"What you see and hear depends a good deal on where you are standing: it also depends on what sort of person you are.” C.S. Lewis, The Magicians Nephew
Considering the Paradoxical While Enjoying Whole30 Taco Stuffed Potatoes
"Accepting oneself does not preclude an attempt to become better." Flannery O'Connor I consistently struggle with knowing when to accept something about myself as opposed to when to push myself a little harder. As a general rule, I fail to accept pretty much anything as immutable and tend to be somewhat self-critical. Over the past few years in particular, I have spent considerable time discovering the value of knowing myself better in order to build a life structured upon my own nature rather than fighting against it. And in many ways this has allowed me to better understand what I really like or want and to care less about what…
Spring Cleaning and a Paleo Enchilada Casserole
I am absolutely pumped about the fact that it is officially spring AND feels like it outside! Although summer is decidedly my favorite, I am happy with pretty much anything that doesn't closely resemble winter, so no snow on the ground and above freezing temperatures has been a welcome change after a long, cold winter. The crocuses and tulips my grandfather planted at our house over 20 years ago are all coming up and serve as beautiful sign of better days to come. As we start to work on things outside the house, I know that I would really like to be able to preserve those perennials as
Whole30 Swordfish Salmoriglio and the Good Kind of Comparison
Being back in my hometown after so many years is very strange. While some of the streets, stores, and faces are of course familiar, there has been A LOT which has changed. The city has definitely been in growth mode over the past 10+ years and my once or twice annual pilgrimages hardly gave me the opportunity to see all that was new each year, not to mention the cumulative effect. Everything is familiar, but little is the same. Grand Rapids is all grown up now. And although I kind
Superpowers and a Super Easy Whole30 Tuna Zoodle Casserole
If you could have any superpower what would it be? According to a quick Google search - the most common responses are usually superhuman agility, the ability to fly, being able to read minds, invisibility, superhuman intelligence or immortality. On a slightly more practical level, many people seem to wish that they were blessed with the ability to be in more than one place at the same time or that they always had the right words to say. As a general rule, I'm not a big fan of these kinds of questions (which is the reason why the daily brainstorming sessions are still going strong to stimulate my creativity and levity!),…
Gratitude and a Whole30 Fall Chicken and Butternut Squash Salad
Happy Thanksgiving - one of my favorite holidays of all! It's one that brings people together simply for the purpose of being together and reflecting on the many things that we have to be grateful for. In light of our rapidly approaching date of departure, we celebrated our third annual Irish Friendsgiving a little early this year and today I am enjoying a less hectic day of work with a lot of packing on the side. Moving, as stressful and onerous as it can be, always presents a great opportunity to reassess one's possessions and eliminate or reduce clutter - something I genuinely enjoy. And it provides the opportunity to…
Broaden-and-Build, the Benefits of Positivity, and a Whole30 Chicken Chili
I would consider one of my strengths to be my ability to both formulate and execute a plan. I LOVE planning - everything from meal plans to barre choreography, from vacations to my wedding, and everything in between. I would consider one of my weaknesses to be my strong distaste for not knowing what to expect. I'm not great at "going with the flow" and just seeing what happens when it happens. In fact, "not great" hardly scratches the surface. I loathe being in the dark and thus ill-prepared for anything of importance. Thus the logistics of moving and such a big transition have my anxiety levels above optimum at…
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Foundational Habits Part Three: How What We Eat Affects Everything Else
An idea which has always been a bit lost on me is the expression or admonition to "work smarter, not harder." Now I know intellectually what is meant, however, I cannot wrap my head around why there is necessarily a dichotomy. I have long thought that if only I could work both SMARTER and HARDER, then it would only serve to be all more advantageous no matter the endeavor. And in many ways this seems to have been the case (and in others it was my sanity and that of those around me to pay!). Certainly being strategic about one's efforts, in addition to being diligent, can really have a…
If/Then Planning for Failure in Order to Succeed and a Whole30 Fall Salmon Salad with Avocado Poppy Seed Dressing
At the height of my "going out" phase, I was living with my sister Kyle and we noticed that it was quite common for us to excitedly make plans with each other or friends, go shopping to get the "perfect" new outfit, and even spend significant amounts of time getting ready the day of, only to realize that we didn’t feel like going out after all. Although I have already talked about some of the reasons how and why I try to do it anywaywhen it comes to the fun stuff, I've recently be considering how the phenomenon of affective forecasting errors can influence our ability to build and maintain healthy…
Willpower and a Whole30 “Mac and Cheese” Casserole
Something which will likely surprise no one is my proclamation that I really love the things that I love. I'm a Mile Deep person; once I get into something I often border on what some might consider obsessive. Clearly, I am a barre addict and intently interested in all things nutrition. I'll always love fashion and never get sick of reading. And I'll also probably never stop being completely enraptured by psychology especially as it relates to habits, mental strength, mindset, and willpower. Learning more about the way that we think and act and why we do what we do is absolutely fascinating to me. Things that seem so obvious…
