Beach Glass World Map

Seeing this piece come to life was the coolest. After collecting beach glass for years and staring at it, eventually separating it by color and then staring at it again wondering what on earth you do with that much beach glass- the idea popped into my head and I'm so so happy it did.

Growing up on a beach on Long Island, I have such an appreciation for the water and the treasures that come from it. My grandma instilled an appreciation for everything beach related with her hundreds and hundreds of shells she turned into mirrors and won tons of awards for (did you know there is a competitive shell mirror/craft circuit? ...the more you know~) and her jars and jars of beach glass. At 93 she is still dreaming and creating different kind of beach related magic, she's spunky, creative and the ultimate DIY-er and I love her for it. This piece impressed her and for that, I'm real proud of myself.

For some reason in my mind I anticipated the process being simple and fast..lol. After putting together and taking apart every area/continent approx 15 times, I was able to go back and glue every single piece down. The gluing part gave me a lot of time to think not only about how unique and special every single piece of glass is, but also how cool to create the world out of so many individually unique pieces. Every piece of beach glass has a story, a story I hope is a happy one- a few beers with friends, a night spent around a beach fire celebrating something; I'm sure there are some sad stories, crazy stories and weird ones too. However the glass ended up down the beach turning into beach glass, I'm really happy it did!


Today I glued down the last few pieces and after a few attempts to stand it up and realizing there were pieces I missed, it was successful! After what happened in Manchester last night I feel like the world is hurting and scared, I know my heart breaks for the people affected by the violence. At the same time it is so important to not get stuck in the fear and miss living and enjoying the world. Easier said than done. I know personally, I sometimes get so scared by the violence and terror thats out there but at the same time I don't want to let that impact how I live my life. There is also so much kindness, love and compassion out there too. I am so incredibly grateful to have experienced traveling to and living in so many different places so far. For me, the beach will always be my home, but I've found you can find and create home anywhere in the world. I'm so happy that I was able to create this out of tiny pieces of glass from the place where I grew up to make up the world that I hope to never stop exploring.

So here is to the natural beauty thats always around us, to the tiny pieces of happiness you can find everyday and to the world as a whole. I hope everyone gets to explore, experience and fall in love with all of the places~

 Happy Tuesday, friends! xo

30 Day March-April: Results/Review

Heathy living is something I really try to focus on. I love and live on the Arbonne nutrition line but I never committed to doing the 30 healthy living plan before, I was always nervous because I do slip up here and there with my eating choices (carbs of any kind are my weakness). So in March I finally decided to just commit to the month and see how it goes, I planned it out so I ended the day before I left for Arbonne's Global Training Conference (GTC) in Vegas because I didn't want to feel like I couldn't indulged since I promised myself I would stick to it. (Wolfgang Puck's truffle chips with blue cheese sauce are a must for me any and every time I'm in Vegas). 

Luckily Arbonne has an amazing line of products and I never feel like I'm missing out on anything because it's all that good. You also get week by week recipe guides and grocery lists so it's easy to switch up healthy meals to avoid getting tired of anything. 

So a typical day for me was a protein shake for breakfast which I loaded up with tons of great things: (usually) vanilla protein, almond milk, greens balance, fiber, bluebs or mixed berries (sometimes no berries), a spoonful of almond butter and lots of ice and it is so good. 

Lunch would either be a chocolate shake that I made that morning with almond milk, almond butter, and ice OR leftovers from dinner the night before. Dinner was so fun and to be honest once I fall into a habit or really like something, I stick with it for awhile- I got really into seasoning up some chicken (Chile lime is my current jam), roasting sweet potatoes and making guac. So. Good. 

     A quick thrown together dinner after   working late

 About once a week I switched it up with grass fed beef burgers and salmon.To be honest though, we were working late a lot so by the time I got home I was always looking forward to my usual chicken & sweets. At night instead of having an occasional glass of wine I switched it up to a detox tea every night, maybe I missed wine once or twice but I really love winding down with the tea! Sometimes I make it early in the day, let it cool and add ice and a fizz stick. 

Oh! I do have a huge sweet tooth, chocolate anything is good with me, so I made almond butter cups with the chocolate protein a bunch of times because they're delish and also filling. And the lava cakes with chocolate protein, for real it doesn't taste like it should be "allowed" 😍 

Also, I'm a snacker.. I rarely, if ever leave the house without a snack in my bag lol. Usually I'll have a bar of some sort and some raw almonds or cashews and Arbonne's fit chews that taste like candy but fill you/suppress your appetite. And now in my next 30 days, I'll be able to have the option of the two new amazing bars they released at GTC! YAY! 

So, I dropped the ball on my before pictures.. I really meant to take them but I didn't and I'm so bummed BUT I can say, there was a huge difference in beginning, middle and end. In the beginning I was feeling pretty bloated, tired and just not great. A few days in I noticed a ton more energy and didn't feel bloated or so sluggish. By the end I was feeling GREAT. I'm not big into weighing myself because I prefer to go by how I feel, I did weigh myself halfway through and I was down ~4 pounds so that's exciting! I considered climbing ladders/scaffolding all day/everyday my workout and probably should have done more than that but for now, I'm happy with my results and am so looking forward to starting another 30 days in May and incorporating working out consistently. 

Halfway through, super cute outfit, I know 😏

Two days after I finished~ 

A few days ago, I definitely noticed my legs feeling slimmer~ yay! 

My favorite part of the program is its doable, I never felt like I was missing out on anything. You have choices everyday and it just teaches you to make better ones, once you know how you feel eating clean as opposed to "normal" it's hard to go back. And if you have a cheat day or two, so be it, you know your body and how you feel and it's no big deal~ ultimately you want to just feel good and be happy so whatever that looks like for you is great! For me it's an 80/20 ratio of eating clean and as best I can/relaxing and enjoying myself- balance is a great thing! And I don't know any other program that you can eat chocolate and lava cakes with, but I'm just sayin 😉. 

If any of this sounds good to you, let me know!! I'm starting another 30 days in May, it's always fun to have a buddy to help you be accountable/give advice and talk you off the edge when you really want a freaking piece of pizza lol 

*as an extra note- all of Arbonne's products are vegan, gluten free, kosher certified, free of artificial colors and sweeteners and really delish! 

XO 

Ice swimming + sauna-ing

Yesterday I did something that I never, ever saw myself doing. But lately, I've been trying to embrace more of a "yeah, why not?" mentality. So, when my friend Henrika asked if I would be into trying ice swimming, it was really hard to fight my first response of "hahaha no" and go for it. 

I was nervous about not being mentally tough enough to do it, the water at home in the summer is sometimes not warm enough for me.. and I'd be lying if I said I didn't pour myself a big glass of wine before going BUT I did it! And I was so freaking proud of myself and actually really, really enjoyed it. 

I had no idea what to expect and it was my first Finnish sauna experience too. I 100% anticipated it to be completely different than it was. What I imagined was more like a polar plunge (which I've also never done) where you run into the water, run out and then go hang out in the sauna for a little bit. Luckily, It was so much more relaxing than that. So basically, there are a ton of different locations, we went to one about 20mins away. The sauna was brand new and it was a quiet, pretty area. Once you get there, you change into your bathing suit and then you head into the sauna. When we first got in there it was so crowded, I'd say about 20-25 people were there. After a few minutes we were ready to get to the swimming part. 

I thought it was going to be a lake but it was actually the sea and it was also completely frozen, expect for the area where people swim, they had a pump keeping the water moving so it wouldn't freeze there. Walking up to the frozen water in a bathing suit + socks (super cute look) is so intimidating. Regulars who were going back in shocked me because they just casually walked in, dipped and stayed under the water up to their necks. Meanwhile, I was internally panicking and trying to not be that obnoxious, wimpy American girl who's scared of the water (I think a few of them got a good laugh at me going in). I went in, lowered myself in and immediately felt like the wind was knocked out of me and headed right back for the sauna. Going from the sauna that was about 170°f to the cold water was shocking and I completely understand why they don't suggest it if you have a heart condition. 

So we ended up doing it five times and every time got easier and less painful.. except for the fourth time, that almost felt like the first all over again. It was so much fun though! Henrika also interviewed me a bit during it for a radio program she does that airs in Australia (very cool) so hopefully I didn't sound too crazy! 

It was such a fun experience and I felt so relaxed during and after (the complete opposite of what I expected). I would 100% do it again and hopefully Eric can come next time! Also, as crazy as it sounds there are a bunch of benefits of doing it: boosts your immune system, releases a ton of endorphins, increases circulation, burns calories, etc.. so many positives that make the pain and numbness totally worth it! 

Oh! Yesterday was also Runeberg's day in Finland, everyone eats a certain kind of cake. Henrika brought some over and it turns out, I'm a big fan of Runeberg, his cake was delicious! I was curious about how this special cake eating day came about so, Runeberg was a poet in the 1800's, he's the national poet of Finland and also wrote what would become the Finnish national anthem & yesterday was his birthday (thanks Wikipedia). 

Hope everyone's weekend was just as fun and way warmer than mine~ xx 

Life in Finland

I've been in Finland for awhile now so I guess it's about time I blogged. I've wrote this post a few times/have had this written for bit so I guess it's about time to hit "publish". According to Joycie, I have to blog because "the people want to know!!", not sure who the people are but hi, mom! 

Finland is different. I feel like living in Australia, especially the Sunshine Coast, makes every place after it look bad (miss it too much). BUT Finland is pretty and has its own positives too! It's cold and dark here, a lot. Like sun rises around 10am sets at 3:30pm kind of dark (since I've written this it's gotten a bit better). That's been throwing me off, I feel like I'm always so tired because anytime before sunrise feels like 3am and after feels like midnight. Super guilty of using it as an excuse to lounge in bed extra long. But I've definitely started appreciating the sunlight a lot more than usual, even though it's always so cold our room gets awesome natural light that I love. It's also insanely icy here, always. Our apartment is in an old school that was converted (very cool) but since it was an old school there's a ton of space out front, which is now the driveway. It's constantly a sheet of solid ice so you take your life in your hands going to the car/mailbox/anywhere. I haven't worn anything but snow boots in over a month. I feel like Finnish people must be born with extra balance or something, everyone walks everywhere! I love how people get out and walk, regardless of the weather, you'll see mostly older people which is great. Granted they have usually have ski poles, bikes and threewheeled scooters (love those) but I really think there's extra balance in their genes too. 

For the most part, most people speak English.. even if it's just a little bit, it makes life easier. Finnish is 100% impossible and all sorts of confusing. I've mastered "thank you" and that's about it. I just hope no one tries to talk to me in Finnish and when they do I apologetically/uncomfortably smile and say "English?" while hoping for the best (so far so good). 

Food shopping is a little challenging here, for the most part you know what you're getting but I usually translate what I want beforehand if I'm getting anything out of the ordinary to make it a little easier. 

Everyone has been really friendly and welcoming! At the first game I went to, I was presented with flowers which was such a nice gesture, even if I had no idea what they said and kind of wanted to crawl under my seat (I don't love being the center of attention like that), regardless so so nice! There are four other Americans on the team who are all great, so it's been fun to hang out with them and spend the holidays all together! 

Uusikaupunki is a small town, super quiet and to be honest there's not much going on, especially because it's so cold. I've heard it's amazing in the summer! But there a bunch of cute shops and places to take walks. There's a really pretty trail by our house we've hiked and on a lucky day you'll see people with their horses and ponies around there! I got to visit the stables the other day, the horses are beautiful! 

We've been to Helsinki and Turku, I'll probably post on those separately, I loved the cities! It's a nice change of pace and I have a love for pretty European streets and character. Even here in Uusikaupunki there is a ton of character and every place I've been has such a warm, cozy feel to it. I love it. 

Other than all that, life is good! A friend taught me how to knit, the Finnish way, and I'm loving it. I'm currently learning how to drive a stick, that's interesting lol. And I think I'm going "ice swimming" this weekend. Send warm vibes my way~ 

Ps- anyone with good book suggestions, send those my way too!  

xx 

See ya later Australia

*Three months later and I'm finally getting around to finishing up this post, so without further adieu~ 

Our last week, slowly but surely we have been crossing things off my Australian bucket list. The basketball season ended last weekend and we decided to spend this past week finishing everything up and really enjoying where we have been living on the Sunshine Coast. It's a really, really amazing area with a ton to do. We've been busy! 

The beginning of our "vacation" week was Eric's birthday! We did exactly what he wanted to do which was just hang out & relax. He's not really into celebrating his birthday.. but I am, and I forced a lot of donuts, balloons and cheesecake into the day. 

Tuesday we went up to Noosa and wanted to try to find a koala in Noosa National Park since we didn't find one the first time we tried. No luck with that, they're super elusive and apparently fast (?) because there was a sighting and we still couldn't find it where it was spotted. BUT we also went there to try to spot some whales and that was a huge success! I kinda pressured the guys into taking the hour hike and it was SO WORTH IT. We saw heaps of whales swimming by and it was awesome. We also spotted a bunch of dolphins and what looked to be thousands of jelly fish. Super successful hike! After that we went to a Burger place Eric has been wanting to try which turned out to be so good. A top 10 day for sure. 

A huge pod? School? (Will look that up) of dolphins swam by right after I forced Eric into taking this pic with me. 

                  Noosa is magical

                    Betty's Burgers!

Wednesday Eric learned to surf! I'm not about deep water/sharks so I watched from the beach and he did awesome! Our friend Joe took him and really helped him and made sure he got to stand up, it was really cool. That afternoon we drove up to a town called Maleny and got an amazing view of the Glass House Mountains. We didn't get to climb one but seeing them was way cool and less tiring. Driving up a mountain beats hiking up, at least on that day it did! 

Disclaimer: forced him to stand there and point, pretty sure he contemplated leaving me there lol

Such a pretty view with minimal effort (I originally wanted to climb those mountains)

Thursday, our last full day we finally went to the Australia Zoo! I had been waiting for that for so, so long and it was so worth the wait. I got to PET A KANGAROO AND A KOALA! That was huge for me, I made sure we went back to do it again before we had left. Baby tigers, giraffes, lemurs & wombats were also all really exciting for me. I felt like a five year old, so excited and loving every second. 

                     Best. Day. Ever. 

After the zoo we went and met up with guys from the team, the coaches and their families and had a BBQ by the beach and then wrapped up the night hanging out with our friends in their backyard chatting and looking back on our time there. We flew home Friday and that was that! 

*Change isn't so easy for me, and figuring life out at home hasn't been my favorite but I'm so incredibly grateful for the experiences and travel that Eric and I have had together so far! Eric works so insanely hard to get to where he's been/where he's going to and I really couldn't be more proud of him. Life is unpredictable but finding the small pieces of happiness make the hard/crazy days that much sweeter. I know the journey has only begun, so ready for more adventures and experiences! (And maybe some more blogging..hopefully?) 

Xo 

Mothers/Joycie Day 2016

One of the perks of being a full day ahead is the chance to celebrate everything twice, extended celebrations are the best kind~

Happy Mother's Day to my Joycie 💕

Living in another country / on the other side of the world is so amazing, I don't really get homesick but I do get "Joycie-sick"; I miss my mom so much. She's been the most constant and best person in my life, for my entire life. No matter what she has going on, she's completely selfless in everything she does. My biggest supporter, cheerleader & best friend. She deserves the world, and then some. 

So Joycie, thank you for everything you do and everything you have ever done. You're appreciated and loved more than you know. I wish you were here to lay on the beach with me today ☀️ I know Tito will be loving you extra & I'll be seeing you soon 💕 

FTS 

Australian Month-aversary

I've been seriously slacking on blogging, all other forms of social media too. With no wifi in the house and limited data on my phone the only time I really have on wifi is when I tag along to practice with Eric. The gym has wifi but usually I start chatting and get totally distracted from what I meant to do. I did have a post written about two weeks ago, but going back and reading it.. It wasn't interesting and it wasn't totally truthful, it did have pretty pictures though! But now it's time for a post I'll actually upload~ 

So, it's been a month + a few days! It feels like it's been longer, I'm not sure if it's the huge time difference, the area we are in (it kinda feels like home) or the amount of change that's happened. Maybe a combo of everything. But time really does fly! It's been an interesting month. 

The Sunshine Coast was really livin up to its name for awhile, completely exceeding my expectations. I can 100% say I wasn't prepared for the humidity and hotness we arrived to. In the last few weeks it's cooled down a bit, but it's still shorts, tank tops and bathing suit weather. Apparently it'll stay like that now, which completely works for me! The last two-ish weeks have been rainy, way more than it usually is. As much as I'd rather be at the beach, I can't say I mind the rain a whole lot; I know my skin is appreciating the break from the intense sun! 

      The beach at the end of our road

               Noosa, Main Beach 

   The river/boat ramp down the street

Our living situation has been the most interesting (& the biggest challenge for me). I wasn't going to mention much about it, but in the spirit of honesty + authenticity (and the fact I'm not friends with anyone we live/lived with on fb) I'll go for it... I don't think I was mentally prepared to go back to living with people (besides Eric). Especially moving in with total strangers, after my experience freshman year (it was a nightmare) I swore that off forever. Until it was out of my control and now here we are lol. So, we live with one of the guys on the team and two girls from the women's team were also living with us; all the imports under one roof. The girls didn't know they were living with other people until they got here (I found out we were a few days before we left). Living with us totally didn't work for them and we are honestly not sure why, but they moved out today. So the last two-ish weeks with them being so miserable in the house were a bit rough. I've been trying to make the most/best of it and they didn't try at all. But now, they're out and there is more space for us so whatever!

Our other roommates are geckos.. Lots of them. 

Besides the living situation I've been seriously missing having Tito with us. In France it was great to have him when Eric had practice or an away game, he's the best company & adventure-er. Everyone has dogs here so it makes me miss him extra, he would love it. But he's having a blast at home and is being spoiled a ton! 

I still haven't seen a kangaroo but we do know where to find some wild ones so we will probably venture over there sometime this week! We are going to be going to the zoo soon, I CANNOT wait to hold a koala, hang with the kangaroos and see their tiger cubs! 🐨

I totally blanked on our official month-aversary, it was on Saturday. Eric thinks I'm crazy but I'm always down to celebrate something~ and we kind of unknowingly did celebrate! They had the first regular season game and won by a ton against the rival team! It was a really good game, the stadium was PACKED and had great energy. After the game we went out and had probably too much fun 😉

Australia is so great, everyone is extra friendly and welcoming. I was trying to compare it to France and realized that it's impossible. France had its positives too, I loved it there but they're both just so completely different. I have been struggling to settle in more here but I think that's just because it's Eric and I +1 constantly, and the +1 isn't Tito lol. Not that his teammate isn't a nice guy, he really is; it's just different. Anyway, who am I to complain? I'm in Australia. 

On a more positive note: it's my birthday month and I have a new found love for Tim tams & Australian wine~ 

Xo