March Radness

Because of the crazy winter we've been experiencing this season, it shouldn't come as a surprise that it is bitterly cold today and the river has frozen again. On Saturday night we saw lightening and heard thunder all whilst sleet and snow were raining down from the heavens. It was one of the raddest storms I've ever seen. My sister, Sara, was supposed to be here over the weekend but couldn't make it because of the storm and my friend, Amber, had planned to drive in tomorrow from KC for a few days visit...that too has been put on hold until Spring arrives. So, here I am, on the couch in my pajamas, Penny curled up at my side, doing my best not to go stir crazy. Although I have been inside for what feels like an eternity now (give or take a handful of nice days) I still have a list of radness I'd like to share with you guys. These are the things I'm loving so far in March.

* Bananas. After staying true to my promise to increase my citrus fruit intake over the winter months, bananas have been a welcome change this past week. I have been eating one a day with my lunch. I also read recently someone's description of a banana as, "Wonderfully sweet with firm and creamy flesh, bananas come prepackaged in their own yellow jackets..." I love the idea of their outer flesh being a little jacket.

* Fitness Blender. In addition to DoYogaWithMe.com and Blogilates.com I have added Fitnessblender.com to my at home exercise practice. My sister and her husband have been using Fitness Blender for a while now and I noticed they were seeing results. I gave it a try starting a few weeks ago and liked it enough to add it to my weekly routine a few times a week. Like the other two sites I mentioned, Fitness Blender has workouts designed for different fitness levels (the workout I've been doing, for example, would seem like a warm-up to a person who was actually fit.) and of course all the videos are free. A great way to incorporate some cardio. into the week and get your heart rate up! 

* Queer As Folk. I am quickly falling in love with the cast of characters that make up this Showtime series from the early 2000's. I stumbled upon it through Netflix. (how did I never hear of this before?) It is available for streaming and super addictive! Caution: If you can't handle seeing gay sex scenes, this show is NOT for you (and you may want to look into that issue).

* Lilies. Mark gave me a beautiful bouquet of flowers that featured Stargazer Lilies as one of my Valentine's Day gifts. It was the first time I ever really fully appreciated the beauty of the lily. They are really fragrant, so if strong smelling flowers aren't your thing, you might want to steer clear of these beauties. But if their perfume doesn't bother you, they are a deliciously exotic looking treat to gift to someone or bring home for yourself.

 * Matthew McConaughey. I gained respect for him after seeing his performance in Dallas Buyers Club. I think it was one of the first times I separated him from the surfer boy image of him that I had stuck in my head. Last night he won an Oscar for Best Actor for his portrayal of AIDS patient Ron Woodroof in Dallas Buyers Club. I think he deserved the win, but what ultimately won me over was one line from his acceptance speech..."It's a scientific fact that gratitude reciprocates." In that moment I decided Matthew McConaughey is pretty rad. 

* London Fog. Once again I am trying to back off the coffee train. Surprisingly, I'm doing pretty well and I think I owe my success to a little tea drink called The London Fog. Mark used to buy these at a chain coffee shop years ago and really loved them so I thought we could make our own version. We don't steam milk or use real vanilla extract (I bet they would be awesome if we did) but our version is so simple that it easily replaces coffee. The key to a good London Fog is to use a nice strong black English tea. We prefer Tetley because that is what we drank at our apartment in London. The new Hy-Vee in Springfield carries Tetley but oddly, only the decaf bags. We like to drink these at night too, so the decaf has actually been perfect for us. Anyway, after you brew a nice strong cup pour in your desired amount of vanilla creamer (liquid, not powder) and voila! London Fog. Super simple and tasty...radical! 

What are you guys into right now? Books, movies, food, work-outs? How have you been passing the time this winter? I always love hearing from you so leave a message in the comments and let me know what you've been up to! 

~ Love & Light ~