The McVay's come to town

"True friendship isn't about being inseparable, it's about being separated and nothing changes."

This quote belongs to two of my best friends Kit and Andie. As noted in a previous post, I have known Kit and Andie from high school and on to college. These two are on my list of favorites and have remained so through many moves and many states separating us. They have seen me through many times in my life and I am so blessed to call them not only my friends but my family.

Previously this year I was able to go visit Andie while Kit was deployed. I had an absolute blast and left with the promise that both Kit and Andie would come visit my new home in Washington when time was available. However how it normally goes time and money are never enough and it appeared I would have to wait until May 2014 for our Europe trip to be able to see my friends. Andie only had so many vacation days and with so much family desiring to see their deployed soldier and wife, I can only but understand why I would have to wait.

Lucky for me Veteran's weekend brought a window of opportunity. Kit and Andie called me asking if I could handle one whirlwind of a trip. Friday they would fly in, Saturday and Sunday we would paint the town, and Monday they would fly home. Are you kidding me? Whirlwind is my specialty!

Saturday

Everyone who visits must see the touristy parts of the city, it's a requirement. If you haven't seen Pike's Place then you haven't really been to Seattle then have you? So Saturday morning we headed off to Pike's Place.

Ready to begin our tour

Only Andie would find a way to make this angle flattering

 We saw it all; the gum wall, flowers, jewelry, clothes, fish and more fish, paintings, pan handlers, musicians. You name it, it's probably in Pike's Place.

Then we made our way down to the Space Needle. They felt so guilty about making me see the space needle for 3rd time they even paid!

We found someone to snap a photo of all three of us

 You would be surprised how quickly a tour of the city goes, so then we moved along and I showed them my first home in the neighborhood of Fremont. This neighborhood has so many things to offer from views, trolls, food, to amazing breweries. So of course I showed them all of it!

Perfect!

Of course Kit did everything he could to freak Andie out. He was convinced that if the bridge went up he would be safe here!

Shawn finally got off work and met us for an incredible beer at Fremont Brewery

Sunday

When you come visit me two things are required; 1) you visit Pike's Place 2) You must go on a hike. The city is an incredible place to be however it doesn't even come close to the beauty you find when you go into the mountains. To truly understand why I love Seattle so much you have to venture outside it's borders.

By request we went to Rattlesnake Ledge a 3 mile hike 45 minutes outside of town. It offers a scenic hike with a view that cannot be beat.

Ready to begin our hike!

Grrrr

Now here you See an "Andie" in her natural environment

Made it to the top, a little cloudy but still breath taking!

Brave Andie!

To reward ourselves at the end of the day we had what any true American has when they are exhausted and starving. Pizza and Beer!

Having Kit and Andie come to visit was such blessing. When you have friends like these two, you take every opportunity you can to see and enjoy their presence.

See you guys in May!!





"The friendship between a man and a woman which does not lead to marriage or desire for marriage may be a life long experience of the greatest value to themselves and to all their circle of acquaintance and of activity; but for this type of friendship both a rare man and a rare woman are needed. Perhaps it should be added that either the man or the woman thus deeply bound in lifelong friendship who seeks marriage must find a still rarer man or woman to wed, to make such a three cornered comradeship a permanent success"

On my quest to an all natural life, I found coconut oil

"Everything gives you cancer, so why bother?"

This is a phrase I hear by many including myself. Deodorant, pesticides, GMO foods, margarine, makeup, processed foods, soda, soap, shampoo, household cleaners....the list never ends.  If everything has toxins or can attribute to some kind of disease why should I even bother right?

WHAT?? Think about this guys, we have become so used to the idea that products we use daily by ingesting, putting on the most porous spots on our body, or even inhaling are KILLING US!!!  These products are killing us and we are ok with it! Please tell me you see what's wrong with this picture.

I had this realization and started replacing some of my daily products. I began by replacing my deodorant. I first must give credit to Shawn, he has been using non-aluminum deodorant for over a year now and finally I gave in. If he is going to try and keep his mental health for me then It's only fair to do the same for him.

My first step was searching the internet for answers. The best answer I came up with was lemons. Yes lemons. You cut open a lemon and simply apply it to your underarms. Verdict? It does work. But only for about 4 hours and if you have just shaved....ouch! Lucky for me I came across an article on facebook about the uses of coconut oil. One of the uses is deodorant. I will explain below the process but if you haven't checked her out it's a must wellnessmama.com.

This blog led me to all the uses of coconut oil. My friend Kyle had already boosted about coconut oil and its benefits. With his advice I had bought some to begin baking with but with this blog it opened up my eyes to the benefits and uses my new favorite ingredient can be used for.  The URL below is a great example of all the amazing uses of coconut oils.

http://wellnessmama.com/5734/101-uses-for-coconut-oil/

So to keep this blog from being too long and tedious I will list out a few things I have began to replace in my life with coconut oil and how I did it! Cheers to living forever!

 Deodoant

We have all heard for a few years now have dangerous regular deodorant can be. The aluminum is not only bad on the environment it is absolutely horrible for us. The use of deodorant by some reports been linked to breast cancer, azlhimers,  and other possible diseases. So I have began by using a recipe I stated above by wellnessmama.com. There are 2 recipes; one which only has 4 ingredients but unfortuantely in the summer it will melt and the second recipe has beeswax in it which allows it to be more solid when room temperature in your home is not an option.

Overall with my first batch (using the simple recipe) I have found that the deodorant smells wonderful (like coconuts), lasts for about 4 hours for sweating and about 6 until I'm not smelling so coconutty anymore.... The second recipe calls for probiotics which are said to help fight the bad bacteria and will increase the longevity of the deodorant. I am planning on making another batch here in the next week and will keep you updated. Also if you want a sample I can send you one to try as well!

2nd recipe:

• 1/2 cup coconut oil
• 1/2 cup shea butter, cocoa butter or mango butter (or a mix of all three equal to 1 part)
• 1/2 cup + 1 tsp  beeswax
• optional: Vitamin E oil to preserve. I added 1 tsp vitamin E oil for  this recipe)
• 3 tablespoons baking soda (Omit this if you have sensitive skin and just use extra arrowroot)
• 1/2 cup organic arrowroot powder
• 2-3 capsules of high quality probiotics that don’t need to be refrigerated (I love Bio Kult brand)
• optional: Essential oils of choice – I used about 20 drops of lavender essential oil

Butter/margarine

I know, butter is delicious and we use it for almost everything. On toast, when I make eggs, when baking etc. However margarine especially is made of preservatives and tons of Genetically processed oils. So I have found for grilling on the stove, baking, or simply for adding it to to your morning toast coconut oil is an amazing substitute.  For my calorie counting friends by looking directly at the labels you may actually find coconut oil has around 10 more calories per serving and has a high amount of saturated fats. However if you do some research other than the fact that coconut oil is all natural you will find the ingredients are more beneficial and it has been thought that coocount oil can actually help you loose weight.

How does coconut help keep weight balanced?
Coconut fats have special fats called medium chain triglycerides (MCTs). It has been shown that breaking down these types of healthy fats in the liver leads to efficient burning of energy. One 2009 study found that women who consumed 30 milliliters (about 2 tablespoons) of coconut oil daily for 12 weeks not only did not gain more weight, but actually had lowered amounts of abdominal fat, a type of fat that is difficult to lose, and contributes to more heart problems.

Check out this url for more info on the benefits of coconut oil  http://www.doctoroz.com/videos/surprising-health-benefits-coconut-oil


Energy booster

In the mornings I have found myself pretty sluggish and tired. However most days I do not want to have coffee since I will simply get super hyper and then crash. So I have began by again listening to the advice of wellnessmama and trying coconut oil and chia seeds. Since I think chia seeds are absolutely disgusting I used the advice of my friend Andie and put the concoction in my oatmeal every morning.

I have found that I do feel much more alert and I do not become hungry quite as quickly as I normally would on just oatmeal.  

Some benefits of coconut oil and chia seeds:

Over 10x the amount of Lipids than most grains or seeds.
• More Omega 3 than any other known crop or fish oil.
• High Antioxidant content.
• 2x the protein of any other seed or grain.
• 5x the calcium of milk, plus boron which is a trace mineral that helps transfer calcium into your bones.
• 2x the amount of potassium as bananas.
• 3x more iron than spinach.
• Enzymes!

 

Next steps

These are only a few of the things I have slowly began to implement into my life of becoming as natural and self sustaining as I can. My next exciting steps will be making homemade toothpaste (also made with coconut oil) and makeup......I will keep you updated on my journey. 

I don't really miss you Mr. Cow

In January I posted that I would be cutting out red meat and pork out of my diet by only in taking fish, chicken or turkey. After about 6 months I must say,  it has been incredibly easy! Not only do I not miss it but living in Seattle there are so many alternative options I don't ever feel deprived of anything.

A few ways I have gotten away with it......


Tacos 

I absolutely LOVE tacos. Shawn and I cook tacos about once a week and usually the leftovers last us about 3 days. In Seattle replacing hamburger meat was a breeze. I tried turkey, however I found the flavor bland and lacking. So once I moved here my Seattle friends Kassie and Jerome introduced us to ground chicken. Let me tell you guys not only is ground chicken a great substitute for ground beef but it is BETTER! Ground chicken has this amazing ZING that adds to the spices and makes taco night my favorite night of the week.

Tip: Add brown rice and beans to make the tacos last longer


Hamburgers

Mmmm just thinking about grilling out makes my mouth water. So how could I ever deny myself a mouth watering, cheesy, red meat concoction? In Seattle, it's super easy. Just a block away from our house our favorite hamburger joint has several options to keep me more than happy. I have tried the vegetarian options (So many different sauces that you don't have time to miss ground beef), chicken sandwiches which let me tell you are not like any you have had in the midwest, and there is even a lamb option which I haven't decided if I want to try but received the thumbs up from my grandfather. (I'm open to thoughts on if eating lamb is bad? I can't help but think of little lamb chop from my childhood with her red gloves begging me not to eat her....)

Bacon

So this one is easy. Try turkey bacon. If cooked correctly it's super crunchy and perfectly delicious. Although pointed out my friend Kit it mostly has the same amount of fats and calories. So why deny myself? Well I hardly ever eat bacon anymore as it is and I felt that I had made a promise to myself so pork bacon is out for now.


Overall my transition to healthier living has been pretty easy. I must attribute this to my home in Seattle. Seattle has so many different options and heavily supports vegetarian, gluten-free, all natural and an overall healthy lifestyle. My trick has been that if I truly want something I'm going to eat it. My favorite sandwich is a super unhealthy but amazingly delicious sandwich from Paseo. It has roast and tons of sauces that probably equal out to more than enough calories for the day, but If I really want it I eat it. Being healthy isn't about denying yourself the things you love, it's amount limiting them.  

My challenge for you is what are you eating or using that could easily be replaced with something healthier?
 

Money Management...You've either got the gene or don't

I have found in my life that most of my friends either are fantasically good with their money, so good that it makes you sick or they (like me) like to blow any money they have like they are the richest people on earth without a care in the world.  I have began to attribute this one to one thing...

A Money Gene

Now stay with me as I realize this sounds ridiculous. Start thinking of friends you have that are fantastic with money, what is their background? I have friends that were dirt poor and their parents were horrible with money and I have friends that were never concerned with their parents finances and both types of people are fantastic with money. This being said I have seen this case happen and they are horrible with money. So my conclusion? It's born into you.

So my story goes that I grew up pretty poor. My parents were living on a teachers salary for most of my childhood but since I wasn't old enough to be aware of money issues I won't attribute this to my case.  I skip ahead to living with my grandfather. We were pretty broke living off of my social security and my grandfathers. Let me tell ya 1600 bucks a month does not get you far. Luckily we didn't have rent and my grandfather had a machining business on the side. I was always allowed to see the check book and understand what bills had to be paid first. I think mostly he did this so I would understand why we couldn't go out to eat that week and of course because he figured the Social Security money was in a way mine.  I can still remember one summer where my grandfather's business was booming. We were living, let me tell ya. I got extra toys and we ate out almost every night. Not to blame my grandfather but I believe this trend has stuck with me most of my life. When I have money, I live it up. Whenever I'm broke, well that's easy you just eat what's in the cabinet and survive until pay day. 

Now back to the gene theory, with me in tow not a single one of my siblings is good with money. At all.  I am not saying we are all living paycheck to paycheck but none of us have really mastered the art of having 10k in savings and a 401k on the side. I am determined to stop this cycle.

Now before I explain how I will untrain myself of years of bad habits I must give credit where credit is due. There are 2 people in my life that are a big influence on me and why I want to be able to save money. First my friend Andie. While I visited her we talked about money and finances. I love that like me she is very open about how her and Kit save their money and how far they have come in their progress. She showed me the system she uses (dave ramsey) and gave me some tips on how I could also start to work on my money management skills. My second influence is my friend Kyle. Let me tell you this kid is amazing with his money, he follows a strict budget and does not stray from it. He has been able to show me several times a budget spreadsheet and apps that he uses on his phone to keep himself in line. Anytime he spends money he goes into his app and allocates it to a certain expense and keeps himself from over spending.

On to me.Two things happened that made me snap and realized I had to make a change. First was my new car. I know buying new is not always smart but it was a decision Shawn and I made together for many reasons that pertained to my job and things we needed out of a car. This being said after taxes and a few add ons it put us into 26k in debt. Being in that much debt will start kick your survival skills. I decided the only way to pay off that much debt in my goal time line (3 years) was a complete change in the way I use my money. Since I know myself I started up a completely seperate checking account where my mileage (money I get from my job) goes into. This money is untouchable to me for anything but my car payment. Beforehand I had used this money for various things including gas money and I never noticed how much I was gaining each month and not using properly. I have found that over 3 months I have been able to make $600-800 car payments. That means that for a year I have had an extra income I wasn't taking full advantage of! The sad part is, I don't even notice that it's gone from my disposable income.

The second decision that made me realize I had to make a change was a plan for a Eurotrip. My friends Andie, Kit, Shawn and I decided we wanted to go on a Eurotrip next Summer. This trip will cost each of us around $4000. I figured that Shawn and I both needed to save around $300 a month to have the right amount by next may. So how was I going to save money? This is the girl who hasn't had more than $500 in savings at one given time, and let me tell you it didn't stay there very long. How could I keep myself from touching that money when I was broke and HAD to have something? Well pairing with my car payment I used that account to attach a saving account onto it. This enabled me to have two bank accounts. One account (where my paycheck is deposited) and another which I only use to deposit money or make a car payment! Not spend! Ever!

Seeing my savings account grow has prompted me to save even more money. Usually when I receive a bonus from work, I see it as spending money to buy things I have been dying to have and probably do not need. This Bonus I will be compromising with myself and saving most of it and only using $300 to accomplish one of my life goals; paragliding.

So if you find yourself like me and feel that you born without that money management gene, do not stress. It is possible to stop your addictive spending habits and see your saving account grow into something to be proud of.

Beach Time wtih Andie

Each friend represents a world in us, a world not born until they arrive, and it is only by this meeting that a new world is born.

To say I love to travel is an understatement. I HAVE to travel, it's in my bones my very being. If I go too long without some kind of trip I start to get grouchy. Well my fourth trip of this year was to visit one of my best friends Andie in Panama City beach. Her husband Kit, also one of my best friends is currently deployed leaving Andie and Zeus (Their fur child) to discover their new found home without him for a bit. With our combined efforts Andie and I were so lucky to be able to fly me out there to see each other after what has been a very long year!

Coming to see Andie was special for a few reasons. 1st as I stated I had not been able to see her for a year where beforehand we basically lived together. The 2nd reason being that we had not really ever spent much time alone without Kit. We of course had been out together alone but never had an opportunity to spend hours and days just having girl talk. This may sound strange if you don't know me however the story goes that I was actually friends with her Husband first.

Kit and I have been best friends since high school. We both went to a tiny school in the middle of nowhere. Being Kit's friend always kept me sane and looking forward to a future outside of miles and miles of nothing. We were both the same in that we could not wait to go somewhere new. Kit was indeed my only friend that shared the same distaste for keggers in the middle of a hay field with drunk girls and guys using their empty beer bottles for their "chew". I do honestly believe that kid kept me from falling into the deep hole of our small town from which you never come out of.  Kit and I remained friends through his first deployment and into college. Our senior year we also decided to break more rules and got an apartment together (What can I say I love a good story). Right after we moved in together he met Andie.

I can still remember me asking him how she felt about him living with a girl. I was terrified for two reasons 1) I couldn't stand the thought of losing him as a friend and 2) I was so afraid being my friend would ruin his chances with a great girl. I cannot tell you how amazingly lucky both Kit and I were. Andie was perfect. Instead of losing a best friend, I gained two. Just as my friendship is with Kit, Andie and my friendship quickly became easy.

During my trip our friendship became even more evident. It was delightful to spend hours with Andie just chatting. We discussed everything under the sun. Friends, family, love, children, life just everything! It brought us closer and opened up my mind to new ideas about fitness, money management, and travel. Just like Kit, Andie keeps me looking to the future and never giving up on my dreams.

Overall my Panama city trip was a gift in that our friendship was able to be strengthened through beer, healthy food, not so healthy food, and our shared fear of jelly fish. I cannot wait until both my beloved friends come to visit me in my favorite city :)

P.S. Although we had a blast there were a few times listening to country music at tootsies where both our hearts grew a little heavy as this reminded us of times in Stilly and the moment did not seem right without Kit. So we missed you Kit, get your butt back home please!

Enjoying free beer at Hofbrau Munchen! Can't wait to enjoy the real version in Germany next summer!

Loving the Florida Sunset

Girl chat on the beach

One of many little restaurants in Seaside FL.

We take such good photos together :)

My favorite photo of the trip

We may seem calm but we were actually freaking out hoping a jelly fish didn't wash up and sting us! They were everywhere!!

Summer To Do List

In the Pacific Northwest the summer is our 2-3 month piece of heaven. For 10 months we suffer through freezing rain, gray skies, and rain jackets. Then for 2 glorious months (3-4 if we get really lucky) the Northwest gods reward us with the most perfect weather you could ever imagine. Having just moved to Seattle last year Shawn and I did not fully take advantage of the summer while it was here. So this summer we have made plans to be outdoors enjoying every blissful minute of the sun while it graces us. Here is a small taste of the plans we have for our perfect summer.

Right after our 5k our friend Kyle Hicks is flying into Seattle and will be staying with us for the night until he heads up to see his family in Canada! Cannot wait to see him! He has been in Korea since last year on deployment!

After my 5k I am sooo excited to be headed to Florida to see one of my besties Andie!! Cannot wait for that fun adventure!

Next on my bucket list:

Camping in Middle fork WA.

 

Para-Gliding off of Tiger Mountain, what a view!

Kayaking the Puget Sound with Whales! We are waiting on Keith for this one!

Paddle Board the Puget Sound? Umm Why not?

We are sadly yet to see a Mariners Game, we will be there once it gets a little warmer!

This is Spray Falls one of many hikes we will be taking at Mount Rainier

Check out the incredible Olympic Peninsula when it isn't 40 or less degrees!

You can take the girl out of the country but you can't take the country out of the girl! Even Washington has a fun river to float! Headed to Snoqualmie River to float!

Although we haven't decided where a roadtrip to Cali is on our list!

I've heard Lake Tahoe is a place you have to see to understand the beauty. I guess we have no choice but to see for ourselves!

A must do is see my brother and beautiful niece Luna in Tampa. I am hoping it will be a family reunion with both my brothers and my sisters!

As you can see we cannot wait to see all the trails, beaches and mountaintop views that Washington has to offer. This summer should be another to remember! On top of all our to do we still have several friends who have promised to visit and we hope all of you can make it to see our new home!!

Well hello old friends

Since I am yet to write a blog on my visitors since I have moved to Seattle I thought I would catch everyone up!!

Last September Shawn and I had our very first visitor. Shawn's cousin Mac came back last September. Mac and Shawn are the same age and have been close friends all growing up as most cousins do. Although we were still new to Seattle we were still able to show Mac around and have a good time. We were able to go zip lining, bar hopping,  Oktoberfest (right in our neighborhood), take a ferry and well a ton more I honestly don't remember!

For Mac's Birthday we were able to take the Ferry over and go zipping in the San Juan Islands!

Fun bar at Friday Harbor waiting for the ferry home

Oktoberfest fun! 

Mac and Shawn enjoying the variety of beers at Oktoberfest!

In February Keith an old high school friend came to visit for a short trip. Although like Mac, Keith was mostly here for Shawn I still got to hang along and had a blast with them! Sadly since Keith only got to stay for one day we didn't get a chance to take any photos together. He is planning on visiting this summer and this must be remedied!

Great shot of the Troll Keith took. The Fremont troll is a must see in our neighborhood. 

The amazing thai food we were so happy to go eat! We are so happy Keith loves interesting food like we do!

My next visitor was my 15 year old niece Stefanie. Stefanie and I have always been pretty close considering we are only 11 years apart in age. She is so funny, sweet, and is one of the prettiest girls I know. I was lucky enough to be able to fly her up her for her 15th birthday this March and I must say we had a blast! I made sure she got to see as must of the Northwest as we could fit into 4 days! I had such a blast and hope she will be able to make it back next year :) 

For Stef's Bday we visited one of my favorite restaurants- The crab pot! Love crab boils!

Chihuly glass exhibit, what beautiful artwork!

Stefanie rocking out at the EMP

On the ferry on our way to Forks! Couldn't forget about the Twilight Experience!

Unfortunately for us it was soo rainy just like the books claim. We however were determined to stick our bare feet in the ocean!

We found the twilight gang!

My latest visitor was my 77 year old grandfather. That's right my SEVENTY SEVEN year old GRANDPA came to visit me before all of you! Shame, shame on you all! Anyways my grandpa was very excited to see the northwest and this place I like to call home so we planned it out and on he flew to come see me! My grandpa raised me for most of my life so it was a blessing to be able to have him come spend some quality time with Shawn and I. 

If you don't know my grandpa he is not your average 77 year old. He looks like he is 60 and acts like he is 50. He is very "spry" for old man as he likes to say. We were able to go downtown, ride the ferris wheel, and even check out the mountains. The weather was not as cooperative as we had hoped but we still had a great time. 

Grandpa's first day in Seattle eating at our favorite burger place "Uneeda Burger"

Riding the ferris wheel checking out the view!

Grandpa and Shawn enjoying the pier

Checking out Snoqualmie Falls

Milo loved grandpa

As of now these are my Seattle visitors, if you haven't visited yet then you should get your pretty little booty up here! There is so much to see, do, drink, eat, and enjoy!!