Forgive me!?

I know I’ve been a horrible blogger. I have been sooooooooooo busy. Here’s what’s been going in this crazy ride called LIFE:

* Very last full quarter of my MBA! I finish up in 3 weeks! I’ll have one brief summer class in August…then ALL DONE!

* Trip to London just a few weeks ago. Celebrated my birthday while I was there. Post and pictures to come!

* Been working on the front garden. Happy to say it is nearly complete. I’ve been hounding Craigslist like crazy looking for furniture and flower pots to decorate with. Post and pictures to come.

* We’ve hired a contractor to build a deck on the back of our house. Of course, good ol’ Chicago has managed to delay the process with its endless permit reviews and restrictions, but I believe we are pretty close. (Fingers crossed. Knock on wood.)

* A few small business ideas swimming in my head, one of them firmly injected by my husband. It seems he feels I should fill up my free time with SOMETHING now that I’ll be done with school. How sweet of him.

* Training for a half marathon. I’m in week three of a 12 week program. Post to come on that as well.

Goal # 7: Workout Four Times a Week

Since requesting a gym membership for my 16th birthday, I have been working out five or six times per week. In an ideal world, I would do an hour each of cardio, weight training, and yoga every morning. To have a goal of hitting the gym four times per week is actually a little sad to me…a sign that I’m getting older and life is getting busier.

Exercise is my drug. I feel better when I do it and when I haven’t had my “hit”, I start to feel pretty down. Over the years I have found that I’m most addicted to high-impact exercise; I am trying to learn how to slow my mindby trying pilates, yoga, and meditation…it’s an uphill battle.

Here are some of my favorite workouts, exercise media, and workout locations in Chicago:

1. TURBOKICK (thanks Kristina for the introduction!) – an amazing, fast-paced combination of kickboxing, aerobics, and choreography. It's like dancing on the gym floor. The music is awesome and, with a good instructor, the classes are high energy! See an example here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HHDUJ4kHTf0

2. YOGA BOOTCAMP – A six week course of 2-hour yoga sessions. For those new to yoga or looking to get back into it, this course should be a great way to [re] commit. It’s held at a Spring Pilates Wellness Center (http://www.springpilateschicago.com/) on the North Side of Chicago, a studio that keeps classes affordable and high quality.

3. RUNNING – I hate to do it, but with my Saucony running shoes I feel like I’m running on air! I also download DJ Divsa’s mix tracks (available for free at his website http://www.djdivsa.com/) and the never-ending jam session keeps me enjoying the run! Can’t wait until the weather gets nice to go to the lake!

4. KETTLEBELLS – amazing workout that leaves you limping…and begging for more. Though I’ve only done it in a class session, it’s an exercise easily adaptable to home. Sort of like yoga with weights.

5. WOMEN’S WORKOUT WORLD (Monroe St.) – A $20-a- month gym located a block from where I work. Not a high-scale facility by any means, but great for the basics [and for a recession]. This is where I acquired my love for TurboKick. http://www.w3body.com/

6. FLIRTY GIRL FITNESS – By far the best classes and instructors I’ve ever had! These ladies push you to your limits, but keep you entertained with dancing, boxing, and pole classes. Unfortunately the facility has no cardio machines, otherwise it would be heaven (salon and bar included!). The price is a bit high for me as well. http://www.flirtygirlfitness.com/

UPDATE: Plant-strong vegetarian

I did it! Twenty-eight days of fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes only. I gotta say, it wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be. Week two was probably the worst week for cravings…I wanted a bagel with butter so badly! I was more surprised by some of the things I did not crave though - like cheese and sweets - which I would have thought I was going to miss the most.

A lot of people have asked me questions about my experience. The most common question was whether or not I felt a difference. I have to say that I did. Overall I felt cleaner and lighter; literally, I was more regular than I have ever been. I experienced increased energy, most noticeable in my improved and extended workouts. And I felt a general positivity and comfort with food, no more guilt and concern over calorie counts and fat intake. To be fair, some of these effects might have had a mental element as well. Regardless, they were all very positive and enjoyable.

Through the process I learned a few interesting things:

1) A lot of what I was eating was based on pure habit. For example, somewhere along the line I picked up the idea that cheese could be put on everything. Bagel for breakfast –cream cheese on top. Sandwich or salad for lunch, topped off with cheese. Pasta for dinner, mozzarella and parmesan cheese, please! Even midday snacks were not off limits; after all, an apple is always better with some cheese spread on it. I was eating cheese at every meal and didn’t even realize it.

2) Convenience played a major factor in my eating. For years I never thought of going to more than one grocery store. My shopping destination was always Pete’s, a Latin-based chain in our area. To give credit where it’s due, this store has an amazing produce section. But the rest of the store is mainly packed with high-sodium, processed food selections. After the Engine 2 plan, I now do my produce shopping at Pete’s and get the majority of my other foods at Trader Joe’s. Making the extra trip takes extra time of course, but finding healthier food alternatives is worth it.

3) Patience is truly a healthy virtue. Making a dietary change doesn’t only involve restraint. I chose to focus on retraining myself instead: learning new recipes, finding healthy substitutes, and giving my palette time to become accustomed to the new tastes. Since finishing the E2 plan, I have had to restrain myself from proclaiming to others its benefits. For example, I would love to have my entire household on the E2 program as well. I have to understand, however, that people can make their own decisions and the best I can do is point them in the right direction. So I have learned to incorporate some of E2’s methods in my cooking to make it healthier overall, as opposed to forcing the change on others in my house who are not interested.

I continue much of the E2/vegan lifestyle even after completing the 28-day program; though I am not as strict about excluding dairy (I’ll eat non-fat Greek yogurt and low-fat cheese occasionally). I have continued to concentrate my diet on fruits, vegetables, whole grains, and legumes…though I will allow myself the occasional piece of pizza or scoop of ice cream.

Goal # 2: Legal Documents

Death is rarely welcome… Unfortunately I’ve experienced a number of untimely deaths already. A few friends passed away in high school and my mother past away a few years ago, only in her 40s. My experiences have taught me that death can happen at any time – there is no guarantee that we will have the opportunity to enjoy old age.

Taking this into consideration, my relatively new marriage status, and a recently purchased property, I have been meaning to drag Mr. Bartender and myself to an Estate Attorney for a while now. I’m happy to say, earlier this week, we did just that!

Through experience with my mother’s estate and after a thorough reading of “Why Wills Won’t Work” (http://whywillswontwork.com/) I knew that I preferred a trust to avoid probate and allow a smooth transition of our assets to our beneficiaries in the case of our deaths. Questions we pondered included:

- Do we have the proper amounts of life insurance, AD&D insurance, and liability coverage for our cars and property?
- What are our current assets?
- Do we want to leave all of our assets to each other should only one of us die? Or do we want to distribute them to other people as well?
- Where do we want our assets to go should both of us die?

I know the process can seem daunting and depressing, but our attorney seems very pleasant and really broke it down very simply. The goal for us was to create a strong legal foundation so that as our assets accumulate through life and our family expands, changes can be made simply and quickly.

If anyone needs a good Estate Attorney in Chicago, I’ll be happy to refer ours.

Goal # 1: Going "Plant Strong"

A few weeks ago I learned that my blood pressure is a bit high. I knew the day would come, but I must say I was surprised it came so soon. I was raised with good eating habits (no fried foods or salt), I work out regularly (3-4 days a week) and I don’t drink too much (3-5 drinks a week). Though I like my sweets, I have a pretty healthy lifestyle compared to the average American.

Problem #1: no one should compare themselves to the “average American” when gauging their health. We’re a country of tubbies.
Problem #2: genetics. Both sides of my family are plagued with weight problems, diabetes, heart conditions, alcoholism, etc.

A friend at work told me about the Engine 2 Diet: a 28-day plan that promotes a “plant strong”, essentially vegan eating program. Unlimited amounts of whole grains, fruits, vegetables, and legumes; cut out all meats, oils, dairy, and processed foods. I must admit, I shed a little tear when I thought about not eating cheese, but I committed to the plan for the 28 days.

Though I may incorporate some low-fat cheese and margarine back into my diet after the 28 days, ultimately I'm looking at this as a lifestyle change. The book provides a number of recipes and approved foods, as well as online resources. The hardest part has been adjusting my palette and learning more healthy cooking skills/recipes. I'll follow up in a few weeks for an update.

New Year's Goals

I confess, I'm one of those people; I love lists! I have lists for groceries, for chores, for work, and for play. In fact, if something's not on my list, I'll write it on the list JUST so I can have the pleasure of crossing it off. In honor of the New Year, here is my list of 2010 Goals:

1. Convert to "Plant Strong" Vegetarian
2. Create Power of Attorney(s) and Revocable Living Trust
3. Set up Safety Deposit Box
4. Finish the guest bedroom - including new chair and dresser
5. Complete my MBA!
6. Design and create outdoor garden
7. Workout 4 days per week, minimum

I will be expanding on each goal, and possibly adding more, in the next few weeks.

What are your New Year's Goals or Resolutions?

Home Work

After much delay, I have [for the most part] finished the office! If you recall from my first post, the space was entirely pea green. Though I liked the color, it was entirely too much. BUT, after painting two other rooms, I knew I didn't want to start all over with a new color. So I decided on STRIPES.

Lurve how they turned out. The stripes were created with painters' tape and an eye for a straight line. (That's right - no levels used here!) I'll admit the room's a bit bright...but it's meant to be vibrant and awakening. As my good friend says, "You can tell a Cuban lives here!"

My wonderful hubby managed to round up some perfect white shelves for me - FOR FREE - and intall them. On top of which I've placed pictures purchased from http://www.etsy.com/ and some vases I found at thrift stores and garage sales.

The couch is a double seater and has a footstool for extreme comfort during long study sessions. I repainted a file cabinet we purchased a few years ago the same color as the teal stripes on the wall. Of course all accessories match the color motif; apparently, I'm the "matchy-matchy" type. Right down to the bright green computer chair!