Oh, cobwebs

Dear blog, I am so sorry you were abandoned. That's rude.

Dear readers, if I had any, sorry I couldn't fill your noggin with juice propaganda. 

BUT. I am thinking of a come back of sorts. I have just committed to something of grand proportions and I would like to document it from start to finish... as well as life in between.

So I am gonna take some time to think. Maybe a new name? Blog identity. SOMETHING to re-introduce this little spot on the web back out into the "world".

This is my official "STANDBY" notice to the internet. 

Let's chat soon.

xoxo

G

HOME

Ladies and gentlemen the time is finally here. Tomorrow morning I'm putting myself on a plane to go home to arguably one of the best places on earth. 

Austin, Texas y'all. 

While I am used to being away from home and part of the reason I chose to school in NY... I am not used to being away for over 6 months. While I pride myself on my ability to be a girl in her early 20s that can march to the beat of her own drum, I just need to go home. This time it's about family for me. I have a niece waiting for me to become her Godmother on Saturday, a sister who I haven't seen since the end of February, and two pups that I need kisses from! It's time to surround myself with the people who have been there for me my whole life...and eat a lot of good food. 

If you know me at all I am a Texan through and through and I will always stick up for the Lone Star State. Yes Yankess, I am looking at you.... I invite you to Texas so you can quit thinking it's all farms! Needless to say, it's about damn time for my return, even if it's only for 5 days...sigh. What's even more crazy is that after those 5 days my mom and dad will be joining me back here in Rochester to help get me settled in my new place so I can start my SENIOR YEAR of college...WHAT. Yeah, I am going to postpone my anxiety about that for later.

Besides family, my bed and my dogs I am looking forward to FOOD. Yes, food. I love food. I especially love the food I can find in Texas. 

Things at the top of my "To-Eat" list include:

Chuy's Tex-Mex

Z Tejas

Salt Lick Barbecue

Homeslice Pizza

Saltgrass Steakhouse

Tio Dan's Puffy Tacos

Round Rock Donuts

Juan in a Million

...the list goes on. I'm not even worried about the potential 5 pounds I will gain. When in Austin, right?

Television

While I am in the middle of moving and finishing my internship up, let's talk TV.

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The time is slowly but surely approaching, with school starting soon it will be here before you know it, FALL TV! Judge me. I do not care.

I have come to find that I am a bit of a TV junkie and if you are too, I think we can blame DVR, Netflix, Hulu Plus and HBO Go for that. I know that those services play a large contribution as to why I am into so many different shows. Those services allow me (either a full-time student or full-time employee, depending) to watch new and old series seamlessly without having to catch them live on TV. There is nothing more I look forward to on a long Christmas break during the school year than activating my Netflix account for a few weeks and just watching, watching, watching everything I have missed or try and get into a new show that everyone is talking about. So what am I into?

currently

• Bachelor/Bachelorette [ABC]-shut up, you watch it too. How boring was Des? Hola, Juan Pablo!
• The Newsroom [HBO]
• True Blood [HBO]
• Sons of Anarchy [AMC]-not in season but I’m watching this on Netflix when I have time…a MUST watch
  
  
  
  

fall premiere

• The Vampire Diaries 10/10 [CW] - ok, so it’s not HBO’s True Blood by any stretch but dang, it’s good.
• Homeland 9/29 [Showtime] -just WOW. If you haven’t seen this beast then you aren’t living to the fullest. I HIGHLY recommend this show. I picked it up last fall and cruised through the first season in time for the release of season 2. My only regret is that now that I am caught up I just have to sit and wait
• Revenge 9/29 [ABC]- Sadly, Grey’s Anatomy isn’t what it used to be, Desperate Housewives is over, and Brothers & Sisters fell off the map a while ago. But hey, that’s OK, ABC always has a trick up their sleeves and this is one of them! My mom and dad had been watching this one weekly and there was always some buzz on social media about it but I just never had the time to sit down and dive in. Well, thanks to a cute throat infection I caught earlier in the summer, I found myself in bed for a few days and TA-DA, I love Revenge. Seriously though, women + hot men + the Hamptons, how could it not be good?
• Sons of Anarchy 9/10 [AMC] - I’m into vampires, zombies and old world battles between families that have too many weapons—why not add a badass biker gang in there too? My curiousity peaked and it was on Netflix so I gave it a chance. I am so glad I did because the drama on Sons is different than any other on TV. I am not completely caught up on this one yet but the new season is about to start and I hear the trailer is jaw dropping. 
  
  
  
  

shows I miss

• GIRLS [HBO] - if you love SATC then GIRLS is for you. This is such a raw and honest look into the lives of a few 20-somethings trying to navigate their way around their awkward encounters and NYC.
• Game of Thrones [HBO] - I like to call this one the “unexpected love”. When my boyfriend and I started dating in the Fall of 2012 he suggested that we be two characters from Game of Thrones for Halloween. That was all fine and dandy because I thought their outfits were rockin’ but I needed to know more! Boy oh boy do I love me some Game of Thrones. Ladies, I know this show looks intimidating but give it a chance and pay close attention… oh and there are plenty of naked men ;).
  
  
  
  

shows to watch

These shows have been buzzin’ on all forms of social media lately. If you are in a TV rut and want to try something new I recommend one of these…

• Orange is the New Black [Netflix Original] - “The story of Piper Chapman (Taylor Schilling), a woman in her thirties who is sentenced to 15 months in prison after she is convicted of a decade old crime of transporting money for her drug dealing girlfriend (Laura Prepon).” -IMBD
  
  Note: This one is a Netflix original and that’s part of the reason why it’s such a buzz right now. Netflix is breaking into the world of the Emmy’s. OITNB is from the creator of Weeds, so naturally I watched it because I loved Weeds until it completely took a nose dive. It’s SO easy to see the parallels of how it’s written and how the characters develop. I am on episode 7 of season 1 and I just don’t love it like I thought I would. I will probably finish season one just to completely give it a chance. BUT don’t let my opinion sway you, I know plenty of people that are very into it!
  
• Ray Donovan [Showtime] - “Ray Donovan, a professional "fixer" for the rich and famous in LA, can make anyone's problems disappear except those created by his own family.” –IMBD
• House of Cards [Netflix Original] - “A Congressman works with his equally conniving wife to exact revenge on the people who betrayed him.” -IMBD
  
  
  
  
  

  What are some of your favorite shows?

  
  

BPC: Excavation Day 3

I know this post is a million days late but I hate not finishing something that I have started... so here I am!

My cleanse ended well, I am always so sad to see my last Cashew Milk go :( Cashew Milk is the reason for anyone to survive a cleanse. After all the green juice and some lemonade with a kick, you get this piece of heaven (or whatever kind of peaceful place you believe in).

I mean, how can something that is 300 calories not be amazing? Here you can see where you get the rest of the random nutrition your body needs. CM has your healthy fats, potassium, some carbs, dietary fibers and protein! Yeah...it has 21g of sugar but those are all natural sugars and on the cleanse, it's perfect.


I wish my cleanse ended better. All in all my 3 days were great but we went to Michigan the weekend after I finished and I didn't ease out of my cleanse at all. Not worried about it though because I had some AMAZING food all weekend.

Day 3 Stats:
-.4 lbs from day 2
-2.8 lbs total

I didn't have the same weight loss results as I had from the first time I cleansed, but that's ok, that's not why I cleanse! And you shouldn't either. I cleanse for a check in  mindset towards food. I think cleanses are great for that and of course to detox!

This weekend will be a busy one! About to move apartments over here which means I need to p-a-c-k. Yeah, that is an ugly word. Packing only means that summer is almost over and school is about to start!


xoxo
G

Oh my, I must apologize...

Y'all I was on a ROLL. I was blogging everyday and being all fancy and what not....

And then I spent a weekend in Michigan and then work slapped me in the face and I disappeared. SO with that being said I AM SORRY and I PROMISE that I will get back to all of you who have reached out to me in the past few days and of course update you on how my cleanse ended!

But sadly.... work is pulling at me right at this moment but I just had to come on here and say I'm sorry and sit here in shame.

BPC Excavation Day 2

Wooooo here it is! That amazing mid-cleanse feeling of AWESOME, ALIVE & ENERGETIC. If there is any reason to cleanse...it's this day 2 feeling. Who knew juice could make you feel this good?

One of my favorite parts of cleansing is getting incredible sleep. Your body hasn't seen caffeine in oh about 4 days so it's able to wake itself up and wind itself down appropriately. Now, I am a coffee addict. At one point this past winter I was taking in about 3 cups a day. Besides the fact that I had the mono, I just love coffee and I needed to be up late doing school work--coffee is my crack people. I was sad though that at 6 am I couldn't refuse the urge to use the restroom so I caved and got up...but man I fell right back asleep and got a solid 45 more minutes worth of rest.

This time around I upped the cleanse level so that means no Pineapple Apple Mint (PAM) Juice. What it also means is that I have 3 green juices in a row before I get to taste something new and different. However, I could not be more happy that it is the one and only Spicy Lemonade. Boy oh boy do I love me some Spicy Lemonade.

Spicy Lemonade and I take on 4pm meeting

I love this stuff so much that I drink it while not cleansing as an afternoon pick-me-up. You're probably wondering how cayenne pepper and lemonade really work together, but that's just it, they really work together. Imagine the freshest lemonade with a little kick at the end of it, it's a nice surprise. At first it was a little too much for me to handle. To counter the kick I added some ice into the bottle to dilute it a tad, it really made a difference!

Green Juice #5 and I enjoying Sons of Anarchy after work

Green Juice #5 is one of the more exciting juices to drink...not because it tastes any different from the other green juices (hint:they're all the same) but because it's after the Spicy Lemonade and before the Cashew Milk. I love the anticipation of a nice Cashew Milk. I'll rave about that guy tomorrow.

For Day 2 I felt so good that I went to the gym...in my head I negotiated some weights and sauna but I felt well enough that I busted out some cardio on the treadmill too! 

Day 2 Stats: .8 lbs from Day 1; 2.4 lbs total

XOXO-G

BPC Excavation Day 1

I'm realizing this is slowly turning into a healthy-type blog...I promise I will have a cupcake soon folks.

The first day is always tricky because you’re anxiously waiting for your juice to get delivered. To avoid everyone at work looking at me as the weirdo intern I had it delivered to the house and not to my office. BluePrint says it will be delivered around 10:30 am and something that I have learned in this cleansing process is that BluePrint is always right. I checked my FedEx app a million times out of pure excitement…& TA-DAA!

Around 11 am I took an early lunch because I had just been drinking water all morning, and I headed to go pick up my juice. I threw all my pretty juices in the refrigerator and grabbed 4 that I would need to make it through the work day and it was back to work I went.

Green Juice #1

Because I didn’t get to start at 8 am (which is ideal for my schedule) I worked HARD to get all the juice and water down in the right intervals. BP recommends keeping the juices at least an hour apart with a lot of water in between and being sure to have the last one at least 2 hours before you go to bed to make sure your digestive system has had a chance to get it all down—so yes, I ran the Juice Olympics. 

Friends/peers of mine are always skeptical about drinking juice all day and being hungry. I can’t say it enough but I get so full. You might think I am handing you a pile of poo but I swear I’m not lying. If anyone was going to get hungry while doing this thing, it would be me.

BPC goes to work: #2,3 & 4!

All in all it wasn’t an IDEAL first day. I say this because I was rushed in taking down all my juices and I wanted to slow down. But I will get that opportunity today! I’m down 1.6 pounds—about the same amount I lost last time I did the cleanse just after one day.

Waiting

Today's post is short n' sweet as I am anxiously awaiting the arrival of my BPC! I have overcome what I think is the hurdle in this whole process, the prep, and am ready to cleanse!

It's 10:40 am and I am hungry because I am being patient and waiting for my cleanse to get here to start. BP says you can munch on some fruits while you wait for it to be delivered, and I was prepared to do that but so far--like last time--I haven't found the need to do so. I am taking an early lunch at work so I can go home and get everything situated and take down my first of MANY (12 to be exact) green juices. When I first did the cleanse I was scared of the green juice because I had read way too many reviews...but I honestly love it. I can taste the green and the healthy and that's why I am doing this cleanse in the first place.

I am super looking forward to the Cashew Milk. I don't know how something that delicious is on this cleanse, but it is.

Follow along with me on Instagram: @gabbearr & Twitter: @GabBearr for the latest pictures and updates!

note to self

Note to self: Preparing for the cleanse is actually harder than actually doing the cleanse. 

Happy Monday everyone, I hope y’all had an enjoyable and relaxing weekend, I know I did!

My cleanse starts tomorrow which means I have been prepping for the past few days. Ok, yes I cheated on the first day but it was totally worth it and I didn’t do too much damage.

Blue Print will send you an email with some instructions on the cleanse but also on how to prepare as well. The summary of the email is to start phasing out caffeine, sugar, meat and the dairy. Yeah guys, cutting all of this out at one time is hard and the first time I did this I went completely cold turkey and I struggled, so this time I actually PHASED OUT these items. On my first day I had a ton of fruit for breakfast, a green juice for lunch and then OOPS Dinosaur BBQ for dinner…sorry, not sorry. On Sunday I kept it simple with green juice, a “Hippie Shake” from Breathe Yoga, a shot of wheat-grass for lunch and then a kale smoothie for dinner. I sprinkled in some fruits and maybe a bite of chocolate. Today is my last day of prep and I have had some watermelon and blueberries along with a green juice for breakfast. I have a salad planned for lunch and then my Berry Blend smoothie for dinner!

I say that the prep is harder than the actual cleanse because the initial pull of caffeine from my every day is a tough one, but I haven’t been taking in as much as I used to so it has helped. I’m also pretty sure I could eat a little bit more than I do or look into how I can round out these prep days to give me all the vitamins and nutrients I need. The cleanse is packed with all the good stuff my body needs to be awesome so the minute I start to cleanse I know I will feel better!

Stay tuned for my cleanse updates! You can follow me on Twitter: @GabBearr or Instagram: @gabbearr for a stream of my experience!

Have you ever cleansed? Thought about cleansing? What did you do?

Blue Print Cleanse Part Deux

Y’all, I am EXCITED. Next week, my Blue Print Cleanse will be delivered to my door step. Last time I did the “Foundation Level” Cleanse. The Foundation Level is the middle option when choosing from their cleanses. In short, each level increases on detoxing by adding in more Green Juice. Now, it did warn me last time that the Foundation is a gateway cleanse into juicing and wanting to cleanse again. Well, they were right. On the 23^rd I will be doing the highest level they offer, the “Excavation Cleanse”. You can read more about it here.

The BPC offers a various cleansing options. Different levels as well as how many days you choose to cleanse for. I opted for 3 days last time which worked out perfectly…so I am going to cleanse for 3 days again.

I’m a huge advocate of the BPC for several reasons. Their system makes complete sense. I drink 6 juices a day for three days. I am in taking about 1200 calories a day, maybe less. And for me, standing at 5’3” that’s a normal calorie count to maintain weight. Incorporate the daily run/gym visit and I eat a little more than that.

People usually look at me weird when I tell them about cleansing. They say “Oh I could never just drink juice” or “Why would you do that?” blah blah blah. First, you can do anything for three days…it’s not that big of a commitment. Second, the results are BEYOND worth it. All I have to say is…don’t knock it until you try it. It will probably change your life, especially if you have battled weight loss or food in general.

I look forward to sharing my journey with you next week!


...as a side note Blue Print has not asked me to sing their graces, I happily do it on my own. 

Smooth Mornings: Berry Blend

I make a smoothie almost every morning for breakfast. I like smoothies because it's one item that has so many possibilities! I am going to start a series called "Smooth Mornings" that documents my own smoothie recipes. Recently I have been experimenting and I have had some good GREAT outcomes that keep the taste buds happy.

Berry Blend

• 1/2 cup all natural, nothing added Coconut Water
• 1 tbsp Hemp Protein
• 1 tbsp Chia Seeds
• 1/2 cup Cut Strawberries
• 1/2 cup(ish) Cut Pineapple
• 1/4 cup Blueberries
• 1 1/3 Banana
• Handful of Spinach

Blend above ingredients until smooth. Add ice cubes until desired consistency & enjoy!

Do you have any awesome smoothie recipes? How do you kick start your morning?

The Time I Went Backpacking

So I went backpacking over the weekend. I never thought I’d see the day, but I guess when you meet someone that means enough to you…you indulge in what makes THEM happy.

I won’t lie, I had FUN. No shower, no proper bathroom, freeze-dried food (WHAT?!), sleeping on the ground and a lot of dirt.

I am now in love with Lake Placid and as we left the Adirondack region I just kept asking myself, why? Why must I leave? I want to stay and play forever.

Our little journey consisted of a little over 13 miles of backpacking/hiking/exploring. What a freaking workout. I think I had 25-30 pounds on my back and the rocky paths were no joke.

It was nice to unplug for two-ish days and enjoy good company in the beauty that is nature. I know that we will be planning another trip and probably soon. As soon as we left ADK Lodge Nick asked if I wanted to go again THIS WEEKEND. I giggled and kindly declined. I need a nice weekend to relax in Roch! 

Heading into the Adirondacks!

Avalanche Lake

What used to be Marcy Dam

Avalanche Lake

It's not a proper post without miss Olive

Mountain Man & City Girl Are Going Camping

Not that this means anything to my readers but our little group of interns just sold our first logo to our client! PARTY. That nugget of good news calls for some Happy Hour celebration.

Tonight we are packing to take a weekend trip to the Adirondacks in Upstate New York. We are planning on taking on High Peaks...more specifically Algonquin. Below is a beautiful image (obviously not mine) of Algonquin in the fall? Definitely the fall.

via 

Now, I have camped before...but not the way in which we will be this weekend. You see, it's always been a tent, maybe a cot, definitely a campfire, bathrooms/showers, campfire food, etc. Not this time. This time Nick is taking me REAL camping. No showers, no bathrooms, a one-person tent, freeze-dried food....all that nature/mountain-man stuff. 

I'm nervous because it's a ten mile hike and the climb can be difficult based on reviews I've read. But I am confident I can do it. So, wish me luck! Cannot wait to share pictures with everyone. 

What are you doing this weekend?

Post Vacation Rituals

…with food. 

With my recent lifestyle change I have been paying attention to what I put in my body. Now, I don’t want you to get the wrong impression, I’m not the hippie psycho that HAS to be all natural, all this or all that…I just like to put a main filter on what I am consuming.

A typical day for me will consist of a smoothie, a green juice, a small snack and a bigger meal that I try to eat at lunch-time. Training my body to get used to its new way of life was no easy task as I love chocolate cake and ice cream as much as everyone else.

This is the part where this thing called “vacation” slips into your life and you allow yourself to indulge not for just one or two meals, but for a few days! In my own philosophy I think it is important to let yourself have a sweet treat or something fried every now and then because it’s important to understand that it’s not about never eating those goodies again, it’s about portions and control.

So vacation. Vacation brings (for my family) fried food in the form of fish n’ chips, the occasional ice cream, the morning walk to Dunkin’ Donuts—donut included, the extra snack at the random bar you decided to grab a beer at & so on. You see what vacation did there? Processed fats, hydrogenated oils, sugar for days, your BFF sodium, and some extra carbs on the side!

Others may not struggle with weaning off these bad YUMMY foods, but I definitely do. The minute I feed myself all those things my cravings ramp up. I have a hard time getting them under control and getting back to my normal way of life. It’s things like the free bagels at work yesterday…did I need one? No. Did I eat one anyway? Duh. It was delicious. But you see that bagel then effs up my craving system for the rest of the damn day. So how do I get it to stop?

Water. Water is a small miracle. After all those nasty foods my hands were so swollen from the influx of sodium and other crap that I put in my body. The best way to counteract the sodium is by drinking lots of H20 throughout the day. Not only does water help me reduce swelling but it keeps me FULL and less likely to reach for the random bagel, check out the chip drawer or snack on all the free m&ms our office has to offer—a blessing and a curse I tell you.

On Monday evening I knew I had to get my ish together quickly or the rest of the week would be a gorge-fest. Environmentally-friendly people please don’t hate me but I bought a 3 liter bottle of water from the grocery store so I could CHALLENGE myself to consume the whole thing. I work best if I can challenge myself. Playing a sport for years really paid off. And guess what?! I drank the whole thing. My rings fit onto my finger again. I lost a half of a pound…not a lot but come on that was definitely from the water drinking! I haven’t convinced myself to run yet… ;) Maybe today or maybe tomorrow—running is for another post.

Of course there are a whole other host of tips and tricks that will help to get you back on track. But after this 4^th of July, water has been my key. 

Now go fill up a glass of water and enjoy!

4th of July Weekend Pt. III- Martha's Vineyard

Saturday, the 6th, was our last full vacation day—activity wise—so we headed to Martha’s Vineyard for the day. 

We drove to Cape Cod to catch a ferry over. The ferry ride was about 25-30 minutes. The ferry took us into Oak Bluffs. I should mention that it was freakin’ HOT. Like, oh my lord sweat is dripping off me, hot. Somewhere between the actual temperature and the amount of humidity, I began to lose my sanity. 

Oak Bluffs was PACKED with tourists and beach-like shops. Because we were so hot, I think we were easily overwhelmed by the amount of people that were around us and wanted to get out of there ASAP. We quickly settled on a $7 bus pass that would allow us to hop on and off a city bus to go in between parts of the island. I had been told several times to check out Edgartown so we headed there. 

Y’all, Edgartown is where it’s at—such a different vibe from the chaotic Oak Bluffs. First, there was A LOT more shade to walk in, so we weren't melting and there seemed to be less touristy type shopping and more actual shopping that everyone in the fam enjoyed. We actually ended up spending the rest of our time at MV in Edgartown. Dinner was delicious. I had a Greek-inspired sea bass dish and I wouldn’t have changed my dinner choice for the world. 

I definitely think we will go back to MV in the future. Next time we would spend a night there. Beach day in the morning/afternoon and then clean up and eat dinner and shop around. Enjoy the rest of vacation pics!

My mom and I on the way to MV

Sunset on the ferry back to Cape Cod

Long day = ferry nap time

4th of July Weekend Pt. II-Beach Day

The next day was just the most perfect beach day—so we headed to the beach! Rhode Islanders like to keep it simple and refer to the beaches in Newport as First Beach and Second Beach, I can dig that.

We headed to Second Beach to catch some rays. Growing up I never understood why my mom and sister enjoyed just lying there in the sun…the younger me always wanted to play in the water or build the best sand castle. Now that I am working full-time in an office, I completely understand. 

We goin' to da beach. Hehe. Sorry, Nick.

It was only a matter of time before the boys got bored and dragged my mom and I out deep into the ocean. Ok, I am being dramatic. I’m 5’3” and quickly I can’t reach, so that’s deep water for me. The water temperature was perfect. I am used to the luke warm water of the Gulf of Mexico and a lot of course seaweed (yuck). Second Beach didn’t have the nasty seaweed I am used to, so that was a pleasant surprise!

My main slice took a stab at surfing and returned frustrated. Apparently surfing is a lot harder than it looks.

Funny how laying in the sun all day can work up an appetite.Around 6 we packed up and went to Anthony’s Seafood in Middletown. We went based on a recommendation by my uncle but upon arrival we learned that this place has been on Food Network’s Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives! 

Rhode Island is known for the calamari and so is this place. Of course we had to try it. I promise I am not a huge food critic but I didn’t think it was that great. It was a little too chewy for me and lacked flavor. My main dish was Fish n Chips with fried cod. That was pretty yummy!

Later that night Nick and I took a trip across the $8 Bridge to Narragansett. The fact that it costs $4 both ways to cross that stupid thing blows my mind, but whatever. Our friend KJ used to go to RIT but transferred. He lives in Narragansett and he was around so we got to see him! We hung out on the top deck of The Coast Guard House. The Coast Guard House has a restaurant on the lower level but due to the damn it endured during Hurricane Sandy, it was still closed.

KJ & I

Can’t party like I used to and I’m only 21, sad day. Around 12:30 am we headed back to Portsmouth to call it a night.

Tomorrow is Part III- Martha’s Vineyard! 

Read More:
4th of July Weekend Pt. I- Rhode Island 

4th of July Weekend Pt. I - Rhode Island

We arrived in Portsmouth, RI around 1 AM on Wednesday night at my grandparent’s place. This is the third time I've road tripped there from Rochester and every time it’s at night. One of these days I will learn that this is a bad idea. For some reason the last two hours through Massachusetts and Rhode Island are brutal. Somewhere between the low (45-50 mph) speed limit and the lack of lighting on the highways—one begins to feel like they are on a journey to nowhere.

I woke up on the 4^th exhausted but excited to spend some time with my family. My grandparents were scheduled to fly to Spain for the rest of the summer at 5 pm out of Boston so we had a few hours to spend with them before they left. My grandmother is a wonderful woman—preparing to spend more than a month away in a different country always involves a lot of work however, she managed to wake up and make one of my favorite traditional Spanish dishes so I could have a taste of Spain before she left.

I have never had paella in a restaurant in the United States—ever—just what my grandmother has made. So I can’t even make a recommendation on where to try it or get it if you can. I can suggest that if you are ever in Spain at a restaurant that serves family-style (most do), this is a MUST HAVE. Traditionally paella has some clams in it along with chicken and shrimp but for the sake of time this one only has chicken and shrimp in it. Either way, it is still delicious.

While my dad drove my grandparents to the airport in Boston we killed some time in Newport just hopping in and out of shops and enjoying the scenery. On the way into town my uncle took us on a little detour to see the Newport mansions on Bellevue . If you are ever in the area go check them out, they’re unreal. I have never actually taken a tour of one of them, we always drive by, but just looking at them will make your jaw drop.

It was HOT in RI this weekend. Even as a native Texan I struggled. Dry heat is one thing…but heat + humidity is a whole other ball game. The heat called for a stop in the White Horse Tavern. My mom was told by a man on her plane that she should go check it out. Constructed in 1652, the White Horse is one of the oldest taverns in the United States. I’m not sure if it was because we heard it was awesome and I set a mental expectation for it but I honestly thought it kind of sucked. The actual tavern itself had a cool atmosphere, you could tell the place had a ton of history and the way it was shaped was neat…but food/drink wise I give it a C. There were maybe 5 beers on tap—I would expect a lot more—and the little pizza we ordered was far from your normal bar pizza.

My dad returned from Boston and grabbed us from Newport. Unanimously we decided that before continuing July 4^th festivities that we needed a nap. We returned to the condo and all 4 of us were OUT. An hour later we were ready to go. We threw on our swim suits and headed to a friend of my Aunt and Uncle for a little BBQ and water fun on the Sakonnet River. Nick and I hopped on the two person kayak and took it for a spin. We kayaked around the mini island in the bay and watched Olive, the newfie, swim.

On the Sakonnet River

After the sun went down we headed to watch some fireworks! The show itself was kind of slow but after finding out that it was put together by donations it made more sense. Despite how slow the fireworks were, the finale didn't disappoint!

All in all it was a great first day of vacation. Part II to come tomorrow!

Five Day Weekend

Last week I learned my company is extra American.

Initially the office was scheduled to be closed on July 4^th & 5^th …which is pretty sweet. I know some people who don’t have the 5^th off—how rude.

BUT we found out that the office would be closed on July 3^rd as well!! Yes, a 5 day weekend please.

So what am I doing to celebrate this momentous occasion? Well, first I am sleeping in because unfortunately my travel buddy doesn't work for a company as cool as mine and has some deadlines to meet. Then I am planning on meeting up with my friend who will be in town for some lunch. And shortly after that the car is getting packed up and we are off to Rhode Island for the 4^th!

I am beyond excited for some R&R and most importantly time with my family. It has been weird to not be home for the summer but at the same time I find it so relaxing.

I haven’t seen my dad since late February and it’s been about a month since I've seen my mom. My grandparents are off to Spain for the rest of the summer and are letting us take over their condo/house/thing. But more importantly, I was able to convince my grandmother to make TWO signature Spanish dishes for us before she heads off to the motherland…party in my mouth y’all!

It’s ironic that I come from one of the biggest states in the U.S. and we are off to vacation in the tiniest. If you’re familiar with RI at all you know that you can drive through the whole thing in a hot minute but the speed limits are SO LOW. I’m not kidding. A main road that is typically 55 MPH is about 45 MPH…if you’re lucky. It takes some serious patience to drive over there. I just need to remember to breathe.

We will be staying in Portsmouth at my grandparents and my uncle lives about 2 minutes away. Newport is about a 10 minute drive so some time will definitely be spent there. We have a little trip to Martha’s Vineyard planned; I have always wanted to check it out.

Newport, RI via

Martha's Vineyard via

What are your plans for the 4^th?

Curly Girls, this is for you...

...and for everyone else, enjoy my awkward middle school life.

When I was just a babe I had some curls on my noggin (thanks, Mom) and as I got older those went away and I rocked some straight hair (thanks, Dad). A little thing called puberty happened and the curls returned (hi, Mom).

In elementary school my mom was lucky to get a brush through my hair. On the mornings my mom left before my dad that poor guy was stuck with a screaming 6 year old in a chair, tears rolling down her face because let’s face it, boys don’t know how to brush hair! Lucky for me my dad would just quit and send me to school with some knotty hair in a ponytail, but that’s what I wanted anyways.

Middle school was the age of the straightener. I got my first CHI from my hairstylist (at wholesale so I felt super awesome) and I got to straightening! Ladies, I know this was such an awkward time for you too. A trip down memory lane shall we?

• I rocked every single jean skirt American Eagle had to offer
• Phat Farms? Adidas? Anyone? Ew, why?
• The tales of my mouth are for another time but let’s stick with the facts: a few grand have been invested into my mouth…this is inclusive of braces. So yes, braces.
• Boys were just deciding that girls may be a good idea and our hormones were like what?
• Puberty. Acne. Training bras.
• Speaking of Puberty…huge hair change for this gal. That straight hair went to a curly/wavy mixture. A mixture composed of tighter curls on the top ranging to pin straight underneath.

During this time my mom—the curly headed goddess—took me under her wing and showed me the way.

I quickly learned to ditch the straightener. Every now and then is fine, but ladies if you have the natural wave, FLAUNT IT.

Here are a few things I have gathered over the years to keep your waves/curls lookin’ pristine and healthy:

• Buy a diffuser. A diffuser is the best thing to ever happen to my head.
• A curl CREAM, not gel (eww, crunchy much?)…keeps your hair soft, bouncy and shiny.
• In addition to the cream try different brands of mouse. Be careful here though; try to find one with low alcohol content because it can dry the hell out of your hair. Throw the mouse on after your cream and before you diffuse.
• Comb your hair in the shower! Or when you’re just out…basically just run a wide-tooth comb through it when it’s wet, NEVER DRY. Holy crap, if I had a dollar for every soul I have seen with massive frizz I would be $$$$$$$$$$. Anytime you brush your curls when its dry it pulls them, breaks them and frizzes them. Just don’t do it.
• Let your hair be dirty on the weekend—or at least one day—that's how long I make it. Curly/wavy hair usually struggles on the moisture front and can tend to be dry and course. Letting your natural oil set in there for a tad is a major help.

I have some products for you that I have found success with. There is the “I’m in college and have a tiny budget” combo and a “cool, it’s summer and I am making $$$$ so I’m going to splurge” option.


College/Small Budget

Not Your Mother's Kinky Moves!

This stuff is gurrr-ate. Squeeze about a nickel or quarter (depending on how much hair you have) into your palms. Rub your hands together and then distribute in your wet hair. Do a little scrunch action to activate your curl. Can be found at Walmart for about $5, holla.

Dove's Amplifying Mousse

The cool thing about Dove is that there is a small info-graphic on the bottle that indicates the hold of the mousse. This one is smack in the middle and considered "flexible". Flexible means it will hold your curl but without the crunch...and that is key. After your cream has set in for about 5-10 minutes, mousse it up...well don't go crazy. Too much mousse can dry your hair. But you'll get the hang of it. You can find this guy at Wally World as well, yay America.

Treat ya self

Kevin Murphy's Motion Lotion

I could go on for DAYS about how much I love this stuff. I have been using it for about a year now and I don't plan on stopping. It's not $5 but it's that great...so if you come across some of this heavenly cream, do not hesitate to purchase. I'm from Austin so when I am home I buy mine from my closest Milk+Honey Salon. Otherwise check out KM's site and see where you can get yours.

Kevin Murphy's Body Builder

Ok...so I love KM, sue me. But honestly, this stuff is rockin'. Pair it with the Motion Lotion and you are golden. Learn more about it here. I will say, its a little different than your typical mousse. Use less than normal.

Shout out to all my girls with a little wave and a little curl (cheeeeesy, you love it though).

xo
Gab