For the past few months my interest in healthy eating has grown although my eating habits have not adapted to that of a “healthy” person. I’ve been following blogs that focus on vegan and vegetarian eating, running and yoga, each blog very different but also with one main theme running through all of them – these women and men were happy. Living healthy and excercise has its benefits and these bloggers were definitely to be admired for their efforts.

On a recent post I showcased my 7 Goals to complete before 27, one of them being Green Monsters. The other day I picked up the cheapest blender I could find at my local London Drugs, a white $29 plastic blender. I originally had my sights on a $189 Breville blender, stainless steel, glass, and so sexy! But after a moment of thought I realised that perhaps I should try my efforts out on a cheaper blender to see if I’ll even use it!

I’m not sure where Green Monsters originated, everyone seems to be doing them and now I’m one of them too. Okay I did it once – but hopefully this will be the first of many, many monsters!

The Original Green Monster Angela’s Green Monster Movement

In a blender put the ingredients in this order:

1. 1 – 2 cups of spinach
2. 1 tablespoon flax (optional; can also use protein powders)
3. 1 – 1.5 cups of milk (cow, soy, almond, etc)
4. 1 banana

Blend! Then add some ice and blend everything for about 1 minute or so. Enjoy!

**********************************

What comes out of your blender looks pretty gross, I’m not going to lie. I also started out with only 1 cup of spinach because I’m a chicken like that. I poured this into my ‘fanciest’ glass, as recommended per Angela’s site. My largest fancy glass is a Stella Artois beer glass, the irony is not lost on me.

Drinking.

I was actually on the phone with J when he demanded I drink it and tell him how it tasted. The verdict? Banana-y. Seriously. With some hint of green but not an overpowering spinach-y flavour. Overall: NOT gross. Even Princess had some, declaring that I make the best drinks in the world. So there.

Honestly, I felt healthy drinking this. I will definitely be making it again, but tomorrow I might add a different fruit along with the banana, just to mix things up!

Do you like smoothies? Do you make them at home or buy them when you’re out? Have you ever had a green monster? What’s your favourite??

xoxo

Fab Brunette

ps. My pix of my green monster were terrible! I used my Blackberry cus my camera refused to turn on!

1 Year Ago: Open For Business!

With only six months left in 2010, and six months left until my 27th birthday, I decided to buckle down and really attempt a 7 things to do before 27 list. Yes, I know it’s somewhat of a copout and that everyone else attempts to do 27 things before turning 27, but I’m way too fabulously busy to actually accomplish 27 things – and I’ll do 7 super important and epic things, right?

• 1. Get my wrist tattoos done. I wrote about this last week and decided it’s very important for me to get ‘r done. I’ve thought about this tattoo for a good two years now and I’ve finally come up with the perfect design and everything. Let’s do it!
• 2. Get in good shape. I’ve been obsessed with dieting and excercising for years and when I turn 27 I want to put on a party dress and say that I can do all my fave yoga moves and have the cardio capacity to jog for 30 minutes. Do you know what I mean? No more excuses, no more extremes, just proper working out and making healthy choices and not worrying about the mess-ups.
• 3. Write my novel. I have been writing off and on and I’ll get bursts of inspiration and write it all down frantically. And then I won’t touch it for a month. I want to schedule in this time to write as if it were my job, because that’s what I want it to be. By the time I turn 27 I would love to have  a rough draft of my novel complete!
• 4. Green monsters. Not the kind under your bed, either. The kind you drink. I’ve been seeing this drink all over the blog world, especially by Angela who actually made a whole website devoted to Green Monster Recipes. Check it out. I don’t have a blender. I will get one, and I will drink these bad boys for breakfast to contribute to the healthy body I want for myself.
• 5. Drive a boat. I got my ‘Pleasure Craft Operator Card” last week and I totally want to rent a boat and take it for a spin. If only to sing “I’m on a boat muthafucka!” You know I’m gonna do that. Awww shit. Take a good hard look at the boat! Ya know. Do boats have cd players? I sure hope so.
• 6. Take a weekend vaca. My favourite trips are spontaneous, last 2 days, and are action-packed with fun stuff to do. Debauchery. Alcohol. Music. Shopping. Sight-seeing. Any place will do: Rome, London, Tokyo, Amsterdam, Paris, Barcelona, Seattle, LA, NYC… Just jump on a plane and just go.
• 7. Buy a handbag. But not just any handbag, I mean a *real* handbag – something expensive, a little luxurious, that will last me forever and a day. I haven’t bought a good handbag in a looong time – and I think before I turn 27 maybe I’ll finally get my first Louis or Chanel bag. One can dream!

Deadline: January 11, 2011

I think I’ve spent a third of my life dreaming. Another third is wasted on sleep and the rest, that small-ish in comparison 30% that’s left over, that’s life being lived. I constantly ask myself if I’m living my life to the fullest. Do you ever think about that? Do you ever wonder where the past few days, weeks or months have gone with little or no progress on goals you once set for yourself?

Every New Years Eve we give ourselves resolutions. I used to have a major Type-A list, numbered in the margins, that announced to myself what I was going to do this year – usually it fell along the lines of losing weight, exercising, learning to dress, fitting in skinny jeans, doing well in school or finding a boyfriend. Silly, childish thoughts. Without any actual plans to proceed these goals, they usually fell flat a few days after writing them down.

This year my resolution was to be happy. I believe I am doing fairly well on this resolution, although at times it can be a struggle. You may scoff, being happy is a struggle? Pop a piece of chocolate in your mouth = happiness. Right? Throw on an old episode of Sex & The City, grab a book and a cappuccino, a slice of cheesecake even – it all equals happiness. Right?

But no, it does not.

The struggle I speak of is the difference between being happy in this moment or being happy in the long run. Sure, that chocolate tastes great but will it help you lose weight (if that’s your goal)? There’s nothing more that I love in the world than curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea, but will constant procrastinating help anything – the things I’m actually supposed to be doing – studying, cleaning, cooking – these things that fall to the wayside for the sake of my immediate “happiness”, but a week from now, am I going to be happy?

In this world, the only world our age really knows, everything is instant. I need my credit card payments to go through immediately so I can pay my phone bill right at this moment. If I send an email and I don’t get an immediate response, I’m furious – I need answers right now. Is Bret Micheals okay? Yes, one quick second on my iPhone, and I find he’s released from hospital. These things sound stupid, but the point is that whatever I want, no matter how small and insignificant it is, I get it right there and then.

I’m not used to waiting for happiness.

I understand the realities of the world. The necessities of going to school and working hard, but I choose to ignore them. Why delay gratification? Unfortunately, the things that will really make me happy are things I need to work for. Things I need to wait for. Losing weight means not eating crap. Getting fit means working out for weeks before seeing amazing results – nothing happens overnight. As much as I know all of this, I can’t help but pouting – I want it now.

My life lacks focus. My mind is all over the place, all the time. This has proven a confusing year. Something I think I’ve finished with might start again. But I know in order to really accomplish dreams, you have to make every second count. You can waste time reading when you’re really supposed to be doing something else. I can’t sit here and eat cheesecake and lose weight at the same time. Something has got to give.

There is no such thing as instant happiness. Not true, real life, long-lasting happiness. That will never be instant.

Think of your goals often. Write them down if it helps. Look at them. Think about what you’re doing, what you’re really doing at that moment – is it helping your goal? Or is it hindering it? Everyone needs to have a little fun, but fun should be a reward for accomplishing something. Focus. Happiness.

Do you want a smile on your face at this second of the day, or do you want a smile on your face for all the days of your life?

That’s the theme for the day. This is where my mind is at. Everything is possible, but nothing will happen without effort, a little sweat and maybe some tears. I’m an emotional wreck at times, so for me, tears are mandatory.

xoxo

Fab Brunette

The first step to success is writing out your goals. On a computer, on paper, on your arm, in your phone. Somewhere you can look at it whenever you need motivation. There are many things we want – whether it be to lose weight, get a promotion, eat healthier, be a better person – and all these things are achievable and maintainable, but it’s not just enough to want these things. You have to make it happen. You have to work hard, set up a game plan so even if you hit a few speed bumps, you can get yourself back on track.

As I’m heading back into a real estate career, starting school and getting back into work two months from now, I know I have to focus. I have to train myself for success, I have to motivate now. It’s not enough to say that I’m doing it, I have to work for it, I know this.

1 Year Goals:

1. Sell 12 houses. That’s one house a month, not a staggering goal, but a starting point. I don’t want to overwhelm myself with anything over the top either, the anxiety alone will help you fail. 2. Specialize in 2 Neighborhoods. I’ll spend the first six months specializing in one target farm, then I will add another one to it. There’s no way I’ll learn everything there is to know about 10 neighborhoods at once, start slow and easy.

3 Year Goals:

3. Sell 20 houses a year. Again, not a scary goal, after three years of business twenty transactions per year should not be anything crazy and over the top. I just have to push myself harder and I’ll get results. 4. Buy a car. My own car. It’s something to work towards, as silly as it may seem, a reward for my hard work. A Mercedes SLR Roadster or an Audi R8.

5 Year Goals:

5. Sell 25 houses a year. A slight adjustment over the previous and over double of what I sold in my first year. 6. Buy Property. My dream is to buy a piece of land and build a custom home on it. That’s my five year goal. That’s what I’ll be working towards every single day for the next five years.

I know I can do this, as long as I never give up and really work hard, this will all be possible.

xoxo

Fab Brunette

 I usually begin each and every month with a list of goals to be hopefully accomplished within that said month. However, this being December, the most joyous and hectic month of the year, I will forgo all such matters and just discuss with you what I wish to happen – we'll call it, the wishlist.

I wish: to go skiing in Whistler, to find a place to move in to, to figure out my future, and to win the lottery.

Does this sound attainable? Well, 2/4 are. We have to find a place to move into, or else we're homeless, and I do not do well without a good and warm bed – sleeping under bridges just ain't for me, no offense of course. We thought we found it and then we changed our minds. Woot. Awesome.

Our Christmas holidays were supposed to be spent skiing in Whistler, but with all this confusing activity and headache over apartments, we haven't booked anything yet. And the longer we wait the higher prices go, it's awesome. So although attainable, who knows if we'll stay there. But I really hope we do.

Thirdly, the future thing. Well, lately I'm getting a bit frustrated with the whole self-employed business – as much as I go on about how amazing being self-employed is and that I could never imagine working for someone else, there are times, such as the holidays, that make me wish I had a dependable paycheck coming in every week. I wish I had some kind of skill set that's worthy of a battle of the employers and they would hire me at no less than $25 per hour, daycare included, 9 to 5, no overtime or weekends, monthly bonuses, and of course it would be an easy at the desk type of job – writing, editing, yelling at people. Awesome.

Of course, those jobs only exist in the non-realities of my imaginary mind and therefore I'm screwed. Years ago I used to do hair, colouring and styling, and am thinking of going back into it. The only thing that has ever stopped me from getting my hair styling license is the cost of tuition – it's over $10k, pretty brutal, and it takes up a year of your life. The bf just wants me to be happy and says that a year is nothing and you'll make it back in a few months of work. Which is true. But my little mind just sees the year of school and the $15,000 price tag. Not fun.

Therefore, if I win the lottery, all of the above problems would be solved. I would rent out a penthouse with the best views in Vancouver, I would buy the most expensive suite in Whistler for two weeks and vacation like Paris Hilton, I could pay for my schooling and do the hair dressing thing – or I could purchase a cupcake shop and sell cappuccinos and cupcakes for the rest of my days.

I've come to the conclusion that I need to win the lottery, does anyone want to buy me a lottery ticket?

1. Make 5 New Cupcakes or Remake Past Cupcakes:  I finally made two different satisfying matcha cupcakes, my chai tea cupcake is amazing now and I made my chocolate cupcake a little more moist and richer at the same time. Also made a cookies 'n' cream cupcake using Oreos and a different kind of banana nut cupcake. My camera's been touchy with me this month so my pictures aren't coming out, but soon – more pix!!

2. Enter Iron Cupcake Earth. FAIL*

3. Enter Daring Bakers Challenge. FAIL*

4. Put Princess in Pre-School. She's now in a bilingual (french/english) preschool that she loves!

5. Be in the Bakers Market for Three Saturdays in a Row. Win/Fail. Let me explain… I did the BM for the first two Saturdays but the last Saturday I had a bit of a family obligation, and it was becoming very slow. I am definitely doing the two Saturdays in December though!

6. Find a New Band to Adore. I suppose this is a win, it's a band my boyfriend has liked for a while, and so has the rest of the world forever, Death Cab For Cutie, and also Muse is coming up as a new fave too.

7. Do NaNoWriMo. FAIL*

*Fail Explanation: I was too busy. Seriously. The baking thing… I had ideas, and I started out with them, and then I didn't get back to it. NaNoWriMo I totally really wanted to do, but again, I got busy for a day then a day turned into a week and it was almost the end of the month when I started writing again. And then I decided I hated the story anyway and quit. I'm a quitter. Boo hoo.

What I Read:Twilight Books 1 – 4  Midnight Sun draft

Music on Repeat:New Moon SoundtrackKillers Live from Albert Hall

What I Ate:Pizza from Hell's KitchenBrekkie at Cafe Barney's

Favourite Songs:Don't Get Hung Up In Your Soul - Richard HawleyA Woman Like You - Johnny Reid

Best Movies I Watched:New MoonFour Christmases

What I Did:Baked and sold cupcakesHunted for an apartment

Overall Mood:Looking forward to DecemberAnd totally in love

Goals for November:

1. Make 5 New Cupcakes or Remake Past Cupcakes: What I mean is, I need to revamp and tweak some of my recipes – currently on the list are: matcha cupcakes, chai tea cupcakes, apple cupcakes, chocolate mint cupcakes, peppermint cupcakes, et al.

2. Enter Iron Cupcake Earth. Very excited to finally be entering ICE!! I will be posting my cupcake on here

3. Enter Daring Bakers Challenge. Also super excited to do this – I'll be posting my creation on here as well!

4. Put Princess in Pre-School. We've been searching a pre-school out for Princess for a few weeks now, only a couple of hours in the morning, but I definitely think it's vital for her. BTW, her name isn't actually Princess, you cute readers who actually think I copy Katie Price, no no no, that's just her 'codename', like the Invisibles.

5. Be in the Bakers Market for Three Saturdays in a Row. I've already signed up to do this on November 7, 14, and 21, but I do have the tendency to back out of things when they're too difficult/stressful/annoying/tiresome/time-consuming. So I'm definitely going to make sure I do them all!

6. Find a New Band to Adore. My current faves are The Killers, Amy Winehouse, and Airborne Toxic Event. I like all music and tons of music, but these three bands are on constant repeat. Um, is there anything else this crushworthy out there? I will find out!

7. Do NaNoWriMo. If you don't know what this is, you should check it out here: http://www.nanowrimo.org, because I'm currently all out of words

xoxo

Fab Brunette