A Fresh Coat For $3.99!

I HATE white walls.  For me a house, apartment or condo with floor to ceiling white walls just doesn't work.  No amount of artwork, photos, trinkets or drapes can make the place feel homey.  When I moved into my new place I wasn't to excited to see bright white.. everywhere!  Before I moved in I painted the master bedroom and living room a neutral beige tone.  Instantly the whole place had a different feel.  I used the above mentioned accessories to pull it all together and without  painting all the rooms I was able to turn it into a home.

 

The only other down side was the back splash in the kitchen.  It was a horrible deep yellowish color that should be named "puke yellow".  At around 2am last night while organizing my kitchen I decided I really hated it and thought..why don't I just paint it?  While trying to save money after a big move it occurred to me that I still had half a bucket of beige paint. 

I was a little nervous because most of the back splash was wall, but there were two shelves made of pressed wood I'm guessing and covered in laminate.  Since I was awake last night when I had this idea I decided to stay up ten more minutes and tape it off.  This way in the morning I could paint.

After a quick trip to the store to buy a paintbrush I was in business.  Two coats later and a little dry time, I had a whole new kitchen.  A coat of paint can truly change something's appearance.  It can also give the space a whole new feeling.

Next time you want to make a change to a room think about what you have that you can utilize.  Since I had extra paint laying around the only thing I needed was the brush.  So for only $3.99 I was able to spruce up a kitchen I didn't particularly like.  Now I LOVE my new kitchen!

Here is a look at a room with half of the wall painted.  What a difference!

Any other ideas for making cheap improvements to your space?

Your Next Breath Is Never Guarenteed!

“Your next breath is never guaranteed.  Stand up for what you believe in!”

I thought this the other day and wanted to post it on the Hungry For Living Facebook page.  It dawned on me though that I would be encouraging the people I disagree with to continue to feel a way that I believe is wrong.  But just because they don’t believe in the same things as me I cannot fault them.  Everyone is free to hold their own ideas about anything and everything in this world. It’s one of the benefits of having our own mind and a privilege to voice them in this country. 

I realize though that there is a difference.  If I choose to express my opinion and views on others I am spreading awareness on a topic I am passionate about.  When you berate, condemn, or ostracize someone else for their beliefs you are spreading hate.

I have never judged, beat, tortured, discriminated against, humiliated, persecuted or even murdered someone because their beliefs differed from mine.   We all have the right to grow, cultivate and form our own opinions.  No one is born to hate another individual, hate is learned.  It sickens me the way so many people take it upon themselves to judge how others live their lives.  Its irritating to see people hate how others live when it in no way impacts their own lives.  After all the progress we have made in following the mantra that all men (and woman) are created equal, you would think people would think twice before disregarding another human being.  You wouldn’t hate someone for voting differently from you, believing in a different religion or even choosing to dress differently than you, so why than can you not help but hate someone who loves differently than you.  

We all have a right to live our lives the way we want to, and that includes loving whoever you want to.  Just because it may not be the way you feel love should be does not give anyone the right to stop that love from happening.  These are rights everyone has and should not need to be voted on.  It’s hypocritical to take our god given rights and let others choose whether or not you deserve them.

People are up in arms right now about gay rights and whether homosexual couples should be allowed to marry.  Why not?  What will allowing two people in love to marry change for anyone else?

I myself have two moms. They are no different than any other couple and have a wonderful stable, loving marriage.  The thing is my two moms raised me to accept others and their beliefs.   No matter the color of their skin, religion, gender, economic background or sexual preference.  I do not discriminate against you because you may not agree with my opinions or if my family disgusts you and that’s the difference.  You may not agree with me but I would never hold that against you.  Think about that the next time you judge someone for something they cannot control.  Whether or not you agree with them why spend the time trying to take away their rights as a human being.

When I grow old I will look back on my life happily and know I enjoyed every moment to the fullest  Do you really want to look back and realize you wasted your life spreading hate and being angry over other people’s lives and forgetting to enjoy your own?  

What do you think?

Wordless Wednesday

Everybody Hurts Sometime..

Wow, I just came across this video online.  I guess the cast of "The Glee Project" were given an assignment to show their vulnerability through the song  Everybody Hurts by R.E.M.  Not only did

they do an amazing job, but they shed light on such a horrible epidemic of bullying that is prevalent among young people today.  They also have amazing voices and I think I may need to start watching this show.

I know it's not music Monday yet but I just had to share :)
What do you think?

Warrior Dash for ST. Judes!

The time has come.. At 3pm tomorrow afternoon I will be participating in the Warrior Dash! It is the worlds largest running series. It is basically a 5k combined with an obstacle course that includes things like mud, rope courses, fire and more!! It's an incredible fitness challenge but also a benefit to raise money for St. Jude Research Hospital.  

PLEASE HELP BY MAKING A DONATION!!

It's simple and easy, just click on the link below. Every $1 counts and no donation is too small!! Thanks so much!

CLICK HERE TO DONATE

 As I conquer obstacles, leap over fire, and crawl through the mud, kids at St. Jude Hospital are fighting for their lives. They are one of the world’s premier centers for the research and treatment of pediatric cancer and other deadly childhood diseases. They never deny any child care and it costs $1.7 million a day to operate St. Jude. By supporting me and donating you will inspire hope in the children who need it the most and their families.

You can check out more about the Warrior Dash here

www.Warriordash.com & get involved too!
This is done all over the country all year round!

Strawberry Margarita Jell-o Shots!

  Strawberry Margarita Jell-o Shots!

 What you need:

• 2 lbs. of Strawberries
• 6 oz. of Margarita Mix
• 1 Cup of Tequila
• 3 oz. Strawberry Flavored Jell-O
• Sugar and/or Limes (for garnish) 

Step 1:

After washing the strawberries  cut off the tip so that they will stand upright on a flat surface.  Cut the top off the strawberries and using a small melon baller you want to scoop out the insides.  

 

 

 

 

 

You want to be careful to leave a even shell without puncturing it.

Step 2:

In a sauce pan bring 6 ounces of margarita mix to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in  the jell-o mix.  Once dissolved stir in the tequila.

 Step 3:

Place the hollow strawberries on a plate and fill to rim with jell-o.  The strawberries need to go in the fridge for at least four hours.

TIP: Keep any remaining jell-o at room temp, You may need it to refill some strawberries that leak. Some strawberries may leak.  Allow the initial jell-o to set before you try to refill the strawberries with more jell-o.  You can also salvage spilled jell-o on the plate with a spoon.

Step 4:

You can serve the strawberries as is or if you want to garnish them you can rub the rim of the strawberries with a lime wedge and then rotate them in sugar. You can also add a garnish of  lime. TIP: You want to serve the strawberries cold.

Make It Hungry For Living!

Here are some ways to make this recipe a little healthier.

1- Use sugar free Jello
2- Use a low cal margarita mix (like Skinny girl) or use 6 0z of lime juice mixed with 1Tblsp   of Agave
3- Use truvia (no cal sweetener) instead of sugar as a garnish
4- Use only limes or mint leaf for garnish
5- Don't use a garnish

7 foods with more FAT than a stick of butter!

I'm guessing you wouldn't go out for dinner and order a stick of butter. Obviously that would be ridiculous especially because of how much fat you would consume in just one sitting.  Not only would you be overwhelmed with all the fat and calories, but you would get very little nutrients as well.  So most no one would actually choose to eat a meal that to many seems gross based on it's fat and calories, but some of your favorite meals from restaurants contain just as much fat or even more than a stick of butter! Every stick of butter has a total of 92 grams of fat, that is way more than the maximum amount recommended each day for a healthy diet.

Here are some of the worst meals that you can order when out to dinner at your favorite restaurants.  Are your favorite guilty pleasures on this list?

BURGERS:

• A burger can be part of a healthy diet. You do however have to consider toppings, cooking method and bread type. The biggest problem with today's burgers are their size.  Three ounces is generally considered to be a serving size of meat, but when is the last time you saw a three-ounce burger on a restaurant menu? One of the worst offenders of over beefing your burger is Hardee's 2/3lb Monster Thick burger.  It contains two 1/3-lb. patties, four strips of bacon, three slices of cheese and mayo which all add up to 92 grams of fat! The same as a stick of butter.

• Burgers come with a double whammy.  Not only can they overdue it with the beef, but one of the worst ways restaurants get you is when they over due the toppings. Today you can find pizza burgers, grilled cheese burgers, and even burgers with doughnuts for buns. TGIFriday's has a Southwest Burger with cheese, spread, avocado, fried onion strings and 100 grams of fat!

FISH:

• Though fish is a recommended food to eat a few times a week,  I don't think nutritionist recommend fish that is deep fried.  Obviously fish and chips isn't the healthiest choice when dining out but Applebee's fish and chips dinner carries a whopping 138 grams of fat, more than three days worth! That is like eating one and a half sticks of butter. 

SHAKES:

•  Generally you don't want to drink your calories, and I'm guessing you don't want to drink your fat either. Though shakes and smoothies can be healthy, When you get one from a restaurant they are more often than not loaded with hidden calories and fats. Men's Health even went so far as to name the PB&C Shake from Cold Stone Creamery as the "Worst beverage in America".  At the time of their article the shake was listed to have 131 grams of fat (the same as 68 strips of bacon). Today, Coldstone's website lists the large size still to be well over a stick of butter, with 118 grams of fat. (Even the small has an entire day's worth of fat, at 74 grams)  

 FRIED CHICKEN:

• This southern comfort food is usually seen as a splurge since its name alone contains the F word.  You can reduce the intake of fat and calories by choosing veggie sides and choosing white meat chicken. Popeye's meal of three pieces of chicken, a biscuit, side and desert would take you back108 grams of fat.  

QUESADILLAS:

• That yummy cheese, sour cream and guacamole quickly add up. Other add ins like chicken, can be deep-fried, and tortillas usually are coated in butter to get that toasted shell. Ruby Tuesday's Baja Chicken Quesadilla is packed with grilled peppers, onions, and topped with a chile-lime sauce. It may seem innocent enough, but just one quesadilla will cost you 95 grams of fat!

SALADS:

•  It's always a good bet to choose a salad when you want to watch the calories and fat right? Not really. When you start piling on toppings like bacon, fried chicken, tortilla chips, creamy dressings, croutons, cheese and eggs you end up with  more fat and calories than if you choose that burger or sandwich you wanted. IHOP's Crispy Chicken Salad does just that racking up 95 grams of fat! & Applebee's Oriental Chicken Salad contains 99 grams of fat! 

 Does it make you rethink that meal you love at your favorite restaurant?  Don't forget with today's technology you can access restaurant nutrition information online, and if you forget to check ahead of time don't forget that smart phone in your pocket while out to eat!

We know were in for more fat and calories when we eat out, but are you surprised by just how much fat is in these restaurant favorites? 

Cover The Night

We had such a great time "Covering the Night" April 20th for KONY 2012!  Below are some pictures of some of the things we did.  

We made stencils, used chalk, had stickers, posters, bumper stickers, braclets and even made our own logos using painters tape!

                      

 

 

 

To learn more about KONY 2012 visit their site www.kony2012.com