Portion sizes today vs 1950s

Hogwarts, here we come!

Just one week away from Orlando... and the Wizarding World of Harry Potter! Normally, I'd feel a little silly for being 30 years old and this excited about seeing a "child's" attraction... however, I know of at least 4 other late 20-something/30-something friends who have also gone and RAVED about how amazing it was... So I am not too embarrassed. :) 

The only thing that would make this trip a little better was if... oh yeah... Universal Studios wasn't so insanely expensive! 2 adults, 2 days = $300... and that doesn't include parking or food. Are you for real?


So our trip will be brief... we only have money for 2 days at Universal... no Disney... no Sea World. I've done them all before, so no big deal... but never with my honey. Universal was always my favorite though, I'm such a movie geek, so it's ok. We can spend the rest of our time by the childless pool at the fab Gaylord Palms. 

The Apron Gal: Baked S'mores

Must make these this weekend! Thanks Apron Gal!

The Apron Gal: Baked S'mores

AAWP Work/Life Balance Survey

We really need your input... it's only 7 quick questions - takes 2 minutes or less! 

Thanks!!

Click here to take survey

Hunger Games FEVER!

So I finally decided to jump on the bandwagon and read The Hunger Games... and OMG am I glad I did! That book was fantastic!

It took me about 5 days to finish it, but only because I had less than an hour every day to grab some read time... my boyfriend was home from work yesterday and read the whole thing in one day. I'm already well into book 2 and really ready to see the movie!! (Had to wait for boyfriend to finish reading so we could enjoy the movie together). 


For the official trailer, CLICK HERE

Where's Wall-E! I found him... can you?

Photo thanks to LaughingSquid.com

Moving!

The boyfriend and I are moving from an apartment to our first house, and it's all very exciting. I know most people usually hate moving... but I love it! I don't know if this feeling springs from moving so much when I was younger, but I always embrace it as a new adventure! 


And I cannot wait to have a fenced in back yard where our crazy dog can run around and a big deck where we can grill and eat and entertain... and just in time for summer. Couldn't be happier!

Fiber & Whole Grains – Most Adults Don’t Get Enough

The USDA recommends 14 grams of fiber for every 1,000 calories consumed per day (which could equate to anywhere between 18-35 grams for most healthy adults based on caloric needs), but because of the lack of whole grains and/or not eating the recommended amount of fruits and vegetables, a lot of us are missing the mark.

Incorporating whole grains into your diet is an easy way to boost your daily fiber intake. For the best bet on whole grain products, make sure to look at the nutritional value label and ingredient list and not just the product name. The names can be very deceiving. Check the fiber content – if the product does not have at least 2 grams of fiber per serving, then it is not enough. And if the primary ingredient listed is anything other than whole wheat or whole grain, then you’d be best to skip it. It will not be providing the nutritional value you need.

Adults require between 5-11 servings of grains every day and these can come from bread, cereal, pasta, rice and more. At least 3 of these grain servings should come from whole grains. Look for whole grain cereal, rice, pasta, or whole wheat bread or wraps.

So you really can, and should, continue to enjoy bread, pasta, and other “carbs” that have gotten such a bad rap lately – just do so in moderation and try to consciously swap out some of your old standards to whole grain alternatives. The addition of these whole grains will help you reach that daily recommended amount of fiber.

If you are still finding it difficult to meet your daily fiber needs, try using a supplement such as Benefiber – the tasteless powder will dissolve instantly in any drink or even in soft foods like yogurt. *PS - Click on the Benefiber link to get a $2 off coupon!*

Go to Nutrition Data to determine your individual daily nutritional needs

Loving the Kitchn!

Yes that's right... it's spelled Kitchn. Thanks to Pinterest, I have discovered my new favorite blog/site for recipes, design idea, DIY type projects... etc


You should check it out and see what it's all about... it's making me feel very inspired to go home and cook and design (and clean! ha, that part's important!)

http://www.thekitchn.com/

Also with very honorable mention, I am LOVING Skinnytaste for great low-cal recipes and lots of vibrant pics to go with everything.

http://www.skinnytaste.com/ 

Help Save the Tigers!!

Don't Flush Tiger Forests

Asia Pulp & Paper (APP) is destroying the rain forests of Sumatra to fuel the fastest-growing brand of toilet paper in the United States today, as well as its sister institutional brand found in hotels, restaurants, and schools. The brands are called Paseo and Livi.

Stop buying Paseo and Livi toilet paper until APP stops clearing natural forest. Help us ensure a future for Sumatra's forests and the tigers, elephants, and communities they support. 

All above information and picture property of WWF

Click here to send a message. Help save the tiger habitat -- it takes only seconds to do!

Some exciting things happening at work...

So we are relaunching a long dormant division of our non-profit.... The American Association of Working People... and it's very exciting to be at the forefront of development and execution. I've never gotten to lend my opinions so freely to a project and it's really going to be an outstanding membership association when we are finished revamping everything. Basically, we are focused on providing extensive resources and education for all people... for better health, wellness, financial scenarios and career help... the limits are endless with what we are going to be able to do. 


If you are interested in learning some more about the organization as we grow and change, please follow us on Facebook here. 

There will be some major changes coming, to both our Facebook page and our website. 


Please place www.aawp.org on your bookmarks, but keep in mind it's going to change it's look, vision and mission statement and benefits in the very near future (goal is by week end). You may think this website will have nothing for you, that it's not pertinent to you... but I promise, there will be content and resources for EVERYONE and that is what is so exciting! 


We also have a Twitter feed... Follow us!

Kitteh!

Yep, definitely my cat...

Can someone please explain the sudden surge of "Keep Calm and..."

I'm suddenly seeing this trend everywhere, and especially ALL over Pinterest. Where did this whole "Keep Calm and..." thing begin and why is it so popular? 

 
 

It's true...

Bonefish Grill giving away free food? I'm so there!

Click here to be redirected to Bonefish's Facebook page and sign up for your invite!

Virginia Wine Expo

So VERY Ready for this. Tickets purchased. Ride arranged. Group assembled. BRING ON THE WINE!

Who gets your vote? Here's my choice!

To Pin, or Not to Pin?

Should Your Small Business Be Pinning on Pinterest? Interesting Story from Forbes.com

I'm a huge supporter/fan/obsessed user of Pinterest... so I say yes. Any company, blog, startup, foundation... what-have-you should make their presence known via Pinterest. It's one of the best and easiest ways to drive traffic to your site. 

Well, hey...

Well look at that... there ARE lots of new things happening over here at Blogger. That's exciting. I'm le happy.

GREAT infographic... wish I had it on a poster for my office!

Like this infographic? Get more content marketing tips from Copyblogger.

Left for Tumblr... and now I'm back...

So I left this blog behind and tried to start something up on Tumblr because I'd heard so many things about how much easier and nicer it was to use... well guess what? I don't like it. Maybe I just never really "got" it, but it just seems like a disorganized mess to me. Slightly restrained chaos of sorts. So here I am... after far too long away, I'm back. I'm going to need to do a lot of housecleaning with this blog and probably change a lot of things a little bit at a time... but keep checking back. I'll be giving Blogger another try and really hope our relationship blooms a bit more than last time :) 


I still wish there were more options available to me and more things for me to explore and do with this program... but it'll suffice for now.