Sugar Doll blogger award

The other day Allison at Living One Day hit me with the Sugar Doll Blogger Award! We'll say it's the girly gift of gab: share 1o random fun facts about yourself and pass it along to a blogger you admire and enjoy reading! Allison's facts left me in stitches, feeling inspired and remarking out loud "ooo me too!" And let's face it, what's not to love about random facts? Here it goes!

1. My nose is crooked. Nothing you can see when you look straight at me. But a simple glance up to the sky reveals a crooked nose.

2. I need to eat breakfast food for breakfast, lunch food for lunch and dinner food for dinner. This has been broken a few times; eggs for dinner, brunch meals but I'm pretty strict about this one. In college, waking up after "normal" breakfast hour meant nothing to me. Going out to breakfast means getting eggs, bacon, pancakes, waffles....not lunch. As my friends were getting into hamburgers or chicken nuggets to cure their hangovers, I prayed restaurants and the dining hall were still serving breakfast. Even after 12. Worst case scenario I would need to snack on a granola bar (breakfast) and then I could have my chicken sandwich with fries (lunch). If I forgo breakfast in the am to run, you better believe I am still getting into oatmeal or eggs when all is done, not a ham and cheese sandwich. Ham and cheese = lunch. Unless of course there's a fried egg in between those two pieces of bread.

3. I have a super human ability to control my intake of sweets. Valentine's Day Reese's were legit just finished off. Easter candy is still in my possession. I bake and need to share, otherwise it will go to waste. Ice cream in the freezer is over a month old and still half full. Don't ask, I am confused too. Don't get me wrong, I love my sweets, I just like to save them for a time when I can really savor every bite. I am not complaining, but let's be real, it's weird. My mom tells me I have been this way for years. As a little girl, I used to try and save my ice pops, putting them back in my lunch box for later. You can imagine my devastation when I would find a sticky, messy lunch box hours later where my ice pop used to be.


4. First time travelling via airplane occurred as a senior in high school. I went on a trip with my friend Erin and her family to Cancun! Since 2002, I have flown to Cali once, Chicago 3 times and St. Thomas once last May. I guess I'm not a flyer! Shhh, I might not so secretly fear flying.

5. Ironically, jumping out of an airplane is on my bucket list. My legs get wobbly at the thought of heights, I stress about traveling and flying, and have flown a total of 6 times in 27 years and yet, I want to jump out of an airplane with a parachute on my back, screaming bloody murder, giggling, crying, potentially peeing my pants and feeling the absolute rush of adrenaline one can only get from falling. Riddle me that.

6. I am 5'11". I used to be super duper self-conscious about my height. I mean, being 5'10 and weighing in around 100 lbs in 8th grade was no picnic. Who wants to be taller than every boy and stick out like a sore thumb at a time when being normal is so pressing? So, it is no wonder I developed a complex about all those extra inches. It has taken time and tears, but lacking confidence is now just a part of my past. I have grown (literally, I keep growing) to take pride in my long legs, statuesque body and quirky awkward movements. "I am 5'11" There is little I find more pathetic than a man who is intimidated by my height. (and little I find sexier than a man who embraces it)"

7. When I was younger I wanted to be Yolanda Vega, New York Lottery Announcer. Miss Vega would come on right before prime time television and announce the tri-state area's winning lottery numbers. I would have my mom mute the tv and proudly announce the winning numbers myself (replicating in Yolanda's voice). "The first ball up is 4 and the next is 9 and the next is 1 and the last is 2 making tonight's win four number 4,9,1,2. Thank you and IIIIII'm Yo-laaaaanda Veeeeegaaa!"
8. If possible, I scope out a restaurant's menu before going...days before. It takes me an obnoxiously long time to decide what to order for my meal and any "research" I can do before hand greatly enhances my excitement, improves the quality of the experience for my fellow diners and gives me that much more time to prepare. Specials get me sometimes...those intriguing specials that jump in and foil the planned entree. Really it just boils down to the fact that I love food, love to eat and want the whole experience of dining out to shine. Or maybe I just like feeling in control? ha.

9. Hand and palm scratches sedate me everytime.

10. I heart goodie bags. I am not stuck in the 90's either, think about it. What is a goodie bag? A compilation of really random awesome stuff. Secrets, surprises and silliness burrowed at the bottom of a bag just waiting to be discovered! The joy that comes from peeking inside and pulling surprise after surprise out from the depths of goodness tops my excitement level chart. Swag bags from races, gift bags from parties, Christmas day stockings! Need I say more?

Tag You are It:

Daisy @Indulge Inspire and Imbibe
Beth @Beth's Journey to Thin

Lizzy @Food to Run For
Bianca @Confessions of a Chocoholic

Click on the links

I have quite a few favorite blogs. I can’t help it, there are so many influentional people writing on the world wide web. Blogging is new (to me) and exciting. Carrots n’ Cake, Eat Live Run, Healthy Tipping Point, Operation Beautiful, Iowa Girl Eats, Beth’s Journey to Thin and The Process of Healing, your words are inspiring, motivating, humorous, personable, creative and entertaining. Before I know it substantial time has passed and I have to refill my water, use the bathroom, eat, sleep, ya know... get on with my day...*smiles*

This addiction is healthy though I promise. Don’t believe me? You will be the end of this post. It was through blogs I learned how to cut a mango, make homemade gnocchi and poach an egg. The existence and nutritional value of chia seeds, wheatgrass, flax seeds, and whey protein were foreign to me a year ago. I have been introduced to Green Monsters, overnight oats and through Yoga Pose May, the power of yoga has been restored.

My newest fascination and appreciation: Oh She Glows. I know, I know I am late to the party and no one approves of tardiness. I have been blending Angela’s lovely Green Monsters for a while now but did not know there was a girl behind the smoothie invasion. I read Caitlin’s Project Glow results and started to notice more and more Glo bars pop up here and there. I even recognized the name, Angela, but still, I didn't make the connection. I did start to wonder though...what is with all this glowing!? Finally, I clicked on a link.

Confession: I am easily excited and influenced. If you write about it, I will probably try it. Sort of silly, everyone has their own opinion and taste buds! Just because one person raves about the drink Synergy doesn't mean I can stomach raw kombucha, but I'll try anything once. Words are so powerful, no? Seeing captions like “flavor” and “health” attached to a photo get me every time: marketing at its finest. Fortunately, I have had luck with many blogger reviews and recommendations: Chia seeds? EPIC win. The tiny seeds are full of anti-oxidants and packed with hunger fighting bullies. However, fennel failed, tastes like licorice.

I digress. Back to glowing.

I am on day three of Project Glow and it is working. I have never had overly oily, dry or blotchy skin, but I do get dry patches and so my interest in quality skin care products has been on the rise. Sorry CVS brand foam cleanser you are outta here, St. Ives Apricot scrub, in!

The Green Monster, nothing to do with the Sox here folks, is an invigorating blend of spinach, protein powder, milk (cows, almond or soy), ice, frozen fruit, peanut butter, chia seeds, oatmeal…. the ingredients are up to you as long as spinach is present. Never thought in a million years a drink like this would enter my system, but as previously mentioned, easily influenced. One sip and I'm hooked on the green stuff.

Beyond the skin care and smoothies lies an astonishingly open and encouraging blog. In many posts, Angela’s words reign similar to the Operation Beautiful theme of learning to love yourself, your body. Girls helping girls, its very refreshing.

The blogging community is a great support system. Not only are these gals entertaining, taking pictures of food is art, they are inspirational. So many women have broadcast their stories on the web. These journals of weight loss, marathon training, moves, break ups, deaths and marriages act as a creative outlet for one and a stimulus for another. Girls can be malicious, jealous, conniving little things. We have all hurt or been hurt by another girl. The blogging community appears to be a healthy venue where women of all ages, shapes, sizes and backgrounds can openly express themselves without fear of ridicule or judgment; a place for growth and respect. I do not know of another community that exists quite like this one. Not in New Hampshire, not in Mass., or NJ; not High School nor college. Not even in the workplace.

I am not saying blogs will begin the women’s world peace tour because I know for a fact that there are readers who leave mean spirited comments. Girls will be girls I guess. However, I do smell the savory sweet aroma of acceptance brewing….or is that encouragement? I don’t know I always get those two smells confused.

Overall, the female blogging world is powerful, uplifting and worthy of respect. It might lead to some serious procrastination, but so does everything Internet based. Looking for inspiration to run a 5k, support to change careers, strength to face another day? Click on the links provided above, poke around, take off your shoes and stay a while. By the time your Internet session has expired, I bet you will find someone/something that speaks to you, or at least a recipe to make this weekend.