I was over it, so I moved on to another one! I did what made me happy and motivated and kept me inspired. The days that I practiced for hours were purely because I was enjoying myself and wanted to practice. Some days I'd play
through a few songs and be done. The fact that I practiced every day is what helped me progress quickly (errr semi-quickly). It took me a long time to change chords without 13 hours in between each one. It still takes my brain some time to make my fingers do what they're supposed to do, but I'm proud of my improvement. Strumming and singing also took me a while to achieve. I still have trouble with it but with each song I teach myself, I get better. Strumming patterns are even more difficult for me, so those are coming along slowly but surely. 

Most tutorials, Marty included, quickly teach you how to play the chords required for the song, but I also used this website for an easy, interactive breakdown of chords. My favorite part about it is that it allows you to hear what the chord is supposed to sound like, which is very helpful!

I also highly recommend Ultimate Guitar to find chords and tabs for literally hundreds of thousands of songs! They also have an app you can download on your phone which is great as well! 

It's only been a month, but you know, Rome wasn't built in a day! I have soooo much more to learn but I'm very proud of my progress. Like I promised, here is a video of me playing and singing! No judgements :) It's nothing to write home about, but it's just proof that you can do anything that you set your mind to! Apply yourself, be consistent, but above all, have fun! What will you challenge yourself to next?!

Cheers,
Amy 

"Passion is energy. Feel the power that comes from focusing on what excites you." -Oprah 

DIY Lip Scrub

Have your lips been taking the brunt of this ever changing weather and random winds?! Well, mine sure have! Despite the fact that Laurel and I probably own at least 15 different chap sticks scattered around the house and in all of our bags and purses, I can't seem to kick these chapped lips! My solution? A quick and easy lip scrub to get rid of those rough lips and make way for some baby soft ones!

What you'll need:

1/2 tsp. Olive Oil
2 tbsp. Sugar (I prefer white, it’s grainier)
1 tsp. Honey

Mix all of the ingredients together, apply to lips, and gently massage for about a minute (or until you've reached your softest satisfaction)! Rinse off with warm water, and voila! A baby soft pucker! 

Added bonus: If you accidentally get some in your mouth, it tastes yummy :) Don't judge me...

I found this quick remedy from Girl With Curves!

Scrub on glamour girls (and boys)! And don't forget to moisturize! 

Cheers!
Laurel & Amy

"The sign of a beautiful person is that they always see beauty in others." -Omar Suleiman 

Roasted Garlic Hummus

So I (Amy) must admit that I may have a slight addiction to hummus. Okayyy, so it's not slight. I could literally eat hummus and veggies (or pita or pretzels) at any time of day or night! Trader Joe's makes my favorite kind and if I'm not careful, I can easily power through a whole tub in one week...by myself. Although it's healthier than other dips I could be noming on, it's still anywhere between 50-80 calories per 2 tablespoons. Booo. So sad because my hummus to carrot ratio is probably not exactly on the money... OH WELL :) 

It kind of looks like peanut butter, but I promise it's not

I tried making my own hummus once and used my blender but the results were disastrous. The blender simply couldn't cut it. Now that I have a nifty food processor I have been anxious to try to make some home made hummus again, hopefully with a better outcome! I searched Pinterest and found tons of yummy recipes for different flavors, but I was feeling lazy and didn't want to go to the store to get tahini and other odds and ends I don't just have off hand! 

Finally one perked my interest for a few reasons:
   1.) ROASTED GARLIC! Need I say more?
   2.) I already had all of the ingredients
   3.) It's healthier than other hummus recipes so I can eat more of it :) (70 cal per 4 TBSP)


Roasted Garlic Hummus

Prep Time: 5-10 minutes*

Cook Time: no cook

INGREDIENTS: (2 cups)

• 1 TBSP roasted garlic (Click that link for instructions on how to roast your garlic!)
• 1 (15 oz.) can chickpeas, well-rinsed & drained
• 1 TBSP olive oil
• 1-2 TBSP lemon juice 
• 1-2 TBSP water
• 1/2 tsp salt

INSTRUCTIONS:

Add all ingredients {starting with 1 tablespoon of lemon juice and 1 tablespoon water} in the order listed to a food processor or blender. Process until completely smooth. Add more lemon juice and/or water as needed.

Keep in an air-tight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.

Notes: try to buy reduced-sodium or no salt added chickpeas if possible, but draining and rinsing the chickpeas really well helps reduce the sodium by over 40%

Nutrition Facts per 1/4 cup serving:

70 calories, 3g fat (0.3g saturated), 8.4g carbohydrates, 1.9g fiber, 2.9g protein

Recipe courtesy of Living Well Kitchen 

THINGS I LEARNED:

1.) *Through researching recipes, I found that other bloggers raved about how much creamier and tastier their hummus was when they de-shelled each garbanzo bean.

Just pop it out!

It sounds tedious but it only took me 20 minutes and it's not that bad! They pop out really easily and I did it while watching America's Funniest Home Videos so the time passed quickly :) ALSO it takes about 45 minutes to roast your garlic so plan accordingly! Multi task and de-shell your beans while roasting your garlic! BAM!

2.) Garbanzo beans and chickpeas are the same thing!! I've always wondered this because some hummus recipes call for chickpeas and some for garbanzo beans, but have no fear, they are one in the same! 

De-shelled garbanzos! 

3.) I ended up adding more fresh squeezed lemon juice and salt until I was satisfied with the taste. Everyone's palate is different, so play around! 

4.) We got our food processor at Target. It was cheap, it's easy to use, and it works well, so I highly recommend it! There are so many recipes that require a food processor, so it's a good investment! 

It's pretty darn garlic-y so don't go around kissing everyone in sight, but it's delicious and so worth the aroma! Get out your favorite fresh veggies or whole wheat pretzels and enjoy! 

Cheers,
Laurel & Amy

"I am not a glutton. I am an explorer of food."- Erma Bombeck 

Follow Us On bloglovin!

We are happy to announce that our blog is now ready to follow on bloglovin!

Follow my blog with Bloglovin

What is bloglovin you ask??

bloglovin is a wonderful website that allows you to follow all of your favorite blogs in one place. The best part is that it's for ANYONE! You don't even have to have a blog to make an account and follow blogs! It's great because it keeps you updated every time a new post is made on the blogs that you follow and suggests blogs for you based on the ones you already follow! You can search an array of blogs and it's super simple because they have it all categorized for you! AND if your blog is on bloglovin, they will send you weekly email updates with stats of who has liked and/or followed your blog!

Who could ask for anything more?! I mean besides being able to eat endless amounts of cookies and cheese without getting fat... (THAT'S that dream!)

...Did anyone catch that How I Met Your Mother reference? Anyone? Bueller?...

Okay enough rambling.

If you're a fellow blogger out there and need help setting up your blog on bloglovin, here ya go:

1.) Go to www.bloglovin.com and sign up to create an account (it's free! YAY)

2.) Once you are signed in, click your little icon picture in the top right (that's your account). Then click "Your blog."

3.) Click "Claim blog." bloglovin will generate an html code for you.

4.) Go to your own blog generator (be it blogger, wordpress, etc.) and create a new post.

5.) Copy and paste the html code bloglovin gave you into the html layer of your post and publish it (Our code is actually embedded in this post...our main reason for writing this)! Then click the "Claim blog" button that appears under the code.

6.) Your blog is now on bloglovin BUT you're not done quite yet! In order to get your blog out to the public more, you're going to want to create a widget on the side of your blog (it says "Follow me on bloglovin!").  You can create your own OR (what we did) is click this link and you'll be walked through the few, easy steps of pre-made widgets: http://www.bloglovin.com/widgets

Easy as pie!

...now I want pie.

Also, now that I've typed the word "blog" so many times, it doesn't look like a real word anymore.

Anyway, get yourself a bloglovin account and follow us! :)

Cheers,
Laurel & Amy

"A person who never made a mistake never tried anything new." -Albert Einstein

Amy’s April Challenge: Guitar Guru

Besides today being April Fools day, it’s also the start of a brand new month, which means it’s time for our very first challenge! By posting about our own, individual challenges we hope to inspire YOU to challenge yourself to do something you’ve always wanted to do! It’s so easy to start a project and let the motivation die after a few days or a week, but by giving yourself a date to achieve a certain goal by, you are more likely to achieve it rather than just having some open ended “idea” of what might be cool to do! So challenge yourself with us! You are helping us stick to our goal, and we’ll help you stick to yours!

Being in musical theatre, I am constantly surrounded by multi talented friends. Not only can they sing, dance, and act, but a good amount of them can also play an instrument. I took three months of piano when I was eight, but quit because it was too much stress on this little fatty to balance learning how to play “I’m A Little Tea Pot” with both hands (WHOA!) while running from school to swim practice to girl scouts. Now I’m totally kicking myself for quitting because I would love to be able to accompany myself. I took music theory in high school and college but my musicianship is limited. I’m thankful that I can at least read music, plunk out a melody line, and play chords, but what could have been?! Ugh, anyway, I digress…  

Shout out to my little nugget!

The other instrument I’ve always wanted to be able to play is the guitar. It seems like one of the most commonly played instruments that people teach themselves. My younger cousin Madi taught herself and she’s amazing! She makes me jealous but she also inspires me and I can’t wait to be able to jam with her J

In high school I was rummaging through the shed in our backyard and found a guitar case. I asked my mom whose it was and was surprised when she told me it was her eighth grade graduation present! I never knew she played, but then she revealed that the only song she could play on it was “Rhinestone Cowboy” (I later learned that her and my uncle once did a fabulous duet of it…). I don’t even know the last time that guitar saw the light of day so I opened it up and it was a gorgeous Fender! I got it restrung and then attempted to teach myself. That was short lived. The strings hurt my fingers and I got frustrated. So there my guitar sat… in the corner collecting dust.  I would occasionally pick it up over the years but was always met with the same frustrations. Even now, if I ignore the pain, I take about 20 minutes to change chords and I don’t think I will ever understand how my hands are physically supposed to play an F chord…and don’t even get me started on strumming patterns and singing at the same time.

But I’m sick of always just wishing I could play the guitar and being so noncommittal so I’m going to dedicate this month to teaching myself how to play! I’m not promising to be a rock star, but by the end of this month I hope to be able to play at least some simple songs (maybe even an F chord…dreamin’ big ;) ).  I promise to set aside time every day to practice. Even if I have a crazy day and can only fit in 15 minutes, a little practice is better than nothing! I’ll post a video at the end of the month of me playing and/or singing (and possibly embarrass myself to no ends, but let’s think positively here and have a little faith)! 

I think it’s such a beautiful form of expression and I’m always looking for another creative outlet to feed my soul.

So here we go on this musical journey! Here’s to a month of daily dedication! Wish me luck.

PS: If you have any ideas of easy guitar songs, post a comment here!

Cheers,

Amy

“Sometimes what you’re most afraid of is doing is the very thing that will set you free.”

Laurel's April Challenge: The Stretching Struggle

What is something I have always wanted to accomplish? That was the question I asked myself while trying to think of my first challenge. One thing I have always wanted to be, but have NEVER been is Flexible. Most people are some-what flexible, especially girls. This girl, however, is not! Anytime I say this, people say, "Whaaaat? No. You can't be THAT inflexible." Yes, people, I am. I can't touch my toes half of the time!!! The reason for my EXTREME inflexibility dates back to my childhood when I just haaaad to be a pretty pretty princess and walk on my tip toes all day errry day. This actually caused my hamstrings and calves to be extremely tight and now I have to pay for my dainty childish ways. 

Another reason why this is such a struggle: I am in theatre. I walk into an audition and girls are just standing on the sides lifting their legs to their faces (mmhhhhmmmm GINA VELEZ) and I'm just over here trying to grasp my ankles with all my might! Also being the only person you can see in the mirror due to the fact that everyone's faces are on the ground in dance class might be the most humiliating 20 seconds of my life. 

This is something I have worked towards before but to be quite honest, I have never really committed to purely working on my flexibility. It's one of the biggest things I'm insecure about which is why I chose it for my first challenge! Now, how will I conquer this challenge? 

1. I will stretch every morning and night. 
2. I will stretch before and after any sort of a workout (which sometimes I neglect :/ )
3. I purchased a Groupon to a local Yoga Studio, so I will do my best to fit in as many classes to further my process! 

Hopefully in a month from now, I will be a much more loose and tension-free Laurel :) Either way, I will post my progress at the end of the challenge. I absolutely can't wait to get started and to see how far I go! 

Okay, I may not get that far in a month. But a girl can dream, right??

Cheers, 

Laurel

"You're braver than you believe, stronger than you seem, and smarter than you think."-Christopher Robin 

Happy Birthday Eddie!

Sooo, our darling best friend Eddie has turned 23! It couldn't have come at a more perfect time because we have been wanting to bake something for the blog for a while now. We wanted to make a homemade, classic birthday cake so we searched around on our favorite website, Pinterest!! We found the cutest little cake on Kelsey's Kitchen and decided to take on the challenge! There were a couple bumps along the way but at the end of the day, Eddie loved it! And it tasted absolutely delicious :) Be sure to read our tips at the bottom of the post! 

Yellow Cake with Vanilla Buttercream Frosting

Make 1 (9-inch) layer cake
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes

Cake:
3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
2 tablespoons cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda
1 ¼ teaspoons kosher salt
1 cup (2 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
2 cups sugar
4 large eggs, at room temperature
2 cups buttermilk
1 tablespoon vanilla extract

Vanilla buttercream:
2 cups (4 sticks) unsalted butter, softened
6 cups powdered sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
¼ cup milk

2 cups of sprinkles

DIRECTIONS:

For the cake, preheat the oven to 350°F. Generously butter and flour two 9-inch round cake pans, line with parchment paper circles, and butter parchment as well.

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

Using an electric mixer, cream together the butter and sugar on medium-high speed until pale yellow and fluffy, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping down the sides of the bowl. Reduce the mixer speed to low, add the buttermilk and vanilla, and mix until just combined. Slowly add the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.

Divide the batter evenly among the prepared cake pans and tap the pans on counter several times to get rid of any air bubbles.

Bake until golden and a cake tester inserted in the center of cake comes out clean, 35 to 40 minutes.

Transfer the pans to a wire rack and let cool for 10 to 15 minutes. Run the blade of a butter knife around the edges of the pans to release the cake. Invert the cakes onto a wire rack and discard parchment. Let cool completely, about 1 hour. Wrap both layers in plastic wrap and freeze for at least 30 minutes, or up to overnight.

For the buttercream, using an electric mixer combine butter, powdered sugar, and salt. Beat on low speed until combined, about 2 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, increase the mixer speed to medium-high, and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the vanilla and milk and beat for 3 to 5 more minutes on medium-high speed until the frosting is light and fluffy.

Remove the frozen cake layers from the freezer and unwrap.Allow your cakes to thaw! Put one layer on a cake stand and spread about 1/3 of the frosting onto the top of the cake. Put the second layer on top of the first and top with another 1/3 of the frosting. Spread the last 1/3 of the frosting on the sides. Then its time to decorate with sprinkles! The sprinkles might look intimidating but you just have to try it. Put a large handful in your hand and in a quick motion stick it to the side of the cake, but be sure to not push too hard or the frosting and sprinkles will smear together. Seriously, just go for it. Sprinkle that baby up! 

THINGS WE LEARNED: 

1. Give yourselves plenty of time. This isn't a cake that can be made in an hour or so. It's a process! 

2. REMEMBER TO TAP THE AIR BUBBLES OUT BEFORE YOU PUT YOUR PANS IN THE OVEN! This will allow your cakes to lay flat on top of each other when frosting. 

3. If you don't have parchment paper to line the pans, that's okay! Just make sure you generously butter and flour your pans!

4. Sparkler candles are a super fun addition to this vibrant cake!  

You now have a masterpiece! It's a real crowd pleaser! Even our friend Ruben who doesn't like cake ate his entire piece and said he loved it! #winning

We hope you have as much fun making it as we did! 

Cheers, 

Laurel & Amy 

"Cooking is like love; it should be entered into with abandon or not at all." - Julia Child

Cauliflower Crust Pizza

Let us preface our first recipe post by saying that we love food. Actually, love is an understatement. We’re not sure if there is genuinely a word to describe our adoration for delightful noms. We classify ourselves as “foodies.” NOT fatties, mind you, but foodies.

Foodie [foo-dee] noun.

1.)  Someone who loves food with all of their heart and soul. Food does not merely serve as a way of sustaining life, but as a vehicle for achieving sheer nirvana.

Facts about Foodies:

·      They are always ready to eat, even if they just ate

·      The slightest smell of food is enough to excite the appetite

·      They are firm believers that there is indeed a separate dessert stomach

·      It can sometimes be a burden being a foodie, especially when trying to slim down for bikini season

·      Once a foodie, always a foodie

Okay so now that we have that off our chests and we’re all on the same page, let’s get down to this recipe, shall we?

So we both have different strengths in the kitchen. Laurel likes to cook and Amy likes to bake. We can both do either of these of course, but our areas of expertise and experience balance out nicely. But let’s face it, we are guilty of just eating the same few things we buy from Trader Joes that are quick, cheap, and easy. Our schedules are crazy and our budgets are tight, so a diet of hummus, apples, carrots, turkey burgers, and green beans has become all too familiar.  However, when we get the chance, we love trying new recipes and this is a great one! It’s easy, quick, delicious, AND healthy!

INGREDIENTS:

Nonstick spray


2 1/2 cups cauliflower, grated (about 1/2 a large head)


1 large egg, lightly beaten


1 1/4 cups shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese


2 tablespoons grated parmesan cheese


Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper


Garlic salt

1/4 cup tomato sauce


1 cup grape tomatoes, sliced in half


2 cloves garlic, sliced


1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes


Fresh basil leaves, optional

DIRECTIONS:

Heat oven to 425 degrees. Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper (We used foil).

Grate the cauliflower using a box grater until you have 2 cups of cauliflower crumbles.

Place in a large bowl and microwave for 7-8 minutes, or until soften. Remove and let cool. Mix in the egg, mozzarella, Parmesan cheese, garlic salt, and salt and pepper. Once combined, pat into a 10-inch round on the prepared pizza pan. Spray lightly with non-stick spray and bake for 10-15 minutes, or until golden.

NOTE: We don’t have a pizza pan, so we made

ours a square pizza on a cookie sheet!

Top the pizza with the sauce, mozzarella, cherry tomatoes, garlic, and red pepper flakes. Bake in the oven until melted and bubbly, another 10 minutes. Top with basil before serving.

THINGS WE LEARNED:

• ·      You don’t refrigerate basil! (Amy didn’t know this…)
• ·      Make the crust a little thinner toward the center and thicker as you expand out to the edges.
• ·      We ended up putting our pizza back in the oven for an extra five minutes to cook the crust thoroughly. It probably just depends on the thickness of your crust, so keep an eye on it!
• ·      Get creative and add as many yummy veggie toppings as you like!

Before we leave you today, we have to give a shout out to our girl Paula Deen for this recipe! Can you believe there isn’t any butter in it?!

Happy pizza making! Enjoy!

Cheers,

Laurel & Amy

“People who love to eat are always the best people.” –Julia Child