New Blog!

Hi, there!

It's been a hot minute. If you want to see what's new, follow along on my new blog: 

http://thehouseofhudson.blogspot.com/

hi, there!

 

I hope you are all doing amazing. I recently started a new job and every other responsibility kinda fell by the wayside for a bit...{read there are currently no less than 9 loads of laundry taking over my guest bedroom and cooking, cleaning, and working out were briefly replaced with working, working, working and possibly having too many glasses of wine nightly :)}

 

But I'm back, and so ready to catch my breath! I tend to drop everything when I get overwhelmed in one area of my life but I'm working on it. I've renewed my gym membership, taken a weekend off, gotten a hair cut and a mani/pedi (it's really the little things), done some travel planning with J {currently smiling ear-to-ear at the thought of this} and feel all-around better and ready to take on my normal, busy/perfect routine again :)

 

This weekend, I'm looking forward to sleeping in, catching a few yoga classes, baking, finalizing travel plans & finally getting around to acting on our interior design plans for the house we bought in (cough) July.

 

This is my mantra for the rest of the week:

 

via

 

I promise I'll be back soon.

 

xoxo

 

 



happy, happy birthday, J!

 

 

 



Free Fitness and A Quickie Strength+Cardio Sesh

Namaste, Y'all! How's everyone's 2013 going so far? Its been rainy and dreary in H-Town the past few days, but other than that, I can't complain :)

I don't know about ya'll but I am not really a fan of gyms. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE classes - spin, kickboxing, yoga, bootcamp, pilates, etc. etc. etc. - but I really hate going to the gym to lift weights. Mainly because of the douchebag single guys who think oogling women while they are trying to get their fit on is acceptable. Is anyone into being hit on while you're doing the thigh press machine? Didn't think so.

But I digress! The whole point of that rant was to tell you why I LOVE getting my weights in at home :) I've tried a lot of DVDs, but I must say that I always go back to the same few websites for FREE workouts. No, I haven't ever tried BodyRock {why?}, but if you enjoy working out at home you should check out the following sites -

Tone It Up: Karena & Katrina are the cutest girls ever and might have the most enviable physiques imaginable. So if their rock hard abs don't get you motivated, I don't know what will! I also love that all of their workouts have a printable version in case you don't want to watch the actual video or would prefer to go at a different speed.

Blogilates: Okay, I like this girl and I think the nutrition and fitness information on her site, as a whole, is pretty sound. I don't necessarily agree with every tid bit she has on her site - though I am far from a professional! - and sometimes I put her videos on mute because she tends to talk the whooooole time...but at the end of the day, I really enjoy the routines and the video quality is decent, and that keeps me going back.

Fitnes Blender: This is probably my favorite site and has definitley been my go-to lately. Don't be turned-off by the 1990s simple design.They have the largest variety of videos, all easily categorized and a multitide of different lengths, so whether you have 10 minutes of 60 minutes, you're covered! Also, every workout I've done on this site has been pretty intense. {bonus - their barre video is a MUST!}

And if you're really feeling like you want something personalized, why not make up your own routine? Here's a quick cardio+strength work out I'm sorta embaressed to admit took me a LONG time to recover from!

 

 

  

 Your buns will love you for it {although they will be screaming in pain the next day, and the next, and the next, and maybe also the next one after that =/!}

In other news, my darling mother - you can call her Pegs - is having ACL surgery today. My sister sent me this picture of her prepping - obviously a lipstick touch up is necessary for surgery. Would you expect anything less? Everyone send her well-wishes and speedy recovery vibes!

 

 



Looking Back

Since we're all getting to know each other here, I think it's fitting to do a 'year in review' post to update you all on life as of late...or in 2012 at least! Without further adieu, here's a photo re-cap of my 2012:

 

 

Last year I sipped champagne on top of the Eiffel tower, learned to snowboard, partied & spa-d in the French Alps, bought our first house, hosted my first Thanksgiving, saw the Mona Lisa, had a College reunion in Austin, stood on top of Mt. Bonnell, went beach exploring in Cabo San Lucas, found a new hobby in running, spent quality time cuddling my fur-child, witnessed some amazing sunsets, spent time with good friends in the Texas Hill Country and watched some of our closest friends grow a baby and become amazing parents! Life was good to me in 2012 and I'm entering 2013 with a full and happy heart.

I don't generally make New Year's resolutions, choosing instead to set 5 or so goals for each year on my birthday. But this year I'm feeling ambitious. In 2013, I resolve to:

- Take More Pictures!
- Run a 10K
- Master 3 New Yoga Poses
- Recycle more!


There's something so exciting about a clean slate and a fresh start! I have a feeling 2013 will be one for the books.

thoughts on {life}

Doesn't the Holiday season bring on so many crazy emotions? So much time spent with family & friends eating and drinking and laughing and loving is so amazing this time of year but can be such a powerful experience.

 

On top of those overwhelming emotions you can't help but reflect at the end of the year and and try to remember everything that happened in the past 12 months. Its a whirlwind of memories and I find myself asking Did I do anything that mattered? Was I happy? Did I smile and laugh and play and love enough? Was I kind?

 

Its easy to get caught up in the day to day grind and to begin focusing on the negative. I can't tell you how many times I felt like I was just spinning in place wondering which was was up. I think that's why this quote resonates with me so much -

 

 

 {via}

 

 

I'm learning if you aren't your own biggest supporter, it's easy to get swept away in the mundane and easy and never experience anything really worth experiencing at all. I've been making a conscious effort in the past months to see the magic in life. To be truly thankful for everything beautiful in my life and to appreciate every trying moment as a chance to change and learn and grow and evolve. To be happy every single day, even when it's rainy and cold and things aren't going your way. To have a positive and kind energy that brightens other people's day. To be fearless and exciting and purposefully seek fun and new opportunities. And most of all to truly appreciate the little things in life - like a cozy sweater & a mug of hot cocoa! 

 

I couldn't have imagined I would be ending 2012 on such a happy note and I can't wait to see what 2013 has in store.

 

Happy Holidays to Everyone!

xoxo

 

 

{easy!} chicken & dumplings

I'm about as close to a chef as Lindsay Lohan is to sober. Most nights I opt for healthy {read un-intimidating} fare, but sometimes, I even surprise myself. I can count every dish {actual dish, not grilled chicken & steamed veggies} I can make on one hand...but those 5 are surprisingly tasty! Chicken and Dumplings is one of them and I thought I would share the recipe in case you're in the mood for something easy/fun/yummy/comforting -

 

Ingredients (for 4 servings):

12 oz chicken breasts, 1/2 box of Free Range Organic Chicken Broth, 1.5 cans of cream of mushroom soup (I use the healthiest version available and don't notice a difference in taste), 1/2 tube Bisquick frozen biscuits, 1 bag organic soup veggies, salt & pepper to taste

 

Directions:

1. Cut up chicken into bite-size chunks & boil. Drain when white throughout (do I even have to say this? Please DON'T eat pink chicken!) & mix with +/- 1 tsp. each salt & pepper & put back in pot on stove

 

2. Add chicken broth & cream of mushroom soup & bring to a boil. Drop in bag of vegetables.

 

3. Pull off bits of biscuit dough (about the size of a dime) & drop into boiling soup. Leave on for about 5 minutes or until dumplings expand & become golden colored

 

4. Turn stove to low, add salt & pepper to taste and let simmer uncovered for 20 minutes

 

Enjoy!

 

 

While the c&d was cooking, I went for a run with my sweet friend, Kristal. It was the first one I've been on since the Turkey Trot so it was much needed. Lucky for me it was perfect running weather since Houston decided winter = 70 degrees this year. We had a blast checking out the Christmas lights around the neighborhood and squeezed in 3.5 miles.

 

 

Anyone else overindulge over the past few weeks? I've eaten so many sweets I fear my dentist is going to just love me the next time I see him. I'm promising myself I'm taking a break from gluttony starting tomorrow until Christmas day. After all, its a holiday not a holi-two-months :)